An exclusive solo exhibition by local artist and Augustana College Paul A. Anderson Chair in the Arts Peter T. Xiao will open Saturday, Dec. 9, in the first-floor Gildehaus Gallery at the Figge Art Museum.
The exhibition, “A Room That One Is In (And All Things in It),” is a captivating, immersive installation, featuring 18 of his recent large-scale paintings, according to a news release from the Figge. His works will transform the Gildehaus Gallery into a vibrant space, where the multi-panel paintings will extend from walls to ceiling.
“Objects in front look solid while others blur and shrink to the sides, just as floor and ceiling lines bend as they retreat toward the horizon,” Mr. Xiao said in the release.
A student of art and art history, Mr. Xiao combines and bends Renaissance concepts of perspective and color with our evolving understanding of how we see the world, the Figge said. His floor painting, “Rise Ye Point, Line and Plane,” challenges our conventional views of common objects such as chairs, exploring their dimensional “lift” and significance beyond functionality.
The installation is not just an exhibition, but a “walk-around playground,” according to the release. It will encourage visitors to interact with art in a way that bridges visual perception and physical experience, prompting us to see beyond what meets the eye.
“We are delighted to showcase this exhibition at the Figge,” Executive Director and CEO
Michelle Hargrave said. “Xiao’s remarkable body of work will take viewers on a thought-provoking artistic journey, encouraging them to deeply engage with their own perceptions and experiences.”
“A Room That One is in (And All Things In It)” is sponsored by Dean Christensen and will be on view through Sunday, April 7, 2024.
Admission to the Figge — at 225 W. Second St., Davenport — is free on the second Saturday of every month, beginning Saturday, Dec. 9. Regular admission is $10 for adults, $6 for seniors and students with ID, and $4 for children ages 4-12. Admission also is free to Figge and institutional members, and to all on Thursday evenings.
Museum hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on Thursday; and 12-5 p.m. on Sunday.
For more information, visit figgeartmuseum.org or call (563) 326-7804.
