Kochi: Ernakulam Assistant Collector Pranjal Patil enjoyed the installations at the ongoing Kochi biennale with a difference – by touch. Patil, the country’s first visually-challenged woman IAS officer, came calling at the art carnival and spend more than five hours at the event.

Marina Thayil, one of the 20 art mediators at the venue, walked her through the art works of the ongoing fourth edition of the Kochi biennale.

“I am visiting an art exhibition of this scale for the first time. The art mediators are doing a good job as they gave a ringside view of the installations and artists before steeping into each exhibition space,” said Patil, who hails from Maharashtra.

Marina, who accompanied Patil during her visit to the Aspinwall venues, said, “Patil’s disability never stood in her way to appreciate the installations, and she was very interested in art.”

“I was totally exhausted after five hours, but she was brimming with energy and left for the next venue with another art mediator,” she added.