As Far as the Eye Can See

“AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE”
A concept conceived and orchestrated by Australie.GAD for Optic 2000, a French network of opticians, offering a new perspective on the visually impaired with the Optic 2000 Group’s foundation and the Valentin Hauÿ Association, named for the founder of the first school for the blind in 1785, where Louis Braille was educated. 

The concept involves a unique photo exhibition entirely created by artificial intelligence based on memorable mental images described by visually impaired individuals. 

INSIGHT
Disability shouldn’t be a barrier - beyond darkness, there is light. Those who are visually impaired can and ought to be able to contribute to creative and artistic projects just as well as anyone else. 

APPROACH
Raise public awareness about the cause of visual impairments by making an invisible disability visible, through a joint effort by the Optic 2000 corporate foundation, French eyewear company Lissac, Audio 2000, a network of hearing specialists, and the Valentin Haüy Association.

The creative idea is to reveal, through images designed by AI with the help of a photographer-artist, the memories of four visually impaired people selected from among the association's members. These unique images have never existed anywhere else but in their minds.

Through a personal discussion with photographer Marc Da Cunha Lopes, each shared the most meaningful memories of their lives – unforgettable mental images.

Da Cunha Lopes then worked to fine tune the memories shared to push the realism of each as far as possible.

The exhibit will be fully accessible to visually impaired individuals, with braille translations of all signage and a website developed to meet digital accessibility standards so the works can be heard through audio descriptions.

After the exhibit, the works will be sold for 750€ apiece and all proceeds will go to the Valentin Hauÿ Association to offer cultural and sports activities for the visually impaired and blind.