On Friday, June 8th from 7 to 10pm, acclaimed post-disciplinary artist Damon Davis opens his largest solo exhibition to date, an afro-surrealist allegory entitled "Darker Gods in the Garden of the Low-Hanging Heavens." Occupying the entirety of The Luminary's galleries, the show composes an alternate adjacent universe parallel to our own moment that is presided over by darker gods - Deuses on the flip.
For this large scale exhibition, Davis constructs new mythologies around the tropes and cultural ideas of Blackness. Davis explores the function of narrative and its effects on identity and belief systems in communities of color by creating modern myths and fables. The body of work began as an exploration of the societal impairment to see Black people as fully human- always either as subhuman or superhuman. Weaving together otherworldly images, sound, and installation into a mythical environment, the exhibition calls attention to Western fears and infatuations of Blackness while reclaiming identity through the supernatural.
About the artist
Damon Davis is an award-winning post-disciplinary artist who works and resides in St. Louis, Missouri. His work spans across illustration, painting, printmaking, music, film, and public art. Davis has work in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and has exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary African Diaspora Arts (MoCADA) in Brooklyn and the San Diego Contemporary Museum of Art. Acclaimed cultural critic and scholar Jeff Chang licensed Davis’ piece, All Hands on Deck, as the cover art for Chang’s 2016 book “We Gon’ Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation.”
The documentary short A Story To Tell (2013), which profiled Davis, his work, and the creative process, won an Emmy Award Mid America for Best Short Form Program. His work has been nominated for a Critic’s Choice award, Gotham Award, and NAACP Image Award; Filmmaker Magazine selected him and Director Sabaah Folayan for their “25 New Faces of Independent Film 2016.” Davis is a 2015 Firelight Media Producers Lab Fellow, a 2016 Sundance Institute Music and Sound Design Lab Fellow at Skywalker Sound, a TED Fellow (2017), and a Root100 Honoree (2017).
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WE’RE BAAAAACK!!!
Much like the poltergeist from the feature film Poltergeist 2, in person events are back! Because scheduling is scary enough, Silver Space is here to help. Behold, our virtual baby - The Events Calendar - revived by popular demand. Here you can find out when the next gallery opening is, where you can hear free artist talks, and even what you missed out on because you didn’t check the calendar like you should have in the first place. Shame!
If you have an exhibition, event, artist talk, opening, or something tangentially associated, email marinam@silverspacestl.com and we’ll do our best to get you on!
ALINGERING NOTE: in-person gatherings during covid
During these Quarantimes, we wish everyone the best health and happiness. We are proud to support local galleries, museums, and businesses who are working tirelessly to provide you enjoyable experiences and services. With that being said, we encourage everyone to take proper precautions and mindfulness when spending time in public spaces.
Be sure to visit each venue’s website for information on their COVID-19
business hours, guidelines, and mask policies.
If you are still unsure how to protect yourself and others, please visit the World Health Organization's website for more advice and updates on the COVID-19 outbreak.