EXPAT
12 May - 4 June
Opening 12 May 7-10PM
Petra Cortright // Julie Henson // Bailey Hikawa // Greg Ito // Matt Lipps // Peter Wu // Jake Ziemann
R/SF projects is pleased to present EXPAT, a group show of seven Los Angeles-based artists whom previously matriculated or resided in the Bay Area, before migrating to Los Angeles in recent years.
The tale of Bay Area displacement as it pertains to the creative community is not a new one, and the story of San Francisco and Los Angeles as rival cities has been predominantly supplanted by scores of Angeleno transplants thrilled to embrace the more accommodating lifestyle. Easily the toughest pill to swallow is the reality of artists catalyzing displacement in the first place, by settling in affordable regions only to have the windfall of gentrification hand over eviction notices years later. Any cursory internet query on the exodus returns countless articles and symposia addressing the matter, rendering the issue one worth urgent consideration.
With this landscape in mind, however, EXPAT is less of a eulogy to the Bay’s bygone cultural climate and more of a homecoming, highlighting the formidable talent nurtured by the arts institutions of this city, as well as the flourishing arts metropolis Los Angeles is finally credited as—a tale of West Coast prowess, no matter the direction of the tide. Perhaps above all, EXPAT catalyzes a new dialogue between the coastal cities, weaving a sanguine narrative of artistic resilience and underscoring a generation of artists deserving recognition far beyond state lines.
