Gabriel Lester – Melancholia in Arcadia

Gabriel Lester | June 12 – August 30, 2026

In the first of an ongoing series of contemporary art installations at the Eugenia Williams House, the Knoxville Museum of Art has invited Dutch artist Gabriel Lester to present a re-imagined version of his 2011 sculpture Melancholia in Arcadia. This haunting work was first displayed in Istanbul as a dedication to Lester’s dear friend, Huseyin Bahri Alptekin, who passed away in 2007. The title of the work is identical to a series of photographs Huseyin shot in Odessa, Ukraine, showing curtains fluttering softly within domestic spaces. These images inspired Lester’s installation of stiffened lace curtains, frozen in time and space. Beyond the technical feat of making this happen, the work refers to the gesture of opening the windows to set free the soul of the deceased, as well as the idea of a spirit entering a room, mysteriously lifting the curtains to announce its presence.

Both the concept and composition of this work furnish an evocative connection with the life and house of Eugenia Williams, which are intertwined. Lester’s Melancholia recalls the losses Eugenia experienced. By the time a teenage Eugenia and her father moved to Lyons View Pike in 1916, her mother and two younger siblings had died. After her father’s death and her divorce, Eugenia boldly razed her father’s farmhouse to build the present house on this site. The spirit of this independent and mysterious woman suffuses the home she created for herself, just as Lester’s billowing curtains suggest an otherworldly presence in its halls.

By presenting Lester’s work for this particular space, we open up a captivating alchemy that elevates both the installation as well as the surrounding architecture.

How to visit the exhibition:

Exhibition dates: June 13 to August 29, 2026

Gallery Hours: Saturdays, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Location: Eugenia Williams House, 4848 Lyons View Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919

Admission: Free

Melancholia in Arcadia: Gabriel Lester at the Eugenia Williams House is open to the public on Saturdays from noon to 4:00 p.m. from June 13 to August 29. No ticket or reservation is required for this free exhibition, but space is limited. Visitors may enter the house on a first come, first served basis as capacity allows.

Parking and Accessibility: Limited onsite parking is available on a first come, first served basis in the Upper Parking Lot. The All Persons Trail – a 0.25 mile, ADA-compliant path – leads directly to the House. Guests with limited mobility may request alternate parking arrangements by calling 865.606.0802.

About the Eugenia Williams House:

The property’s 24 acres overlook the Tennessee River and the Great Smoky Mountains and are open to the public through a series of trails that can be accessed from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The House is open at select times for tours and cultural programming presented by Knoxville’s premier arts and cultural organizations.

Visit eugeniawilliamshouse.org for more information.

This installation is sponsored by:

DutchCultureUSA, a program of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the United States, the Aslan Foundation, and the Mondriaan Fund