Dennis Scholl: A Day of Four Sunsets Exhibition now open at Orlando Museum of Art

The new exhibition will explore collective memory, space and time through NASA artifacts and assemblages, debuting as Florida enters a new era of lunar exploration ahead of NASA’s Artemis II mission.

A brand new exhibiton is now open at Orlando Museum of Art (OMA), with Dennis Scholl: A Day of Four Sunsets, on view until June 14. This captivating exhibition invites visitors to immerse themselves in a new body of work by Miami-based artist Dennis Scholl, exploring the poetics of space, memory and history through intricate assemblages of NASA memorabilia.

Central Florida is experiencing a renewed surge of excitement around space exploration. A Day of Four Sunsets’ opening is timed closely with NASA’s Artemis II mission launching from Kennedy Space Center. This historic crewed flight around the Moon will mark humanity’s return to lunar travel for the first time in more than 50 years.

Scholl’s exhibition takes its title from astronaut John Glenn’s extraordinary experience of witnessing four sunsets during his 1962 orbit of Earth, invoking themes of time, memory and the infinite vastness of space. 

It showcases unique works, including Untitled (Viking Orbiter II), which features photographs of Mars captured by the Viking Orbiter that are intricately arranged. Visitors will also be able to experience works that include space food, sculptures made from astronaut gloves, and viewfinders with images of the universe.

A signature element of Scholl’s practice is his use of the dodecagon, a twelve-sided geometric form representing both architecture and metaphor. This shape evokes cycles of loss and return, the passage of time, and the zodiac. Scholl’s assemblages, which incorporate mission patches, declassified documents, space photographs and astronaut relics, offer visitors an opportunity to reflect on humanity's ongoing relationship with the cosmos.

"For me, art is a way of excavating the past and reframing it in a way that sparks new connections and reflections. A Day of Four Sunsets is my attempt to merge the vastness of space with the fragility of memory,” Scholl said. “I hope to provoke a sense of wonder and introspection for viewers, inviting them to consider not just the history of space exploration, but how our collective memories shape the way we see the world today."

Discover the latest museum and gallery news from Central Florida, including Orlando Museum Of Art, Orlando Science Center, The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, The Mennello Museum of American Art, and more.

As a filmmaker, Scholl’s critically acclaimed films have been showcased at prestigious film festivals such as DOC NYC and SXSW. His work offers a conceptual dialogue between the past and present, inviting audiences to consider how history is remembered, reframed and reshaped.

“At OMA, we believe that art and science are not separate worlds, but intertwined realms that enrich one another and illustrate mankind’s greatest achievements. A Day of Four Sunsetsbeautifully embodies this fusion,” said Coralie Claeysen-Gleyzon, Chief Curator at Orlando Museum of Art. “Through Scholl’s work, we engage with a collective memory tied to the wonders of scientific discovery, while also confronting the profound emotional and philosophical questions it evokes. The works on view draw us closer to a kind of magic experienced by only a rare few, yet they also connect us to the elemental forces that belong to us all and suggest a deeper sense of shared existence and oneness, critical to today’s world.”

For more information about Dennis Scholl: A Day of Four Sunsets and other OMA exhibitions and programs, please visit www.omart.org.

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