Material Intelligence

media release: Ruth Davis Design Gallery, October 16, 2024 – March 9, 2025

paired exhibits:

Spheres of Influence: Glass Across UW: The power of shaping glass has played a critical role in the history of UW–Madison. Glass has enabled us to see near, far, into, and beyond. Spheres of Influence: Glass Across UW foregrounds the material intelligence of this unique state of matter. This exhibition celebrates the embodied skills of glassmakers who make possible the imaginations of researchers across the arts and sciences, facilitating UW’s history of innovation.

Threads: Natural Fiber and Living Lines: Ann B. Coddington works in threads—living lines created by natural fibers. This material invites layered metaphorical possibilities that are not bound by a loom or a specific interpretative category. Her iterative process invites a range of creative approaches to these materials that stretch across millennia and invite reflection on intimate and immense themes—as individuals, as a society, and as part of a changing planet.