The Unauthorized SFMOMA Shows: Somewhere on the Internet

One writer’s quest to connect with a DIY artists’ network turns up some interesting surprises.

The SFMOMA is one of the most prestigious locations for an artist to show their work. And now that art dream can become a reality…well, sort of. Currently, there are a series of Unauthorized SFMOMA solo shows which is a virtual exhibition that’s only visible online—when you’re physically at the SFMOMA.

The concept and guidelines are straightforward. Between April and July 2nd, anyone who wants to have a “solo show” at the SFMOMA Unauthorized “gallery” can do so through a simple online form. One image can be submitted at a time and will be automatically accepted and shown on the location-based website until the next person submits work. Then the following image takes centerstage, and so on.

While everyone is welcome to participate, and there is an archived list of around 400 participating artists, there is no real way to tell how many visitors have actually viewed the work.

I was curious to see if the artists who were compelled to submit images to the site felt the art show connected them to the SFMOMA and if they had felt they reached anyone through this process.

In the hopes of both giving some added visibility to the artists and gaining more perspective from the artists, we reached out to the Unauthorized SFMOMA solo shows. (Note: We have been informed by official SFMOMA staff that the "Unauthorized SFMOMA" shows are in fact completely unrelated to the museum.) We were told, “There is no photographic documentation of the solo shows that have taken place available at this moment. However, we encourage you to visit the current show in order to experience it first hand and/or document it.”

Without any images, I could sit at the museum and hope for images to roll in, or resort to some good old fashioned internet sleuthing. The archived list of participants showed the name of the artist but did not give any website or social media contact info. In this social media-crazed age, one would have to assume the museum left out this information on purpose?

After some arduous Google searching, I got in contact with a couple of the participating artists. Most searches led to dead ends and even to the name of one deceased French filmmaker, Alain Resnais. I couldn’t find any other art-related pages for anyone with this name. (On a side note to artists trying to make a name for themselves: a basic search of your name plus the word “artist” should lead to a result. Plus having a standard website really might help. Just a suggestion.)

So, while the show’s visibility is questionable, the lack of censorship and acceptance of all images is somewhat admirable. Even if a pesky alt-right version of Pepe the Frog or a random nude selfie popped up in the mix, it’s all fair game.

As Unauthorized SFMOMA’s PR rep explained, “Every work submitted is shown and automatically constitutes an Unauthorized SFMOMA solo show, without exception. All work is valid to be exhibited at Unauthorized SFMOMA Show and thus can be shared. There is not selection process on our side, the submitter has full control over what is shown. Furthermore, everyone is invited to participate in Unauthorized SFMOMA Shows, regardless of age, gender, race or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, religion or beliefs, abilities or disabilities, country of origin, appearance, marital status, political opinion, economic background, or any other social or personal characteristics…The motivation for the Unauthorized SFMOMA Show literally comes from SFMOMA’s mission statement. We are truly dedicated to making the art for our time a vital and meaningful part of public life.”

The idea of location-based art shows is far from new; it has been around in San Francisco since 1986. Marialaura Ghidini and Rebekah Modrak’s #exstrange project uses eBay as a place to create and invite others to share commerce-free virtual art galleries. And, in case you do want to school yourselves further, the SFMOMA gave us links to these artists/curators who have also experimented with virtual exhibition spaces: Aram Bartholl, Florian Kuhlmann, Lynn Hershman Leeson and Bay Area Online Exhibition Archive.

Correction: A previous version of this article stated that the Unauthorized SFMOMA solo shows were a project of the SFMOMA. We have since been informed that the Unauthorized SFMOMA solo shows are, in fact, unauthorized. They are not a project of the official museum in any way, and we regret this misunderstanding.

The Bay City Beacon is an independent publication dedicated to telling the stories of a new generation of arts & politics in San Francisco. We depend solely on advertising, supporting members, and endless optimism to continue our work.

Please support the Beacon, and become a Supporting Member today for just $7/month!

Photo via the SFMOMA Facebook Page. You can find the Unauthorized SFMOMA Solo Show at https://sfmoma.show, when you are physically located at the SFMOMA.