EXTRASENSORY Opens 10/13 at the Frist Center

The Frist Center presents Extrasensory, a collaborative and dynamic community art exhibition inspired by Nick Cave: Feat. and the five senses. The interactive artworks will be on display from October 13, 2017, through March 25, 2018 in the always free Conte Community Arts Gallery. Extrasensory will run concurrently with Cave's exhibition at the Frist Center.

Extrasensory is an energetic multisensory project created by Frist Center visitors in tandem with local teaching artists during a series of free workshops held from February through May 2017. In these 31 sessions, more than 900 participants, including members of Empower TN, Tennessee Disability Coalition, and VSA Tennessee: The State Organization on Arts and Disability, were guided through the process of creating five installations to represent the physical senses.

Multidisciplinary teaching artists Maria Borghoff, Dee Kimbrell, Amber Lelli, Beth Reitmeyer, and Massood Taj employed an array of mediums to create emotive and visceral works. "The five teaching artists were asked to submit proposals for interactive, site-specific installations that could be engaged through multiple senses," says Shaun Giles, assistant director for community engagement. "Each had very different approaches to the project and found insightful ways to incorporate sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell."

The five works-Palate, See Me, Favorite Things, Sacred Space, and Sensory Stories-focus on different stimuli to engage viewers by detailing the diverse yet interconnected nature of human perception. Composed of a variety of textiles, recycled materials, audio samples, and more, these artworks present a unique snapshot of the many insights and commonalities of the Nashville community that is as personal as it is pluralistic.

The influence of Nick Cave's dramatic re-contextualization of found objects and exploration of movement and identity is present throughout Extrasensory. Cave is most recognized for his intricate "soundsuits," larger-than-life human-shaped sculptural pieces composed of repurposed materials. When worn by dancers, the colorful suits take on a fervid quality, transforming the once-static piece into a vivid and energetic experience. Extrasensory's collaborative body of work channels the bold colors and textures seen in Cave's soundsuits and invites viewers to reflect on how they interpret their surroundings.

"In line with the Frist Center's vision statement, we hope that interaction with the works will inspire visitors to see, smell, hear, touch, and taste their world in new ways," says Giles. Through collaboration and a shared spirit of artistic exploration, this exhibition presents an opportunity to witness the Frist Center's vision in action and the five senses on full display.