Even though it's located right in the heart of Mall Country, Bellevue Arts Museum has curated some of the most daring and surreal exhibitions in the Seattle area. From Megg, Mogg, and Owl dioramas to waves of trash, BAM leans into the weird and nerdy, not shying away from their very specific Eastside audience.

BAM is still hashing out the details of a full reopening, but during the pandemic they've been releasing short videos discussing artworks that can be seen in their Forum space, which is currently open to the public. One such artwork is a sculpture by Pacific Northwest-based artist Morgan Madison called "Somnodrome," created for their 2018 "Glasstastic" Biennial.

Originally designed by Madison to live on the museum's upper-level outside gallery, the sculpture has been brought down to the first floor, now vibrating in front of BAM's street-level windows. Both the structural composition and colors of the piece are meant to reflect elements you might find out in forests of the PNW: dilapidated barns, dew-covered moss, rotting trees, fungal growth on the bottom of the forest floor. The pyramid shape of the sculpture also suggests a slice of a horizon—the deep blues of mountains in the distance over gold-toned sky.

Listen to Executive Director and Chief Curator of BAM Benedict Heywood talk you through Morgan Madison's "Somnodrome," and check it out in person soon.