What’s on: Art exhibition in complete darkness to open in Wakefield
An art exhibition staged in complete darkness will open in Wakefield this month.
Running from October 18 to November 1 at The Art House, the exhibition – The Sense of Sculpture – will see visitors guided by a rope and tactile path to discover eight sculptures, with trained guides on hand to help.
The exhibition has been created by Dr Victoria Claire, an artist who is registered blind.
Claire was diagnosed with the rare degenerative eye condition Retinitis Pigmentosa when she was 19 years old, and has been creating art for 30 years, with her contribution to public art recognised with an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from the University of Bolton.
She said: “I no longer fear the dark; I prefer it.
“Through this project, I want to share the calm, trust, and connection that comes from experiencing sculpture beyond vision.”
The art gallery said the exhibition is underpinned by the idea that sculpture “should be accessible to all”, with the project coinciding with Blindness Awareness Month.
Throughout October, The Art House will also host free family activities and sensory sculpture workshops.
Damon Jackson-Waldock, Co-Executive Director at The Art House, said: “This is more than an exhibition – it’s a cultural shift.
“Victoria’s work dissolves barriers and challenges us to imagine art not as something we only look at, but as an experience we feel, hear and know with our whole body.”
The Art House can be found on Drury Lane in Wakefield and is open Monday to Saturday, from 9.30am to 4pm.