Look up in the Grand Atrium of the Frist Art Museum and you may catch your breath: a vast veil of colored threads stretches overhead, zigzagging like beams of refracted sunlight. This is Plexus No. 47, the shimmering new long-term installation by artist Gabriel Dawe — the latest jewel in the museum’s Art in the Atrium series.
Dawe, born in Mexico City and now based in Dallas, is world-renowned for his Plexus series, and this Nashville edition might be one of the most magical yet. Thousands of long strands of thread run the length of the atrium, lit by the clerestory windows above. Rooted in the science of optics, the piece evokes the spectrum of color that appears when light passes through a glass prism — or when a rainbow forms after a summer storm. Standing close, the threads are so tightly arranged they seem to melt into a luminous, colorful mist.
Beyond its beauty, the work carries a deeper meaning: Dawe has long explored the connections between architecture and fashion, the social ideas around textile crafts, and his childhood fascination with the sky. It’s a celebration of craft, science and wonder in a single glance.
Best of all, there’s no rush: Art in the Atrium: Plexus No. 47 is on view from April 16, 2026 through April 30, 2028, free with museum admission. Bring your camera — and look up.
Photo: Frist Art Museum
