Downtown Dallas Will Transform Into an Open-Air Art Gallery Once Again for Aurora

Dallas-based public arts organization AURORA has announced the artist and project lineup for the sixth edition of the AURORA Biennial. The largest free public art and technology event in North Texas returns to downtown Dallas on Nov. 16.

For one night only, significant sites across Dallas will be taken over by large-scale installations, performances and activations created by 26 artists. With the theme of FuturePresentPast, these projects will explore the relationship between humans and technology such as displacement, migration, health advocacy and environmental sustainability.

This year’s stacked lineup of creators includes Ciara Elle Bryant, Daniel Canogar, Jess Garland, Doug Land, Julie Libersat, Melanie Clemmons and Zak Loyd, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Steve Parker, Alejandro Almanza Pereda, Hector A. Ramirez, Diana Rojas, Daniel Rozin, Tramaine Townsend, Marina Zurkow and James Schmitz, and students from Dallas' Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

AURORA Biennial has been dazzling Dallas since 2010 and has become a beloved tradition and a towering showcase of creatives from North Texas and beyond. Past editions of the event have drawn over 350,000 visitors.

This time, AURORA is thinking bigger but also looking ahead, as the highlighted works are meant to serve as speculative visions of the future.
“Our curatorial approach for this year’s AURORA Biennial grew from meaningful conversations with Dallas-based artists, highlighting themes of resilience and a commitment to learning from the past to build a more sustainable future," said co-curators Kendal Henry and Leslie Moody Castro in a joint statement to the press.

If you’re plugged into the Dallas arts scenes, some of the names and installations may sound familiar. Musician Jess Garland will present a series of performances highlighting Black female artistry as well as a screening of the documentary Behind the Strings: Amplifying Black Feminism in Guitar Culture.

Multidisciplinary artist Ciara Elle Bryant will display "aROUN?D," a two-channel projection that mimics the overstimulation of our current media landscape.

“With particular attention to cultural signifiers, "aROUN?D" repeats itself, much like history,” Bryant's bio on AURORA’s website teases.

Also on display will be student work out of Booker T. Washington High School, including Zeke Wooten’s "Seeds of Memory," an installation that explores how experiences shape identity.
Artists from outside of North Texas include Spanish creator Daniel Canogar, who is bringing his acclaimed light installation "Chyron" to Dallas just for this event. It features real-time news headlines woven together to represent the frayed fabric of today’s information ecosystem.

This year’s centerpiece is "Midnight Moment," which will be displayed outside of New York for the first time. The massive and iconic digital art piece will project video works from 10 different artists across the Dallas skyline.

Artists contributing to "Midnight Moment" include Nancy Baker Cahill, Marco Brambilla, Zoë Buckman, Victoria Fard, Casey Kauffmann, Kambui Olujimi, Alex Prager, Federico Solmi, Tali Keren and Alex Strada.

There are some familiar sites on the "Midnight Moment," including Dallas City Hall, the Dallas Public Library and the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

Dallas has always been a cultural hub, but we’re looking forward to seeing the city transform into a literal work of art.

AURORA Biennial 2024: FuturePresentPast will take place from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., Nov. 16, at 1600 Marilla St. Admission is free and more information can be found on the AURORA website.