in anticipation of the total solar eclipse taking place 08 april, 2024, dallas contemporary is pleased to announce the presentation of view finder, a multi-faceted project by texas video artist brian fridge, opening 01 feburary 2024. unveiling in advance of this significant celestial event in which the parts of north america in the path of totality, including dallas, will be shrouded in darkness as the moon entirely obscures the sun, view finder, comprises three components: a short film showcased at dallas contemporary and various locations across dallas, a series of billboards featuring fridge’s analog interpretations of the eclipse stages placed throughout north texas, and a limited-edition collaborative artist publication.
view finder is one of seven commissions in the series in the path of totality, backed by the science and mathematics-dedicated simons foundation. this initiative promotes collaboration among an artist, a curator, and a scientist, blending their talents to capture the artistic inspiration derived from the total solar eclipse — an awe-inspiring phenomenon that has fascinated both human imagination and animal experience since the dawn of time. view finder was researched by fridge in collaboration with planetary scientist dr. mary urquhart of university of texas at dallas, who steers utd’s own eclipse initiatives, and curated by dallas contemporary deputy director lucia simek, and each element contemplates the lens. this includes the lens of the artist’s camera, the lens of the car window, and the lens of words printed on a page — each serving as a filter through which one experiences and interprets the eclipse.
away from dallas contemporary, the offsite iterations of the film will encourage a measure of the awe that the total eclipse induces through unorthodox displays in public spaces, from the famed shopping destination northpark center to bars, shops, and other unexpected locations, urging viewers to pause and reflect on the oddity of the experience within the flow of daily life.
scheduled programming and off-site activations:
brian fridge: view finder
exhibition opening
sunday, 10 march 2024 | reception 3.00 pm – 5.00 pm
dallas contemporary | 161 glass st. dallas, tx 75207
northpark center
on-view 10, march – 5 may 2024
texas theatre
thursday, 28 march 2024 | reception 7:00 pm
screening of view finder 7:30 pm, followed by screening of andrei tarkovsky’s solaris
dallas contemporary
view finder publication launch
friday, 5 april 2024 | 5.00 pm – 7.00 pm
featuring special musical performance
other locations and activations to be announced on a rolling basis through dallas contemporary social media channels @dallascontemporary #dallascontemporary
this work was made possible by the simons foundation and is part of its “in the path of totality” initiative. for more information, visit inthepathoftotality.org.