BLINDSPOT

“Probably only in a world of the blind will things be what they truly are” (José Saramago)

We often talk about “blindness” referring to the inability of seeing through the eyes, however the act of seeing cannot be reduced exclusively to a simple recording action. “Seeing” also means becoming aware of reality through a process that goes from the acquisition of an image to its decoding and attribution of a meaning. The inability of seeing encompasses dramatic and relevant meanings both on an individual and on a social level. Emotional blindness represents a disavowal of personal emotions and can later evolve into emotional illiteracy, with serious consequences for the individual. Social blindness represents an extreme form of defence against anything that may upset a state of mental balance; it is realized through individual or collective actions aimed at filtering and modifying information, resulting in a complete closure towards anything that appears as a threat to the individual, society and social and political systems. Maintaining a clear vision represents a challenge, in which the only certainty is determined by truth, which is what makes us free to accept ourselves and others without a game of projections or idealisations.