According to public statements, Byers took time away beginning around 2020 to prioritize personal wellbeing, until the death of her brother following a prolonged health battle provided the impetus for returning to art: this time with a new, hybrid mode of expression.
On her official website, visitors can glimpse Byers’s evolving visual vocabulary: a willingness to cross disciplines, to invite the body and senses into the work, and to challenge the passive viewer‑model in favor of something more communal.
Preview materials suggest segmented spatial zones, layered audio experiences, interactive moments in which visitors themselves become part of the installation, and a thematic invitation to linger in the “ambiguity of time,” a central theme of the work.
Byers explains: “This process was one of deep emotional exploration and experimentation. In my private life, the past several years have been so complex to comprehend and express, even within my most personal relationships. I wanted to find a way to bring the audience into my own psyche, to experience the profound, raw, and in a way very human juxtaposition between joy and fear.”
Elements borne from Byers’s classical theatrical background, like sound and spatial movement, will merge with more traditional gallery conventions (bright walls, framed artworks, artist statement) to shape a hybrid experience.
The gallery becomes a stage, the viewer becomes an actor, and the art becomes experience. The emotional authenticity is strong: coming from a place of personal loss, Byers’s work engages with memory, limbo, waiting and unresolved feelings, giving the immersive format real weight.
The emphasis on participation rather than passive viewing is fresh: in a world where art often sits behind glass or rope cords, this show invites movement, engagement, and co‑creation. And finally the trend‑setting potential is high: as Byers pivots from earlier film/television toward immersive fine‑art formats, the exhibition signals a shift in how artists can redefine gallery norms and audience roles.
In many ways, the timing feels serendipitous: as galleries and museums increasingly explore immersive experiences (audio‑visual installations, audience movement, interactive tech), the moment is ripe. Byers isn’t just joining the wave- she’s aiming to steer it.
Be prepared for active engagement. Spectators may be asked to move, listen, and even contribute. Dress comfortably: the show is about experience, not static standing. And bring curiosity: this isn’t just about “what the art means” but “what audiences feel and do with the space”.
ENDS