

Institute 193
Exhibit Title
"Even When It's Dark Out" - Kole Nichols
Exhibit Description
January 10 – March 01, 2025
“Unlike other animals, man was made to stand erect so that he could gaze at the stars... We are at the center of the material universe but at the perimeter of the spiritual universe and we are doomed to watch the spectacle of the celestial dance from afar,”
- Eliot Weinberger, The Stars
“... at the same time the boundary between the empyrean and the terrestrial is established, separating them but at the same time uniting them.”
- Sergius Bulgakov, Unfading Light
Thermodynamics teaches us that all observable action in the known universe unfolds as a knotted, marching poem of separations and gaps. Were it not for the essential distances between particles, for the energy and heat differentials across molecules dividing them as individuals, nothing at all could happen. Potential energy yields a lesson that proves difficult for the human spirit to digest: separation precipitates togetherness. In separation, when the stage is set and the conditions ripen, the conversion between potential energy and kinetic connection is inevitable. Under careful attention, within any gap an unseen relationship between the divorced can be enunciated. Paradoxically, through the naming and distinction of the divided, the two can be made closer.
In Even When It’s Dark Out, Kole Nichols explores divisions of space and the thresholds that define boundaries. Through a process of internal reflection on memories of traversing the south, Nichols distorts familiar architectural motifs such as gates, windows, and doors into amalgamated compositions gathered from personal recollections both vague and vivid. Alongside these terrestrial thresholds, Nichols mounts a parallel exploration of non-physical boundaries through loose constructions of starfields, maps, and charts. Embracing an observational approach to the construction of his paintings and etchings, Nichols presents a series of works that explores the limits between interior and exterior. These investigations of the physical and the nonphysical unfold together within a unified formal language, reflecting the artist’s internal journey to establish an ordered relationship between the earthly and the spiritual.
- Harrison Wayne
Company / Organization
Institute 193
Venue Description
Founded in 2009, Institute 193 embraces the notion that groundbreaking contemporary art can and does emerge outside of large metropolitan centers. Institute 193 provides artists from Kentucky and the Southeastern United States—selected not by commercial viability, but by the quality and relevance of their work—with exhibition and publication opportunities. It also endeavors to help these artists gain broader media exposure and foster connections in art markets across the globe. Institute 193’s original gallery space is located in Lexington, Kentucky, a mid-sized city with a vibrant creative community. Nevertheless, Lexington lacks a museum or a center for contemporary art. Institute 193 fills this cultural void by hosting musical performances, film screenings, lectures, and other community-driven events in addition to visual art exhibitions.
Address
215 N Limestone
Lexington
KY
US
40507
Hours of Operation
Wednesday-Saturday, 11AM-6PM
Contact Name
Institute 193
Email
info@institute193.org
Telephone
859-619-6333
Website URL
Facebook URL
Instagram URL
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Galleries and Museums participating in the 2025 LexArts HOP.



