Brazilian Author Presents Accessibility Project at the 27th São Paulo Biennial’s Childhood Space

Author: Ana Paula de Abreu
Illustrator: Ana Cardia
Publisher: Viajante do Tempo

Santa Catarina-based author Ana Paula de Abreu, who has sold over 500,000 books, introduced a groundbreaking accessibility project at the 27th São Paulo Biennial. During the event, held at the “Espaço Infâncias” (Childhood Space), she showcased a sensory experience designed for children.

The project is based on her book Pedro Pianista, which tells the story of Pedro, a visually impaired pianist who has the unique ability to hear people’s emotions. The book is inspired by the real-life story of Willian Miranda, a blind pianist from Santa Catarina.

At the Biennial, the author introduced an innovative setup with recorders and headphones, allowing children to listen to various sounds and focus on the sensations these sounds evoke. The initiative aims to draw attention to everyday noises that often go unnoticed, encouraging kids to step away from their smartphones and technology for a few moments and engage with the real world around them.

“We’re so used to technology that we rely on calming sounds through our phones, like ocean waves, to relax,” Ana Paula said. “But when we’re at the beach, we spend more time looking at memes and taking selfies than actually listening to the ocean right in front of us. There’s a whole world beyond what we see that we’re neglecting.”

Pedro Pianista will also be available at the Biennial as an audiobook, complete with audio descriptions of the illustrations and a narrated version of the story. The book was selected for Belo Horizonte’s SME literary kit program.