Carmen Papalia (born 1981) is a blind artist from Vancouver, British Columbia. His practice focuses on "creative wayfinding", the use of alternative modes of navigation without visual cues. Papalia is known for his performances. This includes a performance in Santa Ana, California where Papalia was guided only by a marching band playing predetermined audio cues for physical obstacles and navigation. [1] Papalia also conducts non-visual walking tours for sighted people. [2] His ongoing Open Access project works towards guidelines for engagement with diverse audiences. [3]
Papalia holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver and a Master of Fine Arts from Portland State University. [4]
Papalia has exhibited at the Whitney Museum, [5] Craft Contemporary, the Grand Central Art Center, the Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery at Haverford College, the Portland Art Museum, [6] the Columbus Museum of Art, the Vancouver Art Gallery [7] and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.[ failed verification]
He has been artist in residence at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Model Contemporary Arts Centre in Ireland. [2]