Barring Freedom, co-organized by the UC Santa Cruz Institute of the Arts and Sciences, brings together contemporary artists confronting the historical and structural racism embedded in the criminal justice and mass incarceration systems.
Reflecting the high-tech interests, lively cultural diversity, and innovative spirit of Silicon Valley, this exhibition features artworks by 30 artists from 11 countries, from internationally renowned figures to those working in California and the Bay Area as well as emerging practitioners. The exhibition highlights a dynamic array of paintings, sculptures, photographs, works on paper, and new media acquired by SJMA in the last five years.
Pae White’s Noisy Blushes (2020) is a meditation on movement and time, light and color, material presence and the elusiveness of form. Commissioned by SJMA, the sculpture soars within the Museum’s thirty-foot high atrium and transforms its entrance into an experiential passageway, delivering a sublime experience for visitors.
Art Learning Lab is a dedicated exhibition space inspired by Sowing Creativity, the Museum’s award-winning STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) education program. Featuring a diverse selection of work from the permanent collection, the Art Learning Lab reveals how artists engage cross-disciplinary concepts in their approach to art-making.
Do Ho Suh’s sculpture Karma (2010) is a 23-foot tower of bronze male figures, each perched atop another’s shoulders and shielding that figure’s eyes with his hands.