Bodies of Discovery – Naomi Fisher: Thermodynamic Flower

Offsite (Occidental Square)

September 11, 2021 – December 1, 2021

Naomi Fisher: Thermodynamic Flower is part of Bodies of Discovery, an expansive group exhibition taking place over the Summer/Fall of 2021 and featuring a series of performances, films, and installations. Set and performed in outdoor plazas and parks throughout downtown Seattle, this constellation of works explores the (re)activation of the physical body in our again-accessible public space, and will create sites of artistic discovery in unexpected places over the course of the exhibition. The presentations are curated by the Henry Art Gallery, On the Boards, and Velocity Dance Center, and supported by the Metropolitan Improvement District.

For Thermodynamic Flower, Naomi Fisher (b. 1976, Miami, Florida) drives at the tensions between nature and capitalist dynamics via feminist theories and strategies based on surrealist art. Created specifically for this public space, her thermodynamic sculptures made from galvanized steel invites participation. Solar thermal glass tubes arranged in a sunburst formation collect heat, which is then transferred to a flower shape painted with temperature sensitive paint. The sculpture transforms from red to yellow, illustrating metaphorically the sun’s psychological and emotional effects, as well as the literal transformation of solar radiation into heat via green technology. Mirrored surfaces of the leaf-shaped elements reflect the viewers and surroundings, enfolding the audience into the piece itself.

Artist Bio

Naomi Fisher earned her BFA at the Maryland Institute College of Art. She has been a resident at the Everglades National Park, Florida; Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City; and Kunstkvarteret Lofoten, Norway. Fisher has received numerous grants and awards, among them from the Knight Foundation and South Florida Cultural Consortium. Fisher has exhibited at national and international venues, such as at the Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France; Halle für Kunst, Luneburg, Germany; Kunsthalle Wein, Vienna, Austria; Kunsthaus Baselland, Basel, Switzerland; and Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, Miami. Her work is included in the public collections of the Henry Art Gallery, Seattle; Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Museum of Fine Art Boston; Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Providence; and Rubell Museum, Miami.

Related Programs

Thermodynamic Flowers (2021)

Performance: September 18
Occidental Square (Seattle)

Fisher has invited dancer and long-time collaborator Elizabeth Hart to Seattle to create a choreographed event on-site. Hart will improvise and interact with the thermodynamic sculpture, exploring the relationship between nature and culture.

Concrete Flowers (2019)

Screening: September 25
Occidental Square (Seattle)

An outdoor screening of the film Concrete Flowers (2019) will complement the exhibition on Saturday September 25, 2021. The film follows dancer Elizabeth Hart through an improvised choreographic exploration of Las Pozas. The space is a sculptural garden in Xilitla, San Luis Potosí, Mexico designed and built by surrealist artist Edward James. Beginning with an anecdote of a frost destroying the precious flowers one day, Fisher weaves together a visual vocabulary that draws inspiration from the dreams and practices of other surrealist artists. The film explores the human desire to impose monuments that transcend the powers of time and nature.

Partner Programs

Jasmine Hearn: A Patient Practice

Performance: August 8 & 14, 2 PM
Occidental Square (Seattle)
Presented by Velocity Dance Center

Jasmine Hearn: A Patient Practice is a map of multidisciplinary conversations practiced and performed around the country by artist Jasmine Hearn with Hearn's mentors and teachers. It celebrates their connections through the creation of what Hearn calls “choreographic and sonic maps”. In Seattle, Hearn will work with Seattle-based artist Dani Tirrell as they reference the lessons and memories that they share together. Learn more »

UTOPIA: space
Vladimir Kremenović

Public Performances: August 21 & 22, 5:30 - 8:30 PM
Open Rehearsals: July 2 – August 20
Freeway Park (Seattle)
Presented by On the Boards

UTOPIA: space is a durational, site-responsive performance by Vladimir Kremenović set in Freeway Park, the first freeway lid project in the United States. It celebrates the work of Angela Danadjieva, the immigrant woman who designed the Park’s renowned landscapes. UTOPIA: space activates Freeway Park by transforming it into an evolving art-making hub, with two months of open rehearsals, visual installations, and free performances. Featuring choreography by CommonForm and design intervention by VIA Architecture, the project brings us together to steward our communal reemergence from isolation and rediscovery of public life. Learn more »

Degenerate Art Ensemble: The Gatherer of Spring

Performance: October 2021
Occidental Square (Seattle)
Presented by On the Boards

Seattle-based Degenerate Art Ensemble brings a performance that is part of the company’s current work-in-development. The piece explores animism and the connections and disconnects between human beings and the natural world. The work combines visceral movement, sculptural costume, site-transforming video projection, and live music. It will be performed by director/dancer Haruko Crow Nishimura, composer/musician Joshua Kohl, and video artist Leo Mayberry, with costumes by Wyly Astley. Learn more »

CREDITS

Naomi Fisher: Thermodynamic Flower is organized by Shamim M. Momin, Director of Curatorial Affairs, as part of Bodies of Discovery, a collaborative exhibition organized by the Henry Art Gallery, On the Boards, and Velocity Dance Center, and supported by the Downtown Seattle Association. The exhibition is presented in conjunction with Murmurations, a Seattle-wide arts collaboration featuring a series of exhibitions, performances, screenings, community conversations, artist talks, and other programs co-developed between cultural organizations.