Abstract Expressions is a sound and garden installation envisioned by composer and artist Nathan Hall in collaboration with Kevin Philip Williams, assistant curator and horticulturist at the Denver Botanic Gardens. The Museum installed the sound works, plants, and signage in April–May 2023. This multi-year collaboration between CSM and its communities seeks to honor the prairies of Still’s life and provide a fundamental connection with Denver by creating an interdisciplinary sense of place. It is the first time the Museum has reconceptualized the terraces since opening in 2011.
Seasonal Update
Visitors’ experiences of the terrace spaces shift depending on Hall’s dynamic musical program, programmatic activation, seasonal conditions, and fluctuating plant life cycles. We invite visitors to enjoy this evolving project designed to complement CSM’s exhibitions and programs for years to come. To stay updated on the latest artistic sound creations, garden evolution, and new curatorial insights, check back here regularly.
While many of us gear up for fall and winter activities in Denver, the terraces prepare for dormancy. Many of the plants that grew abundantly in spring didn’t receive enough water this summer and may not appear until next year. In response to this, sound artist Nathan Hall has composed and added fall/winter ‘dormant’ music for the terraces, inspired by the electrochemical impulses that plants generate during their transition into the colder months. Meanwhile, horticulturalist Kevin Williams patiently awaits for signs of recovery and regrowth. For now, Abstract Expressions rests.
About Abstract Expressions
When visitors step out onto the terraces, their presence will cue Hall’s original sound compositions. The works’ ephemeral and immersive nature inspires visitor meditation and encourages a deeper connection to the artworks found within the galleries.
