In Parable of Gravity, Seattle-based artist Casey Curran combined elements of mythology, science, and religion to foster a conversation around humanity’s goals and visions for future on earth. The installation consisted of several large sculptural elements, enveloping visitors in an otherworldly kinetic landscape that appeared to emerge from a series of crumbling scaffolds, rising up to eight feet tall. Moving inward, they congruently descended to rest under a monumental aluminum centerpiece modeled after 951 Gaspra, the first asteroid ever photographically captured in detail. Each deteriorating form hosted its own kinetic garden, hand-built and assembled from laser-cut polyester drawing paper, forming an expanse of blossoming flora and a symphony of sound that playfully bounced around the room.

The aluminum asteroid—titled Anchor of Janus after the Roman god of passageways, transitions, beginnings, and endings—incorporated a rose window motif inspired by Gothic cathedrals and churches. This mythological, architectural, and astronomical convergence considered not only the scientific and spiritual aspects of our connection to the natural world, but also our cultural legacy and the ways in which past technological advancements continue to impact our lives and experiences today. The reference to Janus further recognized the dual nature of human progress, with all of the positive and negative implications it carries.

Through Parable of Gravity, Curran provided us with an alternative “natural” world: an environment in transition, simultaneously undergoing a cycle of growth and collapse. This fabricated ecosystem alluded to the fine balance of our world’s natural systems and our impact as humans on their well-being. It is prophetic that conversations for this exhibition began well before the COVID-19 pandemic and the sociopolitical upheaval and environmental catastrophes of 2020. Amidst these mounting events, the conceptual explorations of Parable of Gravity felt more relevant than ever. Curran used his installation to present us with an opportunity to evaluate, or rather reevaluate, our current and future relationship to one another and the world around us. At this moment, we have a chance to save what we haven’t lost and leave our legacy for the generations that follow.