In Yuka, a large-scale chromogenic print by Japanese artist Miwa Yanagi, an old woman with electric red hair barrels across the Golden Gate Bridge in a motorcycle sidecar, laughing into the wind.
She clutches a cigarette between her fingers. A much younger lover rides beside her.
The piece is from Yanagi’s “My Grandmothers” series. The artist asked women in their 20s and 30s to imagine themselves 50 years into the future, then used prosthetic makeup and digital editing to bring their visions to life.
The result is a disarming portrait of rebellion, and a perfect entry point into “Generative Disruption: Feminist Art from the Collection,” Ruby City’s expansive new exhibit, which opens Saturday, Sept. 26.
Local, global and in between
The exhibition gathers works by 33 artists whose practices explore body, identity, gender, power, space, belonging and lived experience. It’s curated as a cross-generational dialogue that illustrates how feminist art of the ’60s and ’70s continues to shape contemporary practice.
Most of the works come from the Linda Pace Foundation Collection, and many were bought by Pace herself during her lifetime.
Patricia Morales, Ruby City’s head of public engagement, said Pace’s art curation was guided by core collecting pillars: feminism, social justice, spirituality and ideas of beauty.
“I don’t know if she ever said, ‘I am a feminist,’” Morales said. “But her path shows a belief in individual liberty, including for women.”
Because the exhibition is drawn almost entirely from the permanent collection, Morales sees it as a reflection of Pace’s values.
The exhibition’s roster is impressively broad. Alongside Yanagi’s photos, visitors will encounter works by Wangechi Mutu, Sue Williams, Mona Hatoum, Shahzia Sikander, Tracey Moffatt, Aïda Ruilova and more.
San Antonio-based artists, including Trish Simonite, Janet Lennie Flohr and Katie Pell, appear throughout, grounding the show in our city’s feminist artistic lineage.
Morales is particularly excited about the inclusion of LA-based Sama Alshaibi, a conceptual artist whose work interrogates Orientalist depictions of women. The curator hopes the international diversity of the works will provide ample opportunities for viewers to connect.
“I think especially for the subject of this particular exhibit, feminists and feminism, it’s so important to make the conversation as open as possible,” she said. “I think that feminism means something different to everybody.
“Everyone’s going to have their own definition or connection or antipathy to the idea, which is why we’re pulling together such a diverse range of artists who interpret it in different ways, and then pulling in a diverse group of community members to come see and talk about it.”
Credit: Courtesy Image / Ruby City
Material disruption
A central thread in “Generative Disruption” is media experimentation. Early feminist artists challenged hierarchies that privileged painting and sculpture over textiles, crafts or other “domestic” materials.
Morales said she sees this trend — still ongoing — as essential to the exhibit’s story. She pointed to one local artist in the show, Bettie Ward, who integrates embroidery directly onto canvas works.
“An aspect of this exhibition is the exploration of materials that aren’t generally seen in the canon of fine art, more craft-based work,” Morales said. “In a broad sense, it comes down to the freedom to choose what you want to do.”
While these approaches might once have been dismissed, Morales said these multimedia works now form the backbone of contemporary art.
Although it’s rooted in feminist history, “Generative Disruption” is responsive to the present.
The exhibition includes a major loan, “Trigger Planting 3.0,” by Kadambari Baxi, Maureen Connor and Landon Newton. The installation maps abortion restrictions across the United States using dried plants historically associated with contraception and abortion.
Morales notes that the “3.0” in the title refers to this piece as the third iteration of the project. The artists continually update the work as abortion laws change.
“[Trigger Planting] is a work that’s continually changing as it responds to the different types of ‘trigger laws,’ barriers for women who are seeking reproductive choice,” Morales said. “The iteration we see now may look very different if they install it someplace else two or three years from now.”
<subhead>Access above all else
Ruby City’s free admission is central to its mission, but it’s also an important element to the show’s reception. Morales said she sees accessibility as key to creating meaningful engagement.
“How are we creating opportunities not only for people to have access to work,” she asked, “but to explore themes that feel relevant to them, in a way that allows them to be curious?”
Visitor service associates are trained on the exhibition and available to answer questions. Morales said their role is part of the institution’s efforts to make the space welcoming for newcomers and seasoned art enthusiasts alike.
Beyond that, Morales said visitors may well see themselves reflected in the work.
“I hope people can recognize someone they know in the work,” she said. “These lived experiences are similar for women globally, maybe in different degrees.”
The exhibition’s opening will include a public walkthrough led by Ruby City Director Elyse A. Gonzales from 2-3 p.m., followed by a reception. Several artists will be present at the opening to speak about their work.
Throughout the year and before the exhibition’s closing next August, Ruby City will host free programs that complement the work. Through screenings, workshops and other events, visitors will be able to explore themes in the show together.
In a moment when public discourse feels increasingly fractured, “Generative Disruption” promises to meet viewers wherever they are.
The show invites viewers to slow down, take a closer look and consider how artists have expanded what contemporary art can be — and what feminism can mean.
“The goal is to introduce work to the public and give them the space to reflect on it,” Morales said. “It’s not about presenting a perspective. It’s about letting the work stand on its own.”
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