PASSENGERS
Opening September 5, 2007 (permanent exhibition)
CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts
California College of the Arts
1111 Eighth Street
San Francisco CA 94107
T: 415.551.9210
www.wattis.org
Passengers is a permanent but constantly transforming exhibition of emerging international contemporary artists, none of whom have ever had a solo presentation in an American public art institution. For this exhibition the Wattis Institute’s upper gallery has been divided into two separate spaces, one of which features a group show of 11 artists, and the other a solo exhibition. At the end of each month, the solo artist will leave the exhibition completely, an artist from the group show will move into the solo space, and a new artist will be introduced into the group show. Thus, by September 2008 the group portion will have changed entirely from its original incarnation in September 2007, and 12 solo shows will have taken place.
Passengers offers a new format for exhibition making–one that is self-perpetuating, constantly changing, and permanent. It is part of a shift in programming at the Wattis Institute that attempts to rethink the traditional ways in which art institutions organize exhibitions (as static presentations lasting several weeks or months) and to reevaluate the ideas of time and transformation with respect to exhibition practice.
Passengers is specifically designed to allow emerging artists to enter the Wattis Institute program quickly, and the show will adapt according to developments in contemporary art practice. Its title is inspired by the way in which many artists and curators, working in a globalized world, pass through places and become witnesses of our time. Passengers now forms part of this journey, functioning as a vehicle by which artists can come to San Francisco. In this first year they will be visiting from countries as diverse as Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, England, France, Germany, Portugal, and Slovakia as well as the United States–before moving on.
The first 12 artists in order of appearance:
Daria Martin: September 5-29, 2007 Alexandre da Cunha: October 3-November 3, 2007 Ryan Gander: November 7-December 1, 2007 Shana Lutker: December 5, 2007-January 5, 2008 Tim Lee: January 9-February 2, 2008 Annette Kelm: February 6-March 1, 2008 João Maria Gusmão + Pedro Paiva: March 5-29, 2008 Ulla von Brandenburg: April 2-May 3, 2008 Gareth Moore: May 7-31, 2008 Roman Ondák: June 4-28, 2008 Valérie Mréjen: July 2-August 2, 2008 Federico Herrero: August 6-30, 2008
About the CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts
The CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts was established in 1998 in San Francisco at California College of the Arts. It serves as a forum for the presentation and discussion of international contemporary art and curatorial practice. Through groundbreaking exhibitions, the Capp Street Project residency program, lectures, symposia, and publications, the Wattis Institute has become one of the leading art institutions in the United States and an active site for contemporary culture in the Bay Area.
Founding support for CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts programs has been provided by Phyllis C. Wattis and Judy and Bill Timken. Generous support provided by the Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation, Grants for the Arts / San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund, Ann Hatch and Paul Discoe, and the CCA Curator’s Forum.
