MYTH of DESCENT: Group Exhibition Opening Reception

MYTH of DESCENT at PRS Hansell Gallery and Library

Curated and designed by dama

Myth of Descent takes its name from the ancient Sumerian story of Queen Inanna, the Mesopotamian goddess of Heaven and Earth, whose passage into the Underworld marks one of the earliest recorded myths of transformation. Summoned on a journey that tests the boundaries of power, identity, and mortality, Inanna descends through seven gates—each one demanding a sacrifice, each one bringing her closer to the essence of her being.

This exhibition draws from that mythic structure to explore the cyclical processes of descent and renewal, destruction and creation, that define both personal and collective evolution. Inanna’s journey is not only a tale of death and resurrection, but also an allegory for the inner metamorphosis that occurs when we confront what has been hidden—our shadows, our losses, our discarded selves.

In the descent, we are stripped bare. What we once held sacred dissolves. Yet in this unraveling lies the possibility of reformation, of crafting new stories and new forms of power from the fragments of the old. Emerging from the depths, we, like Inanna, return not unscathed but transformed: aware of our fragility, anchored in our strength, and luminous in our understanding that rebirth is not a return to what was, but the becoming of what is yet to be.

“My name is Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth. Please let me in. I have come to see what I have not yet seen, to experience what I’ve not yet experienced, and to learn what I do not yet know.”

Exhibiting Artists: Cheri Gaulke, Eva Malhotra, Natalia Pereira, Rachelle Mozman Solano and Sarana Mehra

Exhibition dates: 11/14/25 - 01/10/26

CONTENT DISCLAIMER: The views, opinions, and thoughts expressed by the presenters are solely those of the presenter and may not represent those of the Philosophical Research Society (PRS), its affiliates, or any individuals associated with PRS. Presentations are intended for informational and entertainment purposes.

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