Art lecturer curates exhibition of extraterrestrial ideas

March 15, 2013 | Arts, Events, UToday, — Visual and Performing Arts
By Angela Riddel



"First Contact," an exhibit that contemplates if humans met extraterrestrial life, was curated by UT Lecturer Seder Burns and is on display at Gallery Project in Ann Arbor.

“First Contact,” an exhibit that contemplates if humans met extraterrestrial life, was curated by UT Lecturer Seder Burns and is on display at Gallery Project in Ann Arbor.

The phrase “first contact” refers to the initial moment when humans and extraterrestrial life meet. The subject raises many issues, including communication, the future, religious belief, and humanity’s preparedness for such an event.

“First Contact,” an exhibition in which artists explore these issues, is on display through Sunday, March 24, at Gallery Project, 215 South Fourth Ave. in Ann Arbor.

Curated by Seder Burns, UT lecturer of new media studies, “First Contact” features a roster of local, regional and internationally known artists.

The show includes art by UT alumni Clifton Harvey and Jacob Tebbe, and UT faculty members: Burns; Dan Hernandez and Barry Whittaker, both assistant professors in the Department of Art; and Debra Davis, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

It also features work from HR Giger, known for his design of the title creature in the “Alien” film series, and Charles Lindsay, a 2010 Guggenheim Fellow and artist in residence at the SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence) Institute.

The exhibition can be seen Thursday through Saturday from noon to 9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. The gallery is closed Monday through Wednesday.

Admission is free to the nonprofit gallery; donations are welcome.

For more information, visit thegalleryproject.com.

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