Moody Center for the Arts: Summer 2021

In the summer of 2021, the Moody Center for the Arts presented Brie Ruais: Movement at the Edge of the Land, the first institutional solo exhibition of the Brooklyn-based sculptor Brie Ruais (b. 1982, Southern California). The exhibition featured a monumental installation of ceramic works, created specifically for the exhibition at the Moody, and displayed in dialogue with a series of new photographs and a video installation that document ephemeral interventions on the land. Arranged on both the floor and walls, the sculptures interacted with the galleries and the Rice campus, referencing the post-industrial transformation of the American West. A site-specific work in two parts engaged both the natural grounds outside the building, as well as the man-made container within.

Dimensions Variable was organized in conjunction with the Moody’s summer exhibition Brie Ruais: Movement at the Edge of the Land, visitors were invited to engage all their senses, and to connect with the large-scale ceramic pieces on view that emphasize our bodily connection with the natural environment. The event included a special ambulatory performance conceived in response to the exhibition by choreographer Oliver Halkowich, featuring Melody Mennite, principal dancer with Houston Ballet and Kelly Myernick Kubin, former Houston Ballet first soloist and current teacher with the Houston Ballet Academy, as well as Anthony Barilla, a musician, writer, and performance artist based in Houston. A hands-on workshop organized by ClayHouston gave visitors of all ages the opportunity to experiment with clay, free-style or with guidance.

This exhibition was curated by Frauke V. Josenhans, Associate Curator, Moody Center for the Arts. Video by Walley Films. Learn more at https://moody.rice.edu

The exhibition is made possible by the Thomas D. and Pamela Riley Smith Endowment for the Moody Center for the Arts. Major support is provided by the Louis Sudler Endowment and the Brad and Leslie Bucher Artist Endowment. Additional support is provided by the Tamara de Kuffner Fund, the Robert Lehman Foundation, the Kilgore Endowment Fund, the Sewall Endowment and albertz benda, New York.