Because the audiobook has brought the novel to life through sound, we created an exhibit of talking portraits of the novel’s characters. We worked with a visual artist to create line art drawings of these characters. These portraits were drawn using conductive ink and connected to circuitry at the back. Touching the ink strokes activated the circuits – a gesture that is a reference to the novel’s title, which is Latin for “touch me not.” When touched, the portraits played extracts of dialogue from the novel.

The exhibit gave people a sampling of the audiobook – the first time that many Filipinos would hear these characters speak. It was mounted in leading bookshops and museums, bringing the novel to audiences that have either forgotten or are not familiar with the work. The exhibit was visited by more than 40,000 people and has created even more impressions online.