Be here, or even better, be nowhere, KADIST (2023)

I was part of the team that organized KADIST San Francisco’s first annual collection display: Be here, or even better, be nowhere. Inspired by Tarik Kiswanson’s sound installation Vadim (2018) and Zarouhie Abdalian’s site-specific installation Flutter (2010), the exhibition included works by an impressive group of artists e.g. Nikita Gale, Baseera Khan, and Cecilia Vicuña, considering how language can function as an intervention. I worked with Abdalian and the KADIST team to adapt Flutter for 24/7 viewing in the gallery’s storefront windows, contributed to concept development and research, created promotional content, and organized the gallery handout.

Here is additional information about the exhibition, which was curated by Jo-ey Tang along with KADIST’s team.

I also wrote a review for Variable West titled “Political agitation through reflection: Zarouhie Abdalian at KADIST San Francisco”.

Installation photos by Robert Divers Herrick. Graphic design by Tuğçe Evirgen Özmen, Lauren Sorresso, and Layne Takahashi

Jota Mombaça: THE SINKING SHIP/PROSPERITY, KADIST (2022–2023)

I was part of the curatorial team for Jota Mombaça’s first solo exhibition in the U.S. THE SINKING SHIP/PROSPERITY included an installation of sculpture, sound, and video works at KADIST San Francisco that changed during the course of the exhibition, accompanied by a performance and an artist publication of drawings and poetry. Working with the artist, I developed materials for gallery visitors and translated lines from the poems as well as imagery and sounds from documentation of past performances and recent production into promotional content.

Here is additional information about the exhibition, programs, and publication, which were co-curated by the artist and Jo-ey Tang, plus select coverage (an announcement, an interview, a review, and an archive).

Installation photos by Robert Divers Herrick. Video stills from the performance by Sam Huff

Resonance of Place, The Wattis Institute (2022)

For my MA thesis project, I co-curated a two-venue exhibition featuring works by Zarouhie Abdalian, Miguel Arzabe, and Natani Notah. Resonance of Place included an outdoor sound installation in Oakland and installations of photography/video, sculpture, and text works based on performances in San Francisco, documented in an exhibition catalog.

Here is additional information about the exhibition and publication, which were co-curated by Selam Bekele and Yu Jin Sung, along with a press announcement.

Photos by Glen Cheriton, Impart Photography

CURATORIAL PROJECTS: Altman Siegel Viewing RoomS, KADIST Collaborations

I curated a series of online exhibitions on Artsy for Altman Siegel featuring works by the artists the gallery represents, grouped into themes. I also supported promotions for exhibitions from KADIST and institutional collaborators OCAT Shanghai and Pivô titled In Solidarity with ⎽⎽⎽⎽ (2022) and de montañas submarinas el fuego hace islas [from underwater mountains fire makes islands] (2022). These promotions included artist interview videos, artwork features, joint social media posts, press and website descriptions, and print ads.

In Solidarity with ⎽⎽⎽⎽ was curated by Tao Hanchen, Wang Shuman, and Chen Zihan (exhibition pages link here). de montañas submarinas el fuego hace islas was curated by Yina Jiménez Suriel (exhibition pages and press archive links here). Pivô installation photos by Everton Ballardin

CURATORIAL PROJECTS: Approximations, @asmallsculptureaday, CONTENT SHIFTS, Local Color, Well Wishes & Well-Meaning Beings

During my MA program, I curated exhibitions on campus and online. These projects—a few of which are being revisited or have turned into ongoing activities—included pop-up exhibitions featuring works by MFA classmates, a two-part online/offline exhibition for the college gallery, and exhibitions for social media or online viewing.

Well Wishes and Well-Meaning Beings (both 2021) were co-curated by Yang Li and Yu Jin Sung. Here is a link to my thesis paper, “Feminist Art Fragments: The Interactive Installations of Wynne Greenwood and Sondra Perry.”