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Most art exhibits don’t start with blindfolds, but Oracle isn’t like most art exhibits. Esther Hernandez, chief curator at downtown’s Union Hall Art Space, learned that, on average, exhibit viewers spend only eight seconds admiring each piece. In an effort to get visitors more engaged, she designed Oracle, an experiential exhibit that opened on May 9.
At the 1,700-square-foot gallery, located in the Coloradan’s ground-floor retail space, visitors are encouraged to first ask themselves a question. It can be anything: personal, introspective, or even weird. Then, after putting on a blindfold, the guest is guided by a gallery volunteer (by hand, arm, or shoulder) to each of the 16 pieces. If they feel called by the work in front of them, they remove their blindfold and really look. “I’m interested in how the spiritual and artistic overlap,” Hernandez says. “What if we treated art like an oracle and invited people to enter a work from a reflective and personal space?”
The works comprise sculptures, collages, beadwork, and more from six local female artists: Yazz Atmore, Faatma Be Oné, Linda Bishara, Rebecca Peebles, Sarah Tenney, and Harriet Woodman. Each artist has also developed commentary and questions that accompany their pieces—covering topics like grief, dreams, and prayer—which visitors can reference after choosing their piece.
We walked through the gallery to get a sense of what viewers can expect. Below, three observations from Oracle, on display at Union Hall Art Space through July 26.
Going in blind
You can visit Oracle any time during Union Hall’s open hours, but for the full mystical effect, sign up for a guided experience (free, but reservations are required). That way, the visit feels like a ritual. First, you’ll ask yourself a question, which can be anything from What’s next for me? to Why am I still thinking about my ex?
Then, the exhibit volunteer physically guides you through the show, stopping at all 16 works, until your intuition tells you to stop. Don’t be worried about bumping into anything—the gallery is wide open. “Each wall label has been uniquely designed,” Hernandez says. “Not in a typical exhibition kind of way, but more in the way that you would design a tarot book. Each label has keywords, guiding questions, and a short description to help the visitor if they feel too intimidated to interpret the work on their own.”
Touchy subjects
Unlike most hands-off exhibits, two of Oracle’s works are interactive. “Re-Volve” by Faatma Be Oné is a mixed-media, three-dimensional piece resembling a spiritual altar with two mystical beings. They’re robed, wearing crowns, and have crystals for eyes—but what they represent is up to you. Much like a shoulder angel and devil that you’d see in cartoons, the duo represents creation and destruction. Ask for a wish and consider what you’ll give the universe in return—and you can either whisper your request directly to the beings or write it down and place it in their hands. “This piece serves as the exhibit’s central altar,” Hernandez says. “People can even leave an offering if they want to.”
Oracle’s other interactive work is “Ceremonial Weighted Blanket for Crisis of the Heart” by Rebecca Peebles, a square fiber work made from glass beads, sheep hide, sinew, cotton, and rose quartz. Feeling heavy? Good! This work is meant to comfort. Visitors can sit with it on their laps or even lie down with the piece on their chest. Don’t worry about damaging the art—Peebles intentionally chose media, including the crystals lining the inside of the piece, that would withstand curious art lovers. “The metaphysical healing properties of rose quartz are meant to heal whatever [emotional] ache you’re feeling in the moment,” Peebles says.
Stay a while
This isn’t a one-and-done situation. Oracle invites you to sit with all the works, even after you’re done viewing your chosen piece.
Sarah Tenney’s large-scale mixed-media pieces are inspired by dioramas and often feature her own experiences with motherhood. One of her works, “The Flight to Sanctuary,” features Tenney’s two young boys riding a bear to safety from clawing hands. “Her work often revolves around her own experiences with her family and often incorporates the mythology of the natural world,” Hernandez says.
Other works include three digital collages from Yazz Atmore, a multidisciplinary artist who is passionate about connecting with her ancestors in a spiritual way. “Space Cowboy” explores the Black experience of the West through the past and future and challenges viewers to expand in their current life journey without fear.
Whichever piece you choose to sit with, Hernandez hopes you leave feeling introspective. “In times of uncertainty or transition, I think people often turn inward to dreams, rituals, and oracles for guidance, and this exhibition honors that instinct,” Hernandez says. “When we look inward, it helps shift our perspective and hopefully equips us to handle our external reality better. And there’s a lot going on in the world right now. So this is an invitation to connect with our own inner wisdom.”
5 More Cool Exhibits To Check Out:
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- 5 Things To Know Before You See Denver’s Newest Immersive Light Show, Enlightenment
- A New Denver Art Museum Exhibit Takes You Inside a Japanese American Incarceration Camp
- It’s a Yeti’s World at Shiki Dreams
Oracle is on view through July 26 at Union Hall, 1750 Wewatta Street, Suite 144. The exhibit is free to view and tickets are not required, but reservations can be made online for the guided blindfold experience.
