The Periphery exhibition features 12 newly commissioned pieces, each offering sighted visitors a chance to experience the Troxler Effect. This optical illusion causes stationary objects to gradually fade from view when you focus intently on a single point. Also known as Troxler’s fading, the phenomenon was first discovered in 1804 by Ignaz Paul Vital Troxler, a Swiss physician, politician, and philosopher.
The effect occurs when your brain begins to “fill in” the surrounding details it considers irrelevant, causing nearby objects to fade from your perception. It’s most noticeable with low-contrast visuals, such as the image below. Each artwork in the exhibition has been designed with a central focal point, enabling visitors to engage with this illusion. The colours used are intentionally low in contrast to enhance the effect.
To experience the Troxler Effect, follow these simple steps. Start with the image above, which features a variety of colours in soft focus, and see the illusion unfold.
How to experience it:
Focus on the central point of the image.
Stare at that point for several seconds.
Relax your eyes and try not to move them.
The colours around the central point will gradually fade away.
When you revisit the exhibition, try to make the artwork “disappear” by following these steps.