An idea of a boundary

An idea of a boundary is a group exhibition curated by SFAC Galleries Associate Curator Jackie Im. The show explores the way people negotiate and claim space through the works of ten local and international women artists. 

The title, An idea of a boundary, comes from the opening paragraph of The Dispossessed, a novel by influential writer Ursula K. Le Guin, in which a low stone line indicates a delineation between two spaces. This short wall could be crossed at any point, but society has learned to stay clear of it. The artists in this exhibition present works that make boundaries visible, and then they question why they exist and what hold they have over us.

“I thought about borders in a localized way as I walked around the Bay Area and made note of things like fences, skate-deterrents, and signs that demarcate areas for certain use. The selected works reflect how individuals to larger entities like cities, communities or businesses, claim space. In the end, “An idea of a boundary is really about how we negotiate with each other. The works in the show posit that it takes two to create a claim of space: one to draw the line and another to recognize the boundary,” says curator Jackie Im.

ARTISTS:
Patricia L. Boyd, A.K. Burns, Mildred Howard, Hannah Ireland, Dionne Lee, Park McArthur, Gina Osterloh, Davina Semo, Diane Simpson, and Nicole Wermers.

An idea of a boundary is generously supported in part by Grants for the Arts / San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund.

Image credit: Gina Osterloh, Press and Outline, 2014 (still).