Dude, where's my school?
Site: 120710
Aug 26 – Sep 23, 2023
Curators: Josh Hash
Description:
“Dude, Where’s My School” is a group show of Alumni & Faculty from the recently shuttered San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI). From art collectives like Black Mountain College or PS1 to exhibition cohorts like the Young British Artists, or Cool School, the idea of localized artist networks (or schools) has always been a marker for tracing art movements and public discourse.
However, during this post-covid era, where we’re faced with endless visual content, dubious pedagogical legacies, and greater artist autonomy, the reliance on institutional monoliths to tell our stories feels redundant. As we’ve moved away from broadcast consumption on cable & radio to independent creator channels, we’re left with 20th-century archetypes that, if not adapted, feel obsolete.
This group of SFAI artists all hail from the final years of the historic Art Institute. Although its closing may bring forth a myriad of emotions, this body of creative thinkers survives the once-iconic institution. We are thus reminded that, ultimately, artists are the ones who move culture forward and unify communities. The demise of SFAI proves allegorical to a pivotal moment in contemporary art, where “no school” artists are tasked with governing their own networks, infrastructure, & legacy.
120710 is a not for profit project space for artists by artists! Our mission, much like the original SFAIs, is to stay out of line by fostering disruptive grass-roots communities. We believe art is integral and should exist without compromise.
