Dallas artist Shelby David Meier is fascinated by food.

"I think about food a lot," Meier says. "It ties to culture and experience. I also think about ideas of consumption. I also like the play around with the idea of taste."

Food has appeared in his work before. His 2016 video "In … And out … (video meditation)" is simply a 25-minute video of a spinning In-N-Out burger "set to the music of a 1987 In-N-Out commercial, slowed down 50 times its original speed," resulting in almost eerily meditative footage. A few years ago, as part of the Fort Worth artist collective Homecoming Committee, Meier helped organize an event that involved a giant noodle slide and hot tub.


This weekend, he's taking his artistic exploration of food a step further with an art installation titled "Omelette Bar."

On Sunday morning, Meier will host an omelet bar inside Culture Hole, an underground gallery space beneath Expo Park gallery the Power Station.

"It's an art installation that is an omelet bar inside of the Culture Hole, which is basically a crawl space in the floor of the Power Station," Meier says. "It's a really unique space and sets up for some really interesting interactions."

If the concept raises more questions than it answers, you're not alone. The Facebook event description of the installation is pretty vague:

CHEESE
GREEN ONION
HAM
MUSHROOM
BACON
TOMATO
BELL PEPPER
JALAPEÑO
SPINACH
RED ONION

DRINKS:
COFFEE / MIMOSA

Meier is keeping further details about the installation intentionally vague.

"I don't want to give too much away because I want there to be a few surprises as it is meant to be experienced," he says.

"It's an art installation that is an omelet bar inside of the Culture Hole, which is basically a crawl space in the floor of the Power Station." - Shelby David Meier

tweet this

So why an omelet bar?

"The concept of an omelet bar is something I've thought about for a while — the seeming luxury of having a personal omelet custom made before your very eyes and all of inefficiencies and long lines that result," Meier says.

Unlike most art events, this one will be on a Sunday morning. The art-omelets are free, but tips are appreciated, Meier says — assuming you're brave enough to crawl into a concrete-lined hole to place your order.

Shelby David Meier's "Omellete Bar," 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, June 3, at the Power Station's Culture Hole, 3816 Commerce St. Free.