San Francisco – Root Division is thrilled to exhibit work by 23 artists from 9 states, representing 9 ethnicities, exploring how we define and interact with the borders that surround us. Borders, an exhibition about lines and how we cross them, includes a range of art forms such as interactive sculpture, video, photography, installation, performance, and new media.

Borders form an edge that can define geographical, political, religious, biological, or aesthetic entities. They are places between things, places where one thing becomes another, places where identities shift and where an end becomes a beginning. Borders can be indistinct, such as those separating gender, or glaringly obvious, like those between warring countries. A border can be a place of control and limits, or it can present an opportunity for new unions. The simplest boundary might be a line drawn in the sand, the most complex: one that governs social behavior.

The artists in this show touch on a variety of these themes and encourage the viewer to re-evaluate the political, geographical, and moral divisions that define our current condition.


Juried by:
Julio Cesar Morales: Adjunct Curator, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts; Visiting Faculty, SFAI; Artist
Lucy Kalyani Lin: Artist, Independent Curator, & Program Associate, SF Arts Commission
Michelle Mansour: Executive Director, Root Division; Curator; Artist

Participating Artists:
Michael Boonstra
Jessica Cadkin
Venetia Dale
Crisanta de Guzman
Dean Dempsey
Fiamma di Montezemolo
Susan Doyle
Gaby Esteves
Hyeon Kim
Cathy Lu*
Annabel Manning
John K. Melvin
Leigh Merrill
Susannah Mira
Mimi Moncier
Scott Polach
Maggie Preston
Tori Purcell
Maja Ruznic
Kyle Sharp
Ian Treasure
Scott Tsuchitani
Kit Yi Wong
*Root Division Resident Artist