Organized by MOCA Cleveland; Coordinated by Megan Lykins Reich, Director of Education and Associate Curator

William D. Ginn Gallery

Commissioned by Creative Time and Galerie Peter Kilchmann for the 2008 Whitney Biennial, Javier Téllez's contemplative film, Letter on the Blind for the Use of Those Who See (2007) documents six blind men as they touch and respond to a live elephant.  Based loosely on an Indian fable, the film balances footage of these interactions with verbal commentary by each man about his blindness.  The rawness of the environment - an empty swimming pool in Brooklyn's McCarren Park - sharpens the rich poignancy of the men's distinctive, often profound physical and emotional response to the elephant.  In emphasizing the diverse sensorial reactions of individuals who lack sight, the film serves as a thoughtful meditation on the deeply personal and affective nature of all perception.

You can read more about the artist and the fiim here: http://www.creativetime.org/programs/archive/2007/performance/tellez.html