Must-See January Shows in San Francisco

Outside the fairs, don’t miss these exhibitions on view at San Francisco’s top museums, galleries, and private collections.

Edgar Arceneaux at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
The Los Angeles–based artist Edgar Arceneaux presents two experimental works at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts this winter. Until, Until, Until . . . (2015–17) is an immersive multimedia installation around Ben Vereen’s performance at Ronald Reagan’s presidential inauguration. Library of Black Lies (2016) is a labyrinthine large-scale sculpture of crystallized books depicting African American history.  

“Designed in California” at SFMOMA
“Designed in California” looks at the shift caused by the digital revolution in West Coast design. A move toward human-centered, socially conscious objects and furniture was aided by new technologies. California designers sought to design with more political, social, and environmental awareness in the 1960s and ’70s, and North Face and Chouinard created tents and climbing equipment out of a desire for “dropping out”—all of which lead to new ways of living, personal computers, and mobile devices.

“Question Bridge: Black Males” Oakland Museum of California
A recent acquisition of the museum, Question Bridge: Black Males is a project that shows black men talking about their life, beliefs, and values. The video installation features conversations with 160 men from nine locations across America. Previously exhibited at more than 30 museums and institutions, at OMCA the installation within a chapel-like setting offers a chance for reflection and gathering.

“Oskar Fischinger: Raumlichtkunst” at Weinstein Gallery
The Weinstein Gallery is celebrating its 25th anniversary with the West Coast premiere of Oskar Fischinger’s Raumlichtkunst (c. 1926/2012). The groundbreaking immersive cinema work was first performed around 1926 by the artist in Weimar, Germany. At the gallery, it is installed as a HD three-projector reconstruction by Center for Visual Music. The title of the work translates to “Space Light Art,” and is viewed as a predecessor of expanded cinema and psychedelic light shows. 

Michael E. Smith at The David Ireland House
Michael E. Smith is the first visiting artist invited by The 500 Capp Street Foundation to engage with entirely the work of David Ireland and the home, including the new architectural additions. Three works from the early 1950s ground the exhibition: Of Mice and Men, The Twelfth Night, and Logical Form Study. They set the stage for Smith’s darkly humorous and intentionally sparse installation of sculpture and video. “Smith’s objects are brutal, honest, and deadpan in the best possible way,” said Bob Linder, head curator, The 500 Capp Street Foundation.  

Minnesota Street Project
The Minnesota Street Project opened in March 2016 and is home to artist studios, nonprofit arts organizations, commercial galleries, art handling and storage facilities, and a restaurant. Exhibitions currently on view include Ryoji Ikeda at Ars Citizen; a show of local and international artists and designers curated by Lauren Geremia of Geremia Design; Ray Mack and Sarah Sarchin at Bass & Reiner; Javier Arce at Jack Fischer Gallery; and Rupert Garcia at Rena Bransten Gallery.  

“Liam Everett: Fais semblant qu’on n’est pas ici” at Altman Siegel
“Fais semblant qu’on n’est pas ici” is a solo exhibition by Liam Everett including new paintings and sculpture. The body of work explores interrelated systems and interpretations of support, such as a raised floor similar to Everett’s recent presentation at SFMOMA. The title of the show translates to “pretend we are not here,” and the show touches on themes of ritual, practice, routine, and rehearsal.

“María Magdalena Campos-Pons: If I Were a Poet” at Gallery Wendi Norris
This is the Cuban-born artist María Magdalena Campos-Pons’s West Coast debut and first exhibition with Gallery Wendi Norris. On view at Presidio National Park is work from 1990 to 2017, ranging from installation to Polaroids to performance. The artist’s large-format Polaroids explore themes of both the future and the slave trade. Also on view is the sound and glass installation Matanzas Sound Map, as well as the video Meanwhile the Girls were Playing.

“Decades in the Making” at Hackett Mill
“Decades in the Making” is a group show of work by artists including Milton Avery, Richard Diebenkorn, Frank Lobdell, Howard Hodgkin, Hans Hofmann, Lee Krasner, Conrad Marca-Relli, Joan Mitchell, Robert Motherwell, David Park, Pierre Soulages, Manuel Neri, and Antoni Tàpies. Curated by Francis Mill and Michael Hackett, the exhibition inaugurates a new downtown location for the gallery and offers a retrospective look at the gallery’s programming and history.