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Isn’t Life a Blast celebrates the influence of Real Time and Space (RTS), the legendary Oakland-based artist-run studio program, through the lens of its international residency program. Now in its 13th year, many of the artists and cultural producers that comprise the residency’s alumni have left an indelible mark on the ecosystem of the Bay Area and beyond. The artists presented here often engage complex ideas with inventive approaches to materiality and place while simultaneously imbuing their work with a sense of humor, absurdity, and curiosity. The exhibition’s tongue-in-cheek title (drawn from the work of past resident Jessalyn Aaland) captures this inherent duality by embracing the freewheeling yet critical character of RTS’ ethos that has made it such an essential undercurrent of the Bay Area art community since its inception.
In this way, the show’s assembly of artworks is reflective of various modes of working that feel deeply connected to the region in a historical sense but also link it to a more expansive contemporary conversation, nationally and internationally. From painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, video, and sound to performance, social practice, language, publishing, archives, and more, the artists’ myriad ways of working demonstrate the breadth and reach of this seminal program and the import of the region beyond its borders.
Real Time and Space was founded by Emma Spertus and Mark Taylor in 2011. Former and current studio directors include Amy Ho, Nancy Bach, Lana Willams, Kico Le Strange, and J. Pansa. Learn more about RTS and the ongoing residency program HERE.
Isn’t Life a Blast is made possible with support from the Ruth Arts Foundation. The exhibition is curated by Amy Owen.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
501 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94107-2767, United States
