Install is complete for Wellcome Collection's major new exhibition, In Plain Sight. The exhibition 'explores the different ways we see and are seen by others. It questions the central place that sight holds in human society through the different experiences of sighted, partially sighted and blind people.'
Curated by Laurie Britton Newell and Ligaya Salazar, the exhibition unfolds across four themes: symbolism of the eye, bias in visual perception, eyewear and identity, and the interconnection between senses.
The exhibition was designed with blind and partially sighted focus groups. A tactile line guides visitors to exhibits on an audio described route and 'Lights Up' events offer bookable, free sessions that allow you to explore In Plain Sight under brighter and more even lighting conditions.
Below is a short video from the commissioning of the 'Lights Up' scenes. Low-glare downlighting and wall washlighting supplements the base layer of gallery lighting, softly increasing light to exhibits and adding fill light to the architecture of the space to reduce high contrasts.
Stop number 10 of the audio guide - Johann Zahn's Oculus Artificialis Teledioptricus Sive Telescopium (The Long-Distance Artificial Eye, or Telescope) - includes a short commentary about the lighting design and how it relates to Zahn's illustration. The audio guide is also available in BSL.