Every 60 years, the air buzzes with urgency. Unnerving tension manifests and plumes of dust cloud the air; this energy marks the arrival of the Fire Horse. Historically a period of global upheaval Horsepower reflects on the three most recent cycles. 1906, 1966, and now 2026 are harbors in a period that favors transformation and decisiveness. The Fire Horse asks: what drives change, what makes new ideas possible, and what happens when artists upturn established systems?

In 1906, European greats favored stylistic diversion: Henri Matisse challenged artistic convention with the vivid color and emotional intensity of Fauvism, Pablo Picasso adopted forms that would reshape modern painting, and the German Expressionist collective Die Brücke presented its first exhibition, thus launching the movement. In 1966, we saw this movement mirrored in the United States: New York's Primary Structures brought Minimalism into institutional focus, Chicago's Hairy Who diverted from institutional structure in favor of newfound visual language, and Rauschenberg/Klüver's 9 Evenings: Theatre and Engineering brought artists and engineers together to experiment across disciplines. Horsepower doesn’t subscribe to the idea that these histories are a predetermination, rather that they speak to cycles of generational connection. Each 60 year cycle is marked by new forms, integrated technical developments, built communities, and a thorough reevaluation of art and its presentation.

Horsepower thrusts this spirit of experimentation into the present. Bringing together 25 contemporary artists from Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Miami, the interdisciplinary exhibition considers ambition as both an individual pursuit and a collective force. Zoe Alameda, Alicia Bilbao, Rachael Comer, David Correa, Nick Dalessandro, Sam Dybeck, Charlotte Fox, Tommy Gregory, Caterina Haddad, Sammira Hennege, Khoi Le, Thomas Macie, Elly Minagawa, Jordan Monloire, Travis Morehead, Alejandra Moros, Hank Reavis, Cloe Short, Rabi Towing, Marley White, Noelle Whitaker and Alissa Dymally Williams  are presented as answers to an ever shifting question. What does it mean to want something deeply—to follow an idea with determination, live by creative risks, and persist in making something that does not yet exist? 

The artists in Horsepower reflect the urgency, resourcefulness, and tenacity of the contemporary American artist. The exhibition resists a single regional narrative; instead, it traces connections among distinct artistic communities in an effort to uncover a greater national tether. Similar to the Fire Horse itself, the exhibition uses movement as a starting point. Traveling across both coasts and the Midwest, Horsepower turns movement into method: a way to consider momentum, transformation, and the commitment rigorous practice requires. It is a culmination of national sentiments and a meeting point where artists and audiences encounter localized practices within the broader context of contemporary American art.