Sarah Jane Palmer creates a new interactive exhibition that delves into themes of memory, perception, and the transformative experience of sight loss. Offering visitors an immersive exploration of how we see—and sometimes fail to see—the world around us. At its heart, Periphery explores the intricate relationship between visual perception and memory, with a particular focus on Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS). This condition causes individuals with partial or total vision loss to experience vivid visual hallucinations, which Palmer connects to her father’s own experience of CBS, creating a powerful lens through which to consider how shifts in perception can reshape our understanding of the world.
Periphery emerged as a response to the complex intersection of art, memory, and perception, weaving together personal stories and broader reflections. One such narrative is Palmer’s journey across the British Isles in 2023, where she visited 12 stone circles on a deeply reflective pilgrimage. Each piece in the exhibition corresponds with a dream or memory experienced at one of these circles, inviting visitors to contemplate how visual perception can be both fragile and transformative. A key feature of the exhibition is the use of the Troxler Effect, a phenomenon where colours shift and disappear in the peripheral vision, mimicking the experiences of CBS and encouraging visitors to reconsider their own perceptions of reality.
This exhibition features 12 newly developed pieces funded by Arts Council England, designed to be both inclusive and accessible to all visitors. Tactile elements have been integrated for those with visual impairments allowing them to engage with the works through touch, while an ambient soundscape composed by music and sound therapist Marcus Campbell, adds an extra layer of sensory depth. Special arrangements for RNIB groups ensure that visitors, regardless of their visual ability, can engage fully with Palmer’s exploration of memory, perception, and the visual world.
Research Supporters
Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind (SRSB) and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).
Dr Gemma Arblaster, Lecturer in Orthoptics, University of Sheffield and
Orthoptist and Low Vision clinician, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS FT.
