In the human eye there is a small patch on the back retina that is devoid of rods and cones. This condition causes a small blindness in vision that is compensated by the other eye and by the brain’s ability to “fill in holes.” “Blind spot” has become shorthand for other inabilities in perception, gaps which we know about, but still can not perceive.

Daniel Daam–Rossi’s project explores the “blind spot” phenomena as it occurs between people: we know that other people perceive and experience the world differently then we experience it ourselves, but we can never experience it exactly as they do. Much of art aims to bridge this gap, trying to provide insight into an individual’s experience; much of it says, “This is how I experienced the world and maybe in seeing, or smelling, or touching, or hearing, you will have a similar experience and you will know what it is like to be me for a moment.”

But for Daam–Rossi, ‘Blind Spot’ is not about the artist’s experience of the world. Instead of exploring subjective experience, it explores the very subjectiveness of experience. It shines a light on the darkness between us, and on the distance and challenge of empathy. The project is a process. Moving from the south end of the building (next to the gallery entrance), it explores the Self, moves out toward Separation to Transition, and finally ends with the Other. Each step is an experiment in reflecting on what we know about ourselves and others.

Text by curator, Robyn Wilcox

pt.I/IV – SELF

pt.II/IV – SEPARATION

pt.III/IV – TRANSITION

pt.IV/IV – OTHER