STEADY
January 21–April 12, 2025
The word "steady" implies a continuous state of becoming balanced, developed, and supported. The act of steadying requires a physical, structural, and conceptual interdependence. In this two-person exhibition, Michelle Lopez and Ester Partegàs's precarious, playful, and powerful sculptures harness physical and material components. Instead of separation and assertion, there is a counterbalance.
The sculptures in STEADY offer a broader reflection on the balance of power through form, as it extends into the world at large. As the Wattis welcomes audiences to its new galleries on the CCA expanded campus, the works propose ways of inhabiting, holding, sharing, and gathering in space.
This exhibition comes to the Wattis from Ballroom Marfa, and is curated by Daisy Nam and organized by Diego Villalobos. The exhibition is made possible thanks to the Wattis Leadership Circle.
Events
Opening reception: January 21, 5–7pm
Artist- and curator-guided tour: January 24, 10am–12pm, with Ester Partegàs and Daisy Nam, as part of SF Art Week
Ester Partegàs and Stephen Lichty in conversation: February 8, 11am–12pm
Michelle Lopez and Vincent Fecteau in conversation: March 11, 6–8pm
Upcoming at the Wattis is our research season that uses the work of the artist Hiwa K as a lens to think about our contemporary moment. Please join the collective conversation, as it evolves over the course of the semester. Sign up for our newsletter receive notifications and updates.
About the CCA Wattis Institute
The Wattis is a nonprofit exhibition venue and research institute dedicated to contemporary art and artists at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. It supports the creation of new work by artists from around the world, proposes new models of attention, and hopes to complicate the meanings of art and culture today. In 2024, the Wattis opened its new galleries and gardens on CCA’s expanded campus.
The CCA Wattis Institute program is generously supported by Mary and Harold Zlot, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, and The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation; by Leadership contributors Jonathan Gans and Abigail Turin, and Katie and Matt Paige; by Carlie Wilmans, Robin Laub, and Robin Wright and Ian Reeves; and by the CCA Wattis Institute’s Curator’s Forum members. Phyllis C. Wattis was the generous founding patron.
As always, the Wattis Institute is free and open to all.
