The city of Murcia has become the setting for a project that unites art, literature and social commitment to bring the reality of those living with visual impairment closer to the public. Under the title “Emotions to sight and touch”This work proposes to see and feel the world as people with low vision do, using formats that can be heard, seen and touched.
This initiative, promoted by the journalist Andrew Torres along with Retina Murcia and Foundation for the Fight Against Blindness (Fundaluce)It continues a project that had already generated considerable interest. Now, the project is growing, adding new creative voices and strengthening its charitable aspect. to raise funds for research into incurable retinal diseases.
A book that evolves: from “Emotions to sight” to “Emotions to sight and touch”
“Emotions to sight and touch” was born as a natural extension of the first work, “Emotions on display”, published in 2022. That initial volume brought together 17 illustrated short stories by cartoonists from national and regional media, building a mosaic of stories that helped to put oneself, even if only for a while, in the shoes of those who live with a visual impairment.
In this new installment, the project takes another step forward and delves fully into the everyday experience of low vision. The book incorporates 20 stories inspired by real situations Experiences of people with rare visual diseases, showing everything from everyday scenes to moments of special emotional charge, always with a close and understandable approach.
Each of these narratives doesn't just stay on the page. After reading the texts, different visual artists have created original sculptures which complete the message through touch, allowing the work to be "read" with the hands. This approach reinforces the idea that art can be accessible in many ways and not only through sight.
The visual component remains key. In addition to the stories and sculptures, there are images captured by 20 press photographers from the Region of Murciawho have lent their professional expertise to the project. Their contributions include posthumous works by Carlos Gallego y Pepe Albaladejo, whose presence in the volume also serves as recognition of his journalistic career.
With this combination of literature, sculpture, and photography, the book establishes itself as a collective creative space in which artists, patients, journalists and associations linked to visual impairment participate.
More than 150 creators involved and an inclusive approach
Since the project began, over 150 creators They have contributed their talent to “Emotions to Sight and Touch.” This group includes writers, sculptors, illustrators, press photographers, and communication professionals, as well as the visually impaired individuals themselves whose experiences inspire the stories.
One of the defining characteristics of the initiative is that it doesn't remain within a small circle of authors, but seeks to do participants in workshops and social entities who work daily with different forms of disability. Along these lines, the project has incorporated the contribution of spaces such as Mental Health Apices o PROLAM-ASTUS, whose art workshops have contributed works that broaden the perspective on functional diversity and inclusion.
The result is an artistic mosaic that is not limited to blindness or low vision, but rather It opens the door to other realities linked to disability.In this way, the work sends a clear message: accessibility, empathy, and respect for diversity are challenges shared by all of society.
Furthermore, the coordinating team has sought a balance between established professionals and new creative voices. They coexist in the volume regional media cartoonists, sculptors with a long career and journalists who have lent their pen and voice, together with artists who are approaching a project of this type for the first time.
This entire human and artistic framework reinforces the idea that “Emotions to the eye and to the touch” is much more than a book: it functions as a meeting point between cultural creation and social awareness, in which each piece contributes to making visual impairment more visible.
Presentation in Murcia: an event featuring stories, art, and testimony
The presentation of this new volume took place at the Cultural Area Room of El Corte InglésLocated on the Gran Vía in Murcia, the event brought together many of the people involved, becoming a gathering that combined conversation, music, and reflection on visual impairment.
The journalist participated in the round table discussion. Andrew TorresThe project coordinator, accompanied by various creators who contributed their work to the project. Among them, the sculptor Fernando Saenz de Elorrieta, the cartoonist Peter Sabiote (from the newspaper La Opinión) and the journalist Alberto Soler (Onda Regional), who shared how they had faced the challenge of transforming the experiences of people with low vision into art.
was also present David Sánchez, President of Retina Murcia and the Foundation for the Fight Against Blindness (Fundaluce)The funds raised from the book sales will be donated to the charity. Her intervention served to remind us that behind every story or sculpture, there is a A very specific objective: to support scientific research that can improve the lives of those suffering from retinal pathologies without effective treatment.
The institutional part of the event was handled by the councilor Conchita RuizRuiz, who is responsible for the areas of Social Policy, Families, and Equality in the regional government, and who also wrote the foreword to this new edition, emphasized during her speech the need to... to promote empathy towards people with visual disabilities as an essential step towards building a more inclusive society.
The councilor emphasized that the book offers a glimpse into the daily lives of people with low vision, something that often goes unnoticed. She highlighted that works like "Emotions to Sight and Touch" help change societal perceptions, showcasing both the challenges and the adaptability and resilience of these individuals.
A unique soundtrack and an accessible audiobook
What distinguishes this project is its multidisciplinary nature. In addition to the texts and artworks, the publication incorporates a original soundtrack designed to complement the reading and listening experience. In this new edition, the Murcia-based group Murcia or Chaotic sign the topic “To be the sun”, a song created specifically for this context.
The music is not limited to playing at the official presentation, but is also part of the audiobook version from “Emotions to sight and touch”. This sound adaptation is narrated by media professionals from the Region of Murciawho have lent their voices to the stories so that they can reach those who cannot read them in printed format.
During the presentation, the musician Pepe Torres Valentí He provided the live musical accompaniment, adding an even more intimate touch to the gathering. In addition, the rocker from Molina de Segura... Henry Winter He has contributed another theme linked to the project: after reading the first installment, he composed a song of the same name that is associated with this collection of stories and reinforces its sonic identity.
This musical dimension pursues a clear objective: make the project accessible in different sensory formatsThe songs, the audiobook, and the professional voices allow the content to reach people with different degrees of visual impairment, while generating an emotional atmosphere that accompanies the stories.
In this way, the work can not only be read and touched, but also listen and feel through soundThis is especially important when considering an audience that has difficulty accessing purely written or visual materials.
Art, empathy, and support for research
“Emotions to sight and touch” is presented as an example of how art can become an effective tool for raise awareness about visual impairment and, at the same time, to promote medical research. Driven by Andrew Torres, Retina Murcia and Federation of Associations of Hereditary Retinal Dystrophies of Spain (Farpe)The project aims to bring the experience of living with low vision closer to the general public and channel resources towards scientific studies that seek new treatments.
Fundaluce, the Foundation for the Fight Against Blindness[Organization Name] is the beneficiary of the funds raised through the book. This organization works to fund research projects on [topic/subject/etc.]. Hereditary retinal pathologies and other vision diseases for which there is still no cure. The sale of copies therefore provides direct support for this work.
Although the initiative originated in Murcia and has a strong regional character, it connects naturally with the European context, where the promotion of accessibility and inclusion It is a growing priority. The combination of accessible literature, tactile art, press images, and musical productions aligns with current trends in inclusive culture and social engagement.
Furthermore, the collaborative approach of the project, which involves people with disabilities, associations, public institutions and professionals in the creative fieldThis aligns with European recommendations to network in order to improve the quality of life of those living with a visual impairment or other forms of functional diversity.
Taken together, “Emotions to sight and touch” demonstrates that when artistic creation, empathy, and solidarity are brought into dialogue, positive things can be generated initiatives with real impactThey help to better understand what it is like to live with low vision, encourage a change in perspective towards disability, and contribute, at the same time, to funding research that may open new avenues of treatment in the future.