Gabriel Dawe's Plexus No. 47 illuminates Frist Art Museum atrium through 2028

Gabriel Dawe's Plexus No. 47 transforms the Frist Art Museum's atrium with a suspended installation of colored threads that mimic refracted light. The work will remain on view from April 15, 2026 through April 30, 2028 as part of the museum's Art in the Atrium series. Born in Mexico City in 1973 and now based in Dallas, Dawe creates large-scale site-specific works that explore optical phenomena. His Plexus series installations use scientific principles to evoke rainbows and light spectrums. Threads arranged in long zigzag patterns appear as a colorful mist when illuminated by clerestory windows. Frist Art Museum Chief Curator describes how the dense threads blend visually for viewers. Dawe works across multiple media but is particularly recognized for these immersive thread environments. The installation represents the latest iteration in his ongoing investigation of light and perception through architectural intervention.