Sister Spaces

In an ever-increasing shift towards a global culture motivated by profit, it's inspiring to see an international exhibition of work dedicated to artists and art spaces driven by the desire to question the mainstream value system and provide an alternative. “Sister Spaces” presents the work, cultures and artists from four non-traditional arts spaces from four different cities around the globe: IT Park, Taipei, Taiwan; The Physics Room, Christchurch, New Zealand; YYZ Artists' Outlet, Toronto, Canada; and Ze dos Bois, Lisbon, Portugal. What's most striking about the work shown in this ambitious project is the commitment to ingenuity of concept – on the parts of both artists and spaces. Ze dos Bois's Video Observatory, housed inside a corrugated metal room in the center of the gallery, screens a different video work everyday for each of the 37 days the show is open. On the day I was there, a still image of a monitor on a stool in a sterile white room filled the wall crossed by the transparent image of a man's cropped torso pacing back and forth at varying intervals. Across the gallery, a grainy head-shot of “Miss Chinese” by IT Park's Michael Ming-Hong Lin challenges both cultural and political notions at play from a nation still establishing its independence from China. The show's most provocative work comes from Auckland (New Zealand) artist Daniel Malone and San Francisco artist Daniel Malone. Several months prior to the exhibition, Aukland's Malone found and contacted his namesake here in the City. A relationship developed via email and phone calls, resulting in the request of S.F.'s Malone by Aukland's Malone to produce an installation for the “Sister Spaces” exhibition. “Top and Bottom” is an interesting expansion to the concept of exchange demonstrated here. The show also includes a “Visitor Bureau,” which offers a place to sit down and read through publications from each of the spaces included. There's a lot here to cover – 4 countries -- I recommend setting aside several hours to really absorb the social, political and cultural ideas offered.

Southern Exposure
401 Alabama (at 17 th Street), San Francisco
Tues. – Sat. 11a.m. – 5p.m.
(415) 863-2141 (Megan Wilson)