Hayv Kahraman: Look Me in the Eyes
January 16–May 19, 2024
Hayv Kahraman Solo Exhibition
Curated by Ali Gass and Christine Koppes.
Image: Hayv Kahraman. Lip Plants, 2023. Institute of Contemporary Art, San Francisco.
Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco (ICA SF)
901 Minnesota Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
+1-415-226-9250
ICA SF Website
ICA SF Instagram
Institute of Contemporary Art Hours
| Monday | Closed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm |
| Thursday | 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm |
| Friday | 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm |
| Saturday | 10:00 am – 5:00 pm |
| Sunday | 10:00 am – 5:00 pm |
Overview
Finally got over to ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco), which is a non-collecting art museum that opened in the Dogpatch neighborhood in 2022. Their current show, Hayv Kahraman’s Look Me in the Eyes, is EXCELLENT—with a proud emphasis on the CAPS here—a MUST, MUST SEE.
“Look Me in the Eyes is Hayv Kahraman’s largest solo museum exhibition to date. Featuring all new work, the exhibition continues the powerful visual and conceptual elements that have been tenets of Kahraman’s practice, while also marking a momentous new phase of the artist’s career… Kahraman’s work is a nuanced balance of autobiographical and collective experiences informed by her own upbringing as an Iraqi/Kurdish refugee in Sweden. Through representations of a woman figure (a near, but not quite self-portrait), Kahraman examines conditions of migration and immigration in the West, exposing the simultaneous hypervisibility and invisibility of othered bodies. Look Me in the Eyes contends with the colonial gaze, pushing against erasure and insisting that we see both these insidious histories and one another.”
Preview of Hayv Kahraman: Look Me in the Eyes. Institute of Contemporary Art, San Francisco.
Kahraman explores themes related to immigration, such as border regimes, surveillance, and acts of protest, including the removal of fingerprints with acid. Eyes hold deep symbolism in many cultures, often representing different concepts such as perception, protection, spirituality, and knowledge. Here, Kahraman gifts us with a surrealist scape moving between nightmares and dreams, where sight happens beyond the eyes as a means of rebellion.
*TIP: Consider downloading Bloomberg Connects, which is a FREE mobile app with art guides to over 400+ cultural institutions. Includes commentary by Hayv Kahraman on works from this show.
🗓 Look Me in the Eyes runs alongside Saif Azzuz’s Cost of Living at ICA SF. Both close on May 19, 2024.
💌 Did you see the show? What did you think? Let us know in the comments (in the Reviews section located on the second tab at the top of the page).
Quick Guide: Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco
⭐ ADMISSION: ADMISSION IS ALWAYS FREE.
⭐ LOCATION: The Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco is located at 901 Minnesota Street between 20th and 22nd streets.
⭐ HOURS: The museum is open Wednesday–Friday 12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. and Saturday–Sunday 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
⭐ NEARBY ART: Minnesota Street Project (10 min walk/2 min drive), Museum of Craft and Design (6 min walk/3 min drive), Letterform Archive (5 min walk/3 min drive).
⭐ NEARBY FOOD/DRINK: Piccino Restaurant (3 min walk/1 min drive), Marcella’s Lasangeria (4 walk/1 min drive), Dogpatch Saloon (5 min walk/2 min drive).
💌 More nearby suggestions are always welcome. Feel free to add in the comments!
A LOVE LETTER TO ART RECOMMENDS
NEARBY ART
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Author: ALoveLettertoArt
