The San José Museum of Art (SJMA) is pleased to present Encode/Store/Retrieve. On view from December 8, 2023 through April 21, 2024, this new exhibition draws together artworks from SJMA’s collection to explore the ecology of memory from the past sixty years. Organized by assistant curator Juan Omar Rodriguez, the artists in this exhibition share strategies for grappling with the emerging issues of the global growing digital archive.  

“With so many new technologies we often wonder what will be the impact on memory. This exhibition examines the different stages of memory, as the title reflects, and demonstrates how artists have long considered the ways we share and remember information,” said S. Sayre Batton, Oshman Executive Director, San José Museum of Art. “It brings together art and technology, tapping into SJMA’s vision to convey the innovative ethos of San José and Silicon Valley.”  

The sculptures, paintings, photographs, installations, and works on paper brought together in this new exhibition are organized into thematic groupings that reference the key processes underlying cognitive and computational models of memory—encoding, storage, and retrieval. They bridge conversations about digital, biological, institutional, and ecological memory. 

“The landscape of memory has shifted dramatically over the course of the Digital Age, marked by the ease and speed at which we can record, store, and share information. Through digital technologies, almost anyone can participate in the production of memory at any time. Yet the ever-growing digital archive has substantial financial and ecological impacts that we must address,” shared Juan Omar Rodriguez, assistant curator at SJMA. “The artists in this show remind us that memory is complicated and that digital technologies are useful yet aren’t the only viable ways to care for and share what we hold dear.” 

Featured artists include Wallace Berman, Val Britton, Jim Campbell, Enrique Chagoya, Chryssa, Binh Danh, Steven Deo, Bruce Hasson, Xandra Ibarra, Dinh Q. Lê, Darlene Nguyen-Ely, Margaret Nielsen, Harold Paris, Beverly Rayner, Analia Saban, Katherine Sherwood, Rose B. Simpson, Stephanie Syjuco, Stella Waitzkin, Xiaoze Xie, and more. 

SUPPORT 

Encode/Store/Retrieve is supported by the SJMA Exhibitions Fund.   

Operations and programs at the San José Museum of Art are made possible by generous support from SJMA’s Board of Trustees, a Cultural Affairs Grant from the City of San José, the Lipman Family Foundation, the Adobe Foundation, Toby and Barry Fernald, the Richard A. Karp Charitable Foundation, Tammy and Tom Kiely, Sally Lucas, Yvonne and Mike Nevens, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Skyline Foundation, the Knight Foundation, Brook Hartzell and Tad Freese, the SJMA Director's Council and Council of 100, the San José Museum of Art Endowment Fund.

SAN JOSE MUSEUM OF ART

The San José Museum of Art (SJMA) is a modern and contemporary art museum dedicated to inclusivity, new thinking, and visionary ideas. Founded in 1969 by artists and community leaders, its dynamic exhibitions, collection, and programs resonate with defining characteristics of San José and the Silicon Valley—from its rich diversity to its hallmark innovative ethos. The Museum offers lifelong learning for school children and their educators, multigenerational families, creative adults, university students and faculty, and community groups. SJMA is committed to being a borderless museum, essential to creative life throughout the diverse communities of San José and beyond.

SJMA is located at 110 South Market Street in downtown San José, California. The Museum is open Thursday 4–9pm; Friday 11am–9pm; Saturday–Sunday 11am–6pm, and select Monday holidays 11am–6pm. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, and free to members, college students, youth and children ages 17 and under, and school teachers (with valid ID). Admission is free from 6–9pm on the first Friday of every month. For up-to-date information, call 408.271.6840 or visit SanJoseMuseumofArt.org.