‘Repeater’ sculptural installation to be on display at Rice’s Moody Center for the Arts

Rice’s Moody Center for the Arts will present the engaging, colorful site-specific sculpture “Repeater,” created by Brooklyn-based artist David Scanavino, beginning June 3.

A rendering of “Repeater” as it will be installed at the Moody Center for the Arts. Credit: David Scanavino

Playfully skewing the shape of the floor and sending it up the walls to a height of 24 feet, the design of “Repeater,” made of commonly available industrial tiles, creates pathways that invite people to move in and around the artwork, said Alison Weaver, the Suzanne Deal Booth Executive Director of the Moody.

To inaugurate the work, the Moody will hold a day of free family programs from noon to 6 p.m. June 3, including a set by DJ Flash Gordon Parks (noon-2:30 p.m.), food trucks and a presentation by Scanavino (2:30-3 p.m.). Additionally, Houston’s own Outspoken Bean will hold a spoken word performance from 3 to 4:30 p.m. that includes poets from Meta-Four Houston and Houston V.I.P. Poetry Slam to help welcome the new installation. The Moody is also partnering with the nonprofit Aurora Picture Show to host an Abstract Animation Film Fest in the Lois Chiles Studio Theater from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

“Repeater” will remain installed at the Moody through Aug. 26.

“’Repeater’ is an immersive sculpture that enables viewers to walk into an environment that is both a colorful geometric painting and an institutional architectural space,” Scanavino said. “As a site for engagement within the multidisciplinary Moody, it can serve as a space for scheduled performances or impromptu activity, while heightening awareness of the spaces and contours of the Moody’s building.”

Weaver said, “By offering people an almost irresistible invitation to move around in its patterned surface, David Scanavino’s ‘Repeater’ demonstrates a core principle of the Moody: Creativity leads to more creativity. We’ll be inviting community groups to come into the Moody all summer long to conduct performances in and around ‘Repeater.’ It’s a great way for us to engage the public while activating the wonderful architectural spaces that (architect) Michael Maltzan has designed for us.”

The Moody is located on the west side of Rice’s campus at Entrance 8 at Stockton and University Boulevard. The Moody’s exhibition spaces and café are open to the public and free of charge Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed Sundays, Mondays and holidays. Events and programs are open to the public through an advance reservation system. For a schedule and more information, visit moody.rice.edu. There is a dedicated parking lot adjacent to the building. Payment for the Moody Lot is by credit card only. For campus maps, visit www.rice.edu/maps.