FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 25, 2025
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SMoCA to exhibit projected ‘Skyscapes’ by artist Evan Roth

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Arizona sky has long played the artist’s muse, from James Turrell to Ed Mell. Now, Berlin-based artist Evan Roth is the latest to be drawn in by its mystique for an upcoming exhibition at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA).

“Evan comes from a place where sunlight is sparse, so I think his perspective will remind us to consider how the sun impacts our way of life here,” said Julie Ganas, curator of engagement and digital initiatives at SMoCA. “I am hoping that Evan’s exhibition will not only be a place where you can appreciate the sky but will also remind us to look to the sky more often.”

For Roth, the emotional toll of Germany’s long, overcast winters sparked two series of work featuring the sky: slow-moving, meditative videos and large-scale quilts. For his SMoCA exhibition, “Pathfinding,” which opens Oct. 11, new site-specific versions of these artworks will reflect a search for slowness, light and warmth, using the sky above Scottsdale as both source and inspiration.

The artist, who was born in the United States, began photographing the sky above Berlin as “a kind of meditation,” watching for those moments when the clouds would break. He then applied a “historic lens” to the photos, digitally morphing the images through the use of centuries-old cartographic mathematics, which were designed to translate spheres into planes — like taking a globe of the Earth and flattening it out onto a map.

He called the resulting animations “Skyscapes.”

“It is a way of looking at the sky through our understanding of the ground,” Roth said.

Ganas, who curated the exhibition, first saw Roth’s work online a few years ago and immediately connected with it. She had a vision of the “Skyscapes” projected on SMoCA’s curved north wall, a section of the museum called _____ (blank) space, where Ganas has curated projection-based installations since September 2023.

“I had a feeling that his ‘Skyscapes’ work would create a warm, calming environment in the museum, almost like being greeted with a hug,” Ganas said. “I loved the idea of people being able to come into the museum to look at the sky and the connection it would have with the ‘Knight Rise’ ‘Skyspace.’”

“Knight Rise” is one of Arizona-based artist James Turrell’s famous “Skyspaces,” which can be found around the world. Named for SMoCA’s first director, Robert Knight, “Knight Rise” is part of the Scottsdale Public Art Permanent Collection and can be accessed through SMoCA’s courtyard.

Ganas said that during the run of “Pathfinding,” from Oct. 11, 2025, through March 8, 2026, Roth’s “Skyscapes” and Turrell’s “Skyspace” will provide museum visitors with an opportunity to view the skies above Scottsdale from two different perspectives and in singularly unique settings. While Turrell’s “Skyspace” is a real-time experience, viewing the natural sky through the artwork’s oculus, Roth’s “Skyscapes” provide an abstracted perspective, where subtle movement encourages visitors to slow down and observe.

Roth said the connection between his “Skyscapes” and Turrell’s “Skyspaces” goes beyond the series’ similar names. While many of his “Skyscapes” are related to the translation between sphere and plane, Turrell’s “Skyspaces” often employ domed architecture to flatten the sky when it is framed through the oculus.

“It is such a simple and poetic gesture,” Roth said of “Knight Rise.” “And I am humbled to have my work in proximity and dialogue with this defining work of the sky.”

To gather imagery for “Pathfinding,” Roth traveled to Scottsdale earlier this year to photograph the Arizona sky. He knew that might mean capturing only cloudless skies — a new aspect to his work. To compensate for the lack of clouds, he planned to pair the images with more complicated mapping projections, revealing smooth gradients through hidden cartographic mathematics.

However, he happened to capture the best of both worlds during his photography trip to Scottsdale, encountering both cloudless and cloudy days.

In addition to his “Skyscapes,” Roth creates textile work through quilting and embroidery with designs based on principles and aesthetics similar to his digital work. “Pathfinding” will also feature some of these textiles, marking the first appearance of hung artworks in SMoCA’s blank space. It’s also the first time Roth has shown his textile work in public.

“Evan’s new work will be light and airy, so I am hopeful it will bring a comforting and inviting vibe into blank space,” Ganas said. “I see this exhibition almost like a love letter to the Arizona sky.”

SMoCA’s blank space is located near the Shop@SMoCA and the admissions desk, a section of the museum where admission is always free. Admission is also free for the courtyard and “Knight Rise.”

“Evan Roth: Pathfinding” is organized by Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and curated by Julie Ganas, curator of engagement and digital initiatives. Support provided by Title Partner Walter and Karla Goldschmidt Foundation. 

SMoCA — named “Best Art Museum” in the Best of Phoenix awards — is located at 7374 E. Second St., Scottsdale, Arizona 85251. It is open Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Admission to the other galleries is $13–$16 for non-members; $10–$13 for students, seniors (65+) and veterans; and free for Scottsdale Arts ONE Members, healthcare workers, first responders, and patrons 18 and younger. Admission to the museum is pay-what-you-wish every Thursday and every second Saturday of the month. Find more information and purchase admission online at SMoCA.org.