Apr 25 Thursday
"Magnificent Beauty: Georgia O’Keeffe and the Art of the Flower" examines explorations of flowers in painting and photography by O’Keeffe and Imogen Cunningham, highlighting their unique interpretations of the traditional subject matter.
O’Keeffe redefined the tradition of floral still-life painting by incorporating techniques of photography (a relatively new medium in the early twentieth century) into her works, choosing to depict the subject cropped and at close range to focus on color and form. While Cunningham also portrayed flowers in close-up, her photographs instead call attention to the play of light and shadow as well as the subject’s intricate details, captured with precision. Magnificent Beauty demonstrates how each artist transformed the traditional subject with a modernist, and at times abstracted, take on the natural world.
Multiple Voices is the first public artwork in the United States by Eva Schlegel, the Austria-based artist known for engineering steel and mirrors into spectacular, architectonic sculptures. Working with materials similar to the arts center’s new building,
Schlegel created a series of polished and translucent surfaces that catch and reflect light and parts of the surrounding environment, encouraging visitors to gather, play and learn.
Poems by Steve Bellin-Oka, Kimberly Blaeser and Joy Harjo appear in blurred form on glass panels, registering each poem as part of the sculpture, but rendered cryptic to the viewer.
For more information: 405-951-0000, okcontemp.org/EvaSchlegel
Image: Rendering of Eva Schlegel's Multiple Voices at Oklahoma Contemporary. Rendering: Damjan Minovski, Architectural team: Valerie Messini.
Experience HOME1947: Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy! This immersive exhibition explores the lives and stories of the millions displaced in 1947 during the creation of two new independent nation-states, India and Pakistan. Through a series of short films, virtual reality, photographs, sound installations and more, HOME1947 recreates the long-lost sights, sounds and smells of what millions once called home. Visit okcontemp.org for gallery hours.
For more information: 405-951-0000, okcontemp.org/HOME1947
Image: Video still, Beila, 2017. © Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy. Photo courtesy of SOC Films.
Opening April 25 in the Mary LeFlore Clements Oklahoma Gallery, SHELTER by artist Lisa Karrer explores the experiences of displaced peoples seeking safety and shelter in refugee communities across the world. Through oral interviews and video projections displayed within miniature ceramic structures inspired by global refugee camps, SHELTER invites visitors to consider the ways displaced individuals and families find new homes, community, and build new lives in unfamiliar places.
Join us for the opening reception on April 25 beginning at 5:30 p.m., including light bites and a cash bar, followed by an Artist Talk at 6:30 p.m. with Lisa Karrer. All are welcome and encouraged to attend this free opening program. Free tickets are available here.
SHELTER is presented in partnership with the Asian District Cultural Association, Latino Community Development Agency, Sooner Hope for Ukraine and The Spero Project.
SHELTER will be on view through Aug. 19, 2024.
Curious about contemporary art? Learn about 21c Oklahoma City’s current exhibition, The SuperNatural, our site-specific installations, and the artists behind all of the works on a guided tour. Explore on your own anytime or meet us in the lobby on Thursdays at 6pm for free, interactive guided tour.
"Fireflies" tells the story of a retired schoolteacher who lives a quiet life alone in tiny Groverdell, Texas, set in her routines and secure in her position as the town’s most respected woman—until a hole in her roof draws the attention of a smooth-talking drifter intent on renovating her house, and possibly her life. Weekends in April. Complete schedule on the website.
Coinciding with "Fireflies" is an exhibit of art by Chandler Wilson.
Apr 26 Friday