Diana Thater
January 16 – May 3, 2026 | Kimball Art Center, Park City
From the immense expanse of a star-filled sky to the discovery of a fossil emerging from stone, holding millions of years in its imprint, the natural world holds countless awe-inspiring encounters that can stop us in our tracks. These fleeting moments reorient us, widening our sense of scale and possibility. They cultivate a feeling of humility, reminding us that the world is alive with rhythms, intelligences, histories, and energies that extend far beyond everyday perception, waiting to be noticed when we slow down and look with care.
Returning to Wonder brings together works by Erika Blumenfeld, Kellie Bornhoft, Alexandra Fuller, Lia Halloran, Nina Katchadourian, Josiah McElheny, Pipilotti Rist, Katie Paterson, Diana Thater, and Reuben Wu. The artists are all driven by an intense curiosity about these natural phenomena and our relationship to the more-than-human world. Blending scientific inquiry with poetic imagination, their works act as portals into the spectacular dimensions of our environment. Drawing from diverse fields—including astronomy, geology, mathematics, and ecology—each artist translates complex ideas, such as the enormity of time and space, into forms we can begin to feel, contemplate, and carry with us.
Together, their works ask us to rekindle our capacity for wonder, encouraging renewed curiosity and attentiveness. In doing so, Returning to Wonder proposes awe as an essential practice, one that fosters empathy, care, and a deeper awareness of our place within a vast, dynamic universe.