Towards New Worlds, currently on view at the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, opens a request: ‘You are invited to strike and touch the bells’. It’s a simple yet powerful summons – one befitting of an exhibition that aims to redefine not only how we experience art, but how it might also bring us together.
Aaron McPeake, the artist behind these evocative sculptures made of copper, tin, and oak, created them fifteen years after losing most of his eyesight. His work stresses the importance of multisensory engagement, welcoming viewers to experience his art through sound and touch as well as visually. It’s a theme that runs throughout the exhibition too, as all the artists showcased in Towards New Worlds are disabled, D/deaf, and/or neurodivergent, creating a space where inclusivity and accessibility are central to the curation.
