Isabel Lewis's Multisensory 'Occasions' at Dia Chelsea and Beacon Reconnect Art with Everyday Experience

Berlin-based artist Isabel Lewis presented 'Occasions and Other Occurrences' at Dia: Chelsea from June 24 to July 17, 2016, and at Dia: Beacon. The work, commissioned by Dia, transformed the Chelsea venue into a social environment with music, scent, food, and plants. Lewis, who has a background in choreography and literary criticism, created site-specific occasions that choreographed olfactory, visual, auditory, and gustatory experiences alongside movement. At the Chelsea location on 541 West 22nd Street, guests encountered Summer Ale from Brooklyn Brewery, vegan hors d'oeuvres, and a scent installation by collaborator Sissel Tolaas. Music composed by Lewis progressed from quiet pulses to danceable beats. The artist referenced the concept of 'erotic sociability' from scholar Roslyn W. Bologh's 1990 work 'Love or Greatness'. A companion mixtape, created in collaboration with Dia and the MTA, guided attendees from Grand Central Terminal to Beacon. At Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park in Beacon, 15 dancers performed with eyes closed, swaying to the rhythm of waves. Lewis previously presented dance works in New York City from 2004 to 2009 at venues including Dance Theater Workshop, the Kitchen, and New Museum. Her practice aims to make art accessible beyond exclusive gallery hours, using communal activities like eating and dancing to foster collective sensory experience.