CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts

Many Places at Once

Mon, 10 Mar 2014 19:28:07 +0000

April 17, 2014 to July 12, 2014

Image caption: Ian Wallace, At Work 1983, 1983. Graphite on paper, 48 x 69 inches. Rennie Collection, Vancouver. © Ian Wallace.

Featuring works by Martin Soto Climent, Rana Hamadeh, Li Ran, Cinthia Marcelle, William Powhida, Ian Wallace, and Real Time and Space.

Many Places at Once is an exhibition curated by the graduating class of the Graduate Program in Curatorial Practice at California College of the Arts with the support of the Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts.

Decades after the "post-studio" turn announced by Minimalism and Conceptual art in the 1960s, Many Places at Once reconsiders the place of artistic production in our era of creative industries and flexible labor. Featuring new commissions and existing works by seven international artists, the exhibition presents artworks that call attention to the nuanced circumstances that characterize the economic, social, and technological conditions in which artists work today.

The exhibition departs from the performance entitled At Work 1983 by the Vancouver-based artist Ian Wallace (b. 1943, Shoreham, England), in which the artist presented himself in the window of the artist-run Or Gallery in Vancouver, late at night, seated behind a simple desk, engaged in reading, thinking, and drawing. Staging himself before the city’s nightlife as an intellectual worker rather than a paint-spattered bohemian, Wallace embraced the new nature of art as thought over making, while reflecting on his new identity with tongue firmly in cheek. Many Places at Once includes a video of his original performance and large-scale drawings he produced during his tenure in the gallery window. New photographs in Ian Wallace’s Hotel series (1986–ongoing), made for this exhibition, marry photography and painting, and show the temporary “studios” that are the hotel rooms he occupies as he travels.

Alongside Wallace are recent works by other artists that embody different notions of the place of artistic production. Cinthia Marcelle (b. 1974, Belo Horizonte, Brazil) produces drawings while attending art events such as artists’ talks. Martin Soto Climent (b. 1977, Mexico City) makes the pages of his journals and notebooks his site of production. Rana Hamadeh (b. 1983, Beirut, Lebanon) creates sculptural cabinets and vitrines where her archives are displayed, which she animates through performances. William Powhida (b. 1976, New York) generates diagrammatic drawings that reflect critically on the art world and the network it represents. Through videos and performances, Li Ran (b. 1986, Hubei, China) uses mimicry, satire, and irony to challenge the representation of artists' identity and work. In dialogue with the above, the shared studios of Oakland-based Real Time and Space (established in 2011) evidence a continuation of the artist’s studio as a physical location, with the added dimension of group self-organization.

Taken individually, each contemporary work presents a site: a hotel, a notebook, an archive, a network, an event, or a theatrical stage. Together they constitute the “many places”—physical and conceptual—that “at once” constitute a reimagined artist’s studio.

An accompanying publication will provide an opportunity for further engagement with each featured practice through interviews with the artists, focusing on their processes and places of production.

The exhibition’s programming will engage the Bay Area arts and education communities to develop dialogues on the pressing issues facing artists and creative professionals, with several conversations and public roundtables. Many Places at Once will also feature performances or events by Rana Hamadeh, Li Ran, and members of Real Time and Space. For a schedule of these programs, please visit the our calendar.

An accompanying publication will provide an opportunity for further engagement with each featured practice through interviews with the artists, focusing on their processes and places of production. Download publication here.

About CCA’s Graduate Program in Curatorial Practice
Founded in 2003, CCA’s Graduate Program in Curatorial Practice offers an expanded perspective on curating contemporary art and culture. Alongside traditional forms of exhibition making, this two-year master’s degree program emphasizes the momentous impact over the last half-century of artist-led initiatives, public art projects, site-specific commissions, and other experimental endeavors that take place beyond the confines of established venues. It is distinguished by an international, interdisciplinary perspective, and it reflects San Francisco’s unique location and cultural history by placing a particular importance on the study of curatorial and artistic practices in Asia and Latin America. For more information, visit cca.edu/curatorial-practice.

Meet Wattis Director Anthony Huberman

Tue, 29 Oct 2013 22:01:41 +0000

Wednesday, October 30, 2013 - 7:15pm

CCA SF campus | main Montgomery Bldg. | Timken Lecture Hall

Anthony Huberman, former director of The Artist’s Institute in New York, was recently named the new director of the CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts.

Huberman is responsible for the development and presentation of exhibitions and public programs in venues on CCA’s San Francisco campus, including the college’s new facility on Kansas Street, which includes the Logan Galleries and a dynamic event space.

Join us for a public "meet the director" talk at which Huberman will discuss his vision as it relates to the future programming of the Wattis Institute as well as beyond.

Read the press release »

Huckleberry Finn: Small Talks

mgoh — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 19:47:13 +0000

Jordan Kantor, Associate Professor, Fine Arts

Wednesday, November 10, 2010 - 7:00pm to 8:00pm

Logan Galleries, San Francisco campus

Every Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Wattis Institute: All are welcome to attend these free lectures. Small Talks connect the artistic practices and research concerns of CCA faculty with the themes of the exhibition and Mark Twain's novel.

Huckleberry Finn is the final show in a trilogy of Wattis Institute exhibitions that are based on canonical American novels. 2010 marks the 125th anniversary of the publication of Mark Twain's famous book, and the 100th anniversary of the author's passing. It is considered one of the most important works of American literature, yet it still tops the banned-book list.

This exhibition features the work of 36 artists, including 15 new commissions by such diverse artists as Edgar Arceneaux, Jason Meadows, Yinka Shonibare MBE, Allison Smith, and Kara Walker. Historical artifacts and artworks by Elizabeth Catlett, Clementine Hunter, Horace Pippin, Betye Saar, and others offer a portrait of the American South in the time of slavery. In addition, the Wattis will present the West Coast premiere of the newly restored 1920 silent film Huckleberry Finn.

Huckleberry Finn: Small Talks

mgoh — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 19:36:14 +0000

Lynn Marie Kirby, Professor, Film & Denise Newman, Senior Adjunct Professor, Writing

Wednesday, November 3, 2010 - 7:00pm to 8:00pm

Logan Galleries, San Francisco campus

Wattis Internships

mgoh — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 20:40:08 +0000

A Wattis Institute internship represents a unique opportunity to experience a contemporary arts institution firsthand.

Working directly with the curatorial team on implementing the institute's exhibition program, interns are involved in a wide range of tasks, from the initial artist research to helping with the opening reception. Tasks vary from project to project and depend on the stage of each exhibition.

The Wattis Institute also participates in The Ruskin School University of Oxford's Professional Practice Programme. The intention of this programme is to provide students with an opportunity to experience at first hand the professional practice of galleries, museums and arts organizations. It is hoped that a Ruskin internship at the Wattis will not only enhance each student's area of research but also further develop and extend their understanding of both arts and curatorial practice.

Time Period

There is no set application deadline for an internship, and inquiries are welcome throughout the year. However, we offer internships roughly coinciding with each academic term (January to May and September to December) and over the summer (June through August).

The internships are designed to cover a three-month period, with a minimum commitment of three days per week.

Requirements

Applicants must have a good understanding of art history and, preferably, be enrolled or have graduated from an art historical, visual arts, or curatorial degree program.

Applicants need to be flexible, willing to take on a range of tasks and actively participate in the institute's day-to-day activities. Projects are assigned according to the institute's changing needs and the skills and interests of each intern.

Basic computing skills (Mac OS, Word, Excel, and email) are required.

Academic Credit

This is an unpaid internship and no stipends are available, although academic credit may be available. Please contact Rita Souther at 415.355.9673 or rsouther@cca.edu for more information.

Application

To apply for an internship, please send a resume with a cover letter to Rita Souther at rsouther@cca.edu or CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, California College of the Arts, 1111 Eighth Street, San Francisco CA 94107.