Press Release for #simulacra

For Immediate Release: 

October 3, 2016

Embark Gallery Opens #simulacra Exhibition

Local Emerging Artists Question Reality in Provocative Photography Show

Image: Mike Cole. Big Rock, 2015.

Embark Gallery’s newest exhibition, #simulacra, asks how Jean Baudrillard’s philosophical treatise “Simulacra and Simulation” is relevant in the digital era. We live in a visual culture in which it is increasingly easy to participate. Images are all-important, and no longer mere symbols of truth. As Baudrillard predicted, reality itself has begun to imitate what was once its model. This medium-specific show explores signs, memory and documentation from a diverse sampling of perspectives.

Mike Cole and Jacqueline Sherlock Norheim both stray from traditional photography, utilizing the mark of the artist’s hand in two different takes on landscape, one manufactured and pixelated, the other ethereal and ephemeral. Shisi Huang’s video piece addresses voyeurism and the blurred line between public and private realities in an age where we are often being recorded. Marcela Pardo Ariza’s playful photographic sculpture references the unraveling of the meaning of images in the contemporary moment, whereas Qian Zhao’s deliciously colorful prints evoke a surreal nostalgia. Tamara Porras investigates the past without nostalgia, exposing how photographs can take on a new life of their own once those pictured are gone. Shaghayegh Cyrous’ work is planted firmly in the present, taking the form of a live feed from an apartment in Tehran, Iran. The piece references the malleability of time and place made possible by new technologies and questions the nature of reality in an increasingly global world.

This exhibition was juried by Julie Casemore of Casmore Kirkeby Gallery, and Allie Haeusslein of Pier 24 Photography.

Hours: 12–5pm every Saturday and Sunday from November 5 to December 17, and during the week by appointment.

Press Preview: Wednesday, November 2 [by appointment]

Opening Reception: Friday, November 4, 6–9pm

Media Contact:

Tania Houtzager

tania@embarkgallery.com

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"Make America Colorful Again" Coloring Books

We're excited to announce that in conjunction with Humor US, "Make America Colorful Again" coloring books will be for sale at Embark Gallery! Artist Joey Yang will also provide a coloring station at the opening reception, as catharsis for your feelings on the upcoming election.

"I made a Donald Trump coloring book. It's badly drawn because I think it reflects his character." 

Read more about the project on its fundraising page, and don't miss the chance to snag one! Proceeds will benefit the International Institute of the Bay Area, a non-profit that provides high-quality, low-cost immigration legal services to the Bay Area community.

Embark’s New Writing Fellowship Program seeks impassioned authors to write about Embark programming

Embark is happy to announce an exciting new opportunity for writers. Are you an art historian, critic, academic or an artist with a creative writing practice? Apply now! DEADLINE: September 22nd at midnight

We are looking for critical essays, art historical analyses, artist interviews, journalistic pieces, and creative writing to include in our published exhibition catalogs. Students will get valuable experience in working with a professional gallery, meet and network with other artists and writers from local institutions and learn best practices for creating content for exhibition catalogs. Embark will publish and publicize the writing of these fellows and also provide a small working stipend of $150.

We have 2 openings for the Fall 2016 Writing Fellowship Program. Each fellow will be responsible for 3 pieces of writing (1000-3000 words each) throughout the semester, covering our upcoming exhibitions Humor US and #simulacra.

To Apply

To Apply to the Fall 2016 Embark Writing Fellowship, please reply to info@embarkgallery.com with the Subject Line: “Writing Fellowship” and the following information:

1) Your full name, school, and expected graduation date.

2) At least 1 short proposal for a piece of writing about each show. Show descriptions and participating artists can be found here for Humor US, and here for #Simulacra.

3) A short (1-2 page) example of an art related essay, article or interview you have done in the past. Excerpts of longer work also accepted.

Embark Gallery Opens “Humor US” Exhibition

For Immediate Release

August 25, 2016

Humor US features seven artists using levity to address political issues in the run up to the 2016 elections

Nathan Becka. Civility Pedal, 2015

Humor US will be on view from September 9-October 22, 2016, with an opening reception on September 9 from 5-9pm. This exhibition considers philosopher John Morreall’s definition of humor as “amusement that takes pleasure in a cognitive shift.” Indeed, much of what we find laughable also allows us to think differently about people, ideas, and states of being. Yet, in light of the current election season, humor can also function as an aggressive act of power and cause destructive effects. The graduate students featured in Humor US utilize comicality as a medium to reflect on the world outside of academia in the new upcoming presidential tenure. Through installations, videos, and photographs embedded with wittiness, the artists display personal experiences of disenfranchisement, criticisms regarding the American Dream, and platforms for positive social and political change made possible by the simplicity of simply listening to one another.

Jin Zhu. El Requerimiento, 2015, video.

Jin Zhu’s video piece sets the tone for the exhibition by providing viewers with a historical context and well-trodden path associated with Western politics––the disruption and marginalization of the “other” by the white male.  Douglas Angulo's video piece, and his deafening stare within it, builds on Zhu’s concepts and asks us to take a hard look inward to consider how we form and project identity, and construct misconceptions of identity. The work of France Viana and Hui Meng Wang question what it means to step in and out of traditional and individual identity in a photographic exploration and video piece, respectively. Viana searches for answers in the neighborhoods of Filipino Americans and confronts their political values. In a satirical commentary on the emerging Chinese middle class, Wang’s video investigates the disconnection between their idealized lifestyle and actual reality that is increasingly shaped by the political and social interests of the West.  Nathan Becka's objects and the installation of Kaitlin Trataris mock the blind acceptance that follows campaign endorsements and empty promises given by both powerful figures and everyday citizens simply due to the chase of the American Dream. Finally, it is Boris Scherbakov’s sound installations that presents viewers with some answers while grappling with the current political elections: to truly embrace our everyday surroundings and focus on conversations that lead to greater cultural and political understanding.

This exhibition is curated by Tanya Gayer (CCA), whose proposal was selected in Embark's recent call for curatorial proposals from Bay Area graduate students.

Artists in this exhibition include: Douglas Angulo (SFAI), Nathan Becka (CCA), Boris Scherbakov (Mills), Kaitlin Trataris (SFAI), France Viana (Mills), Hui Meng Wang (SFAI), Jin Zhu (UC Berkeley).

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Opening Reception: Friday, September 9th, 5-9pm

Open Hours: Saturdays, September 10th-October 22nd, 12-5pm or by appointment during the week

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Following Humor US, the exhibition #simulacra will be on view from November 5th to December 17th, 2016. For this exhibition, artists were asked to submit works that the increasingly visual culture we live in where images are all-important, and are no longer mere representations of truth. This photography show, juried by Julie Casemore and Allie Haeusslein, is an exploration of reality vs model, signs, place, and memory.

From January 28th to March 4th, 2016 the gallery will host Get Lost, an exhibition inspired by philosopher Herbert Marcuse's notion of "the great refusal.” Get Lost showcases contemporary takes on queer identity politics by challenging the representational imagery that queer art is perhaps best known for suggesting that queer activism in the digital age may take more nuanced forms of expression.This exhibition was juried by Avram Finkelstein.

Embark Gallery, a 1,500 sq. ft. non-profit art space that opened in February 2015 and located in Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture, helps create and support an engaged community of young artists, curators and scholars during their studies and as they leave their graduate programs. We assist students to embark on their professional careers, while expanding the audience for up and coming contemporary art. The gallery represents the diversity of the talented artists studying at eight local art institutions including California College of the Arts, Mills College, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco State University, San Jose State University, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley and University of California, Davis.

For more info go to EmbarkGallery.com

Media Contact:

Tania Houtzager

Tania@Embarkgallery.com

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Accepted Artists | Summer 2016 Call

We are thrilled to announce the artists who will exhibit in our next three shows. Thank you to everyone who applied, to Fort Mason Center, and to our jurors: Julie Casemore (Casemore Kirkeby), Allie Haeusslein (Pier 24 Photography) and artist and writer Avram Finkelstein.

1. Humor Us

Opening Reception: September 9, 2016 | 5-9 pm

This exhibition is curated by Tanya Gayer (CCA), whose proposal was selected in Embark's last call for curatorial proposals.

France Viana. Hillari-ous, 2016

Philosopher John Morreall famously defined humor as amusement that takes pleasure in a cognitive shift. The opening of this show presents a timely connection with the presidential elections, begging the question: How might emerging artists convey religious and racial discrimination, or a crippling economy, or housing costs through humor?

Artists:

Douglas Angulo | SFAI

Nathan Becka | CCA

Boris Scherbakov | Mills

Kaitlin Trataris | SFAI

France Viana | Mills

Hui Meng Wang | SFAI

Jin Zhu | UC Berkeley

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2.  #simulacra

Opening Reception: November 4th, 2016 | 5-9 pm

This exhibition was juried by Julie Casemore and Allie Haeusslein.

Qian Zhao.  Offcut, the Edge, 2014-16. 

We live in a visual culture in which it is increasingly easy to participate. Images are all-important, and are no longer mererepresentations of truth. This photography show is an exploration of reality vs model, signs, place, and memory.v

If no one Instagrams it...did it ever really happen?

Artists:

Mike Cole | UC Davis

Shaghayegh Cyrous | CCA

Shisi Huang | SFAI

Jacqueline Sherlock Norheim | Mills

Tamara Porras | CCA

Marcela Pardo Ariza | SFAI

Qian Zhao | CCA

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3.  Get Lost

Opening Reception: January 27, 2017 | 5-9 pm

This exhibition was juried by Avram Finkelstein

Simón Garcia-Miñaur. Welcome to Introduction to Fractal Sex, 2015, HD video, single channel

Inspired by philosopher Herbert Marcuse's notion of "the great refusal," Get Lost showcases contemporary takes on queer identity politics.

By challenging the representational imagery that queer art is perhaps best known for, these artists present a new understanding of the self through displacement and absence, suggesting that queer activism in the digital age may take more nuanced forms of expression.

Artists:

Simón Garcia-Miñaur | SFAI

Izidora Leber | SFAI

Richard-Jonathan Nelson | CCA

Courtney Trouble | CCA

Congratulations!

Embark Gallery presents the Inaugural screening of Frame(s)

Frame(s) is a series of ONE-NIGHT-ONLY screenings of selected artists' video art pieces and films. Beyond providing juried shows for Bay Area MFA students we are now adding this platform for bringing more video artworks to the fore. 

A poetic exploration of the body in landscape across a diverse sampling of contemporary film & video art. Dance and movement, innovative video techniques, queer experimental cinema and intricately woven together narratives make up this exciting night of films from emerging local artist.

Skye Bennett. Accelerated Sensation, 2015. 

Artists:

Malic Amalya & Max Garnet

Skye Bennett

Blaze Gonzalez

Nicole Lavelle

New Crew Members Welcomed Aboard!

This summer Embark Gallery welcomes two new crew member to Embark Gallery, Nicole Lian Aponte and Christopher Squier.

To celebrate their new positions we are hosting a crew show called Above Board. 

Join us on Wednesday, August 3rd for the closing reception for Above Board and take a look at our new crew's bios below:

Nicole Lian Aponte, Education Director, is a Puerto Rican artist enthralled with the world of painting. She investigates identity, landscape, and adaptation through a process that draws parallels between her experiences of moving around and the physical actions in her work. Aponte has shown in exhibitions in California and currently has work in Dallas at Sherle Wagner Art Gallery. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California Los Angeles (2010) and a Masters in Fine Arts from the California College of Arts (2016), and is one of the recipients of the Dennis Leon and Christin Nelson scholarship (2016) as well as the Clyde & Co. Community Art Award (2015, 2016).

Christopher Squier, Programs Director, is a San Francisco-based, interdisciplinary artist working primarily with sculpture and digital media. His work explores urban infrastructure, linguistics, and material notions of place within a modern, nomadic way of life. Recently, he has shown in Boston, Córdoba, Prague and San Francisco, and is preparing a residency in Trondheim, Norway this summer. He received an MFA in Sculpture from the San Francisco Art Institute (2015), a BA in Art from Grinnell College (2013), and currently serves as the inaugural Kadist + SFAI Fellow (2015-2016).