Intro (The Writing’s on the Wall) @ Slide Space 123, Sep 14 – Oct 21

, 14 September 2016
news

The Intro (The Writing’s on the Wall) group exhibition is on at Oakland’s Slide Space 123, opening on September 14 and running to October 21.

Organised by San Francisco’s Et al. and curated by co-director Jackie Im, the event introduces the new exhibition space at Mills College, with the first show featuring works by Laylah Ali, Sofía Córdova, Nicki Green, Lauren Halsey, Masami Kubo and Zanele Muholi.

The press release includes a letter from artist and philosopher Adrian Piper to her editor, asking not to be defined as a ‘woman artist’ or a ‘black artist’ etc. Included is the powerful excerpt:

“I have earned the right to be called an artist

I have earned the right to be called a philosopher

I have earned the right to be called and artist and philosopher

I have earned the right to be called a philosopher and an artist

I have earned the right to call myself anything I like”

The artists brought together all grapple in one way or another with how we come to be defined and the narrow confines allowed by identity. The multi-disciplinary practices will intersect to explore how we are framed and “new paths for thinking of the self.”

Visit the gallery webpage for more details.**

Zanele Muholi, 'Somnyama Ngonyama' (2015). Installation view. Courtesy the artist + Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town.
Zanele Muholi, ‘Somnyama Ngonyama’ (2015). Installation view. Courtesy the artist + Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town.