January 18, 2010 — Artist Aaron Henderson will exhibit "Midway," a photo and video installation, at the University of Virginia's Ruffin Gallery from Jan. 25 through Feb. 19. There will be a Final Friday opening reception on Jan. 29, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The gallery is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Henderson's work explores the cultural and political implications of human action, ranging from intimate gestures to displays of super-human acrobatics. He created "Midway" using footage captured at state and county fairs in Indiana, South Carolina and Virginia.

"The videos examine the impromptu performances, staged competitions and visceral revelations that attendees experience while riding carnival rides, and photographs document desolate stages and booths at the peripheries of these fairs," Henderson said.

Henderson's work has been exhibited at Lincoln Center; ICA Boston; Wolf Trap in Vienna, Va.; Bumbershoot in Seattle, Wash.; the Oriente Occidente Festival in Verona and Trento, Italy; the Festival Paris; and numerous other theaters, colleges and festivals.

Henderson is a visiting artist in U.Va.'s McIntire Department of Art, where he is teaching in the new media program.

He will give an "Artist Talk" on Feb. 17 at 5:30 p.m. in Campbell Hall, room 160.

Free parking for the Final Friday reception and Artist Talk is available in the Culbreth Road Parking Garage.