Dialogue in the Dark

Dialogue in the Dark is a Hamburg exhibition where visitors spend about an hour in total darkness, guided through everyday scenes by blind or visually impaired hosts. Andreas Heinecke devised the concept in Frankfurt in 1988 after working alongside a colleague who had lost his sight, and it now runs as a social franchise in more than 40 countries. The Hamburg edition, based in the Speicherstadt warehouse district, is the flagship venue. Across six rooms guests feel their way through a park, a street, a boat, a market and a bar, using only voice, sound, and smell. By the end, most visitors sit at the dark bar somewhat speechless, having realised that the handicap belonged to their eyes, not to their guides.