(L-R Colter Jacobsen and SECA artist David Wilson at the site of Wilson’s Arrivals installation in the Presidio of San Francisco; photo: Terri Loewenthal)
From November 13 through 17, 2013, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) invites audiences to rediscover the Bay Area through the lens of contemporary art with the second installment of its bimonthly programming series, Live Projects 2. Unfolding at diverse locations in San Francisco and Oakland as part of SFMOMA’s On the Go program while the museum’s building is closed for expansion construction, each installment of Live Projects is anchored by an artist talk at SFJAZZ Center and includes a circuit of film screenings, performances, family and teacher programs, and other events that revolve around SFMOMA’s off-site exhibitions.
Live Projects 2 zeroes in on the work of the four Bay Area artists featured in SFMOMA’s current SECA Art Award exhibition: Zarouhie Abdalian, Josh Faught, Jonn Herschend, and David Wilson. From a panel discussion with the artists led by author Michelle Tea to an outdoor family sing-along with artist David Wilson to a sound performance at the Neptune Society Columbarium by Luciano Chessa and a conversation between Jonn Herschend and director/actor/writer Alex Karpovsky (of HBO’s Girls fame), Live Projects 2 delves into how artists open new and alternative perspectives on who we are and where and how we live, taking audiences on a journey through the cultural and physical geography of our region along the way.
In addition, local favorite Blue Bottle Coffee will continue its popular partnership with SFMOMA during the museum’s off-site phase, offering art-inspired treats to pair with Live Projects events.
“Live Projects is an opportunity for the kind of experimentation that we have always wanted to do,” said Dominic Willsdon, SFMOMA Leanne and George Roberts Curator of Education and Public Programs. “It also provides a base for SFMOMA’s community of members, friends, and new audiences to gather while we’re without our building.”
Live Projects marks the newest extension of SFMOMA’s long-held commitment to presenting public programs that are collaborative and responsive to specific occasions and sites. Throughout the museum’s off-site period from the summer of 2013 to early 2016, when SFMOMA’s expanded building reopens, SFMOMA is experimenting with new ideas, engaging in dialogue with a range of cultural partners, and creating fresh ways for audiences to experience the museum’s collection and programming.
The inaugural Live Projects series (September 2013) was inspired by Mark di Suvero, engaging with both the artist’s practice and his personal story. Upcoming installments of the series will focus on the art and ideas behind exhibitions such as Project Los Altos: SFMOMA in Silicon Valley (January 2014) and Public Intimacy: Art and Other Ordinary Acts in South Africa (March 2014) as well as the practice of SFMOMA expansion architects Snøhetta (May 2014).
Live Projects 2 Schedule of Events
Artist Talk | Zarouhie Abdalian, Josh Faught, Jonn Herschend, and David Wilson
Moderated by Michelle Tea
Wednesday, November 13, 2013 | 7–8:30 p.m.
SFJAZZ Center, San Francisco
Admission: $10 general; $7 SFMOMA members, students, and seniors
In a departure from traditional gallery presentations, the winners of the 2012 SECA Art Award were commissioned to create off-site works. This evening the artists discuss their site-responsive projects―Zarouhie Abdalian’s sound work in Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, Josh Faught’s textile sculptures at the Neptune Society Columbarium, Jonn Herschend’s online film on the “evacuation” of SFMOMA, and David Wilson’s walks and outdoor installations around the city ―and engage in a broader conversation about public art with writer Michelle Tea.
Screening + Conversation | Jonn Herschend and Alex Karpovsky: Stories from the Evacuation and Red Flag
Thursday, November 14, 2013 | 7–9 p.m.
Roxie Theater, San Francisco
Admission: $10 general; $7 SFMOMA members
SECA Art Awardee Jonn Herschend—artist, filmmaker, and cofounder of THE THING Quarterly—presents his SFMOMA-commissioned film Stories from the Evacuation, which continues his ongoing investigation of narrative and genre, truth and fiction, chaos and structure, and how they facilitate our perception. He is joined in conversation by director/actor/writer Alex Karpovsky (of HBO’s Girls fame).
Jonn Herschend, Stories from the Evacuation, 2013, 22 min., digital
Herschend’s film takes a behind-the-scenes look at SFMOMA as the museum relocates artwork and employees for its two-and-a-half-year closure and expansion construction. The film uses a documentary motif to explore the inner workings of a museum in transition and extends a narrative thread into the personal lives of some of those involved.
Alex Karpovsky, Red Flag, 2012, 83 min., digital
In this existential road trip comedy, Karpovsky plays a fictional version of himself. Dumped by his longtime girlfriend, indie filmmaker Alex takes to the open road to promote his film, accompanied by a reluctant friend and pursued by his own demons and an overly ardent groupie. Alex’s misbegotten film tour becomes an unlikely form of therapy and a painfully comedic meditation on commitment and change.
Reception | City Center as Place with Zarouhie Abdalian
Friday, November 15, 2013 | 4:30–6 p.m.
Oakland School for the Arts White Box Studio, Oakland
Admission: Free and open to the public; RSVP requested
Live Projects travels to Oakland School for the Arts’ White Box Studio for an exhibition and reception celebrating a collaboration between SECA Art Award winner Zarouhie Abdalian and OSA students on the occasion of Abdalian’s sound installation Occasional Music in the nearby downtown area. On display will be students’ in-progress interpretations of a classroom activity designed by Abdalian as part of SFMOMA’s Open Studio program.
Teacher Institute | 2012 SECA Art Award with Josh Faught
Saturday, November 16, 2013 | 9:30 a.m.–noon
Neptune Society Columbarium, San Francisco
Admission: $40 general; $32 SFMOMA members
During this special teacher institute, educators will be introduced to the work of the four winners of the 2012 SECA Art Award. Participants will visit Josh Faught’s site-specific installation of hand-dyed and handwoven sculptures at the Neptune Society Columbarium, take part in an artist-written, hands-on classroom activity, and meet with Faught for an insider’s perspective on his work.
Special Event | Notes from the Columbarium on Art, AIDS, and Activism with Josh Faught
Saturday, November 16, 2013 | noon–6 p.m.
Neptune Society Columbarium, San Francisco
Admission: Reserved seats: $10 general; $7 SFMOMA members. Standing room: free and open to the public; capacity limited to 35 visitors; RSVP requested
SFMOMA and Frameline co-present an afternoon of micro-talks and a pop-up cinema on the occasion of Josh Faught’s site-specific installation on view at the Neptune Society Columbarium. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the Columbarium’s niches and passageways as speakers, including Faught, meditate on the building’s history, AIDS, activism, and craft and art making. Talks and screenings begin on the half hour.
Live Art | Luciano Chessa: LIGHTEST
Saturday, November 16, 2013 | 6–7 p.m.
Neptune Society Columbarium, San Francisco
Admission: Free and open to the public. Limited capacity; RSVP requested
Composer and performer Luciano Chessa will explore the Columbarium’s pop cultural history by riffing off the boom boxes placed around the space. By combining existing musical references and new compositions, Chessa will explore lives and legacies in a moving sonic tapestry.
Family Day | EXPLORE Where Art Can Take You with David Wilson
Sunday, November 17, 2013 | 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
SFMOMA, San Francisco
Admission: Free and open to the public; RSVP requested
Starts at David Wilson’s trailhead in front of SFMOMA at 151 Third Street
Join SFMOMA Families and artist David Wilson for a day of discovery, hands-on projects, and an artist-led sing-along at the final site of his commission, Arrivals. Families will begin their exploration from David Wilson’s trailhead, where they will receive a map leading them on a 15-minute walk of discovery along a secret path to the site of the activities and sing-along.
Blue Bottle
Blue Bottle Coffee will be partner with SFMOMA to design special art-themed offerings for the duration of the Live Projects Series. For Live Projects 2, their special something will be available Saturday, November 16, 2013, as part of Notes from the Columbarium on Art.
For schedule updates and the most current information on the Live Projects series, visit sfmoma.org/liveprojects.
About the SECA Art Award Exhibition
The SECA Art Award provides recognition to innovative and talented Bay Area artists whose work has not been accorded substantial institutional recognition. On view through November 17, 2013, the site-responsive projects of the 2012 SECA Art Award winners—ranging from drawing to performance, sound, video, and sculpture—appear throughout the Bay Area.
About SFMOMA’s Off-Site Programming
During the construction of SFMOMA’s expansion project, the museum is on the go, presenting a dynamic array of collaborative and traveling museum exhibitions; public art displays and site-specific projects; and fresh education initiatives that will unfold throughout the Bay Area and beyond. In addition to Live Projects, SFMOMA is collaborating with seven Bay Area museums to present major thematic exhibitions on view at partner venues; creating site-specific installations of existing and newly commissioned work; and presenting an unprecedented statewide tour of its photography collection. Additional off-site programs are currently in development; as plans evolve, more details will be announced.