THE old saying “Love is blind” is often applied to anyone swept up in the whirlwind of romance, but what about those who are really without sight? “What If Love Is Blind,” an exhibition being held at Langham Place, Guangzhou, attempts to spread more understanding of the worlds of people afflicted with vision problems.

    The exhibition brings Orbis and APPortfolio Asia Member (AAM) together with an array of Asia’s heavyweight photographers, including Wing Shya, Yasumasa Yonehara, Felix So, Zack Zhang and Joshua Lin. Through art, they explore this profound theme and attempt to show how people with vision problems view the world.

    For example, one of the pieces from Hong Kong-based photographer Felix So presents an abstract face of a female, which is ambiguous, but beautiful. This work shows a blurry image, which is an emulation of how visually challenged patients actually see the world. However, it does not mean that these people view love and relationships in a different light from people who are not visually challenged. The artist created interplay of shadows by using several overlapping photographs to show the self-effacing roles of an individual in a relationship.

    Thirty-six photography works are being displayed in the exhibition. Exhibits are up for sale for charitable fundraising purposes. They are available on APPortfolio’s official website (http://www.apportfolioasia.com/). To support those with vision problems in the Third World, all of the sales will be donated to Orbis, a charitable organization dedicated to preventing and treating blindness all over the world. There are currently 285 million people suffering from blindness and partial blindness globally, and 90 percent of them reside in developing countries. APPortfolio is the body responsible for the development of AAM, an annual project for up-and-coming young artists and designers in Asia.

    The exhibition is being held until May 10 at Langham Place, Guangzhou, a luxury hotel that intends to introduce the concept of “hotel as art gallery” and upholds a commitment to support the local community by displaying the artworks of young artists.

    Time: Now through May 10

    Venue: Langham Place, Guangzhou, 638 Xingang Road East, Haizhu District, Guangzhou (SD News)