Get Inspired by the Power of Movement at the DMA

Chains dangle from lights above, tempting viewers entering the Dallas Museum of Art’s latest exhibition to tug at them.

As an adult walking through the sea of lights, it felt like it should be against the rules to touch, but that’s part of what makes “Movement: The Legend of Kineticism” even more exciting.

Go ahead. Pull. I did.

Vaeska Soares’ Vagalume or Firefly draws inspiration from children’s wonder and natural impulse to switch light fixtures on and off. 

The exhibit, which runs through July 16, 2023, features 80 works of various artists from the museum’s collection and uses optical, sound, and mechanical effects to engage viewers directly. 

“It’s really about empowerment and letting viewers have ownership over their experiences, starting with Vaeska Soares’ piece where people can turn the lights on and off,” Dr. Anna Katherine Brodbeck said.

Brodbeck is the Hoffman Family Senior Curator of Contemporary Art at the DMA and is the organizer for “Movement.” 

Many of the artists included in the exhibition come from diverse backgrounds, and their work reflects their distinctive approaches to capturing movement in vastly different ways. 

In one striking painting, Integrales II, bold acrylic colors and geometric loops convey artist Kazuya Sakai’s interest in rhythm and the harmony of the color as it moves through space. 

In Sounding the Air, Tomás Saraceno utilizes spider silk, carbon rods, fishing lines, and other tools to demonstrate how spiders navigate space through the process known as “ballooning.” 

To see inclusivity at the DMA made the experience that much better. 

“As the city’s museum, we recognize the importance of showcasing artists that reflect our diverse communities,” said Dr. Agustín Arteaga, the DMA’s Eugene McDermott director. 

Roma Osowo, invited on behalf of the DMA’s outreach efforts to connect to local artists in the community, attended a media preview of the exhibit.

As an abstract artist, it meant a great deal to see the concept of movement expressed in ways different from her own, Osowo said, adding she felt inspired.

Other museum visitors should find inspiration, too. Each piece ignites a profoundly personal response that will remain with them long after they leave. 

Sabrina Gomez, a Texas Woman’s University senior, is one of People Newspapers’ interns this semester.