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  • Sanctuary

    October 07, 2017 – March 11, 2018
    On View

    install-1
  • Sanctuary

    October 07, 2017 – March 11, 2018
    On View

    install-2
  • Sanctuary

    October 07, 2017 – March 11, 2018
    On View

    install-3
Past

Sanctuary

October 07, 2017 – March 11, 2018 at Fort Mason Chapel (Upper Fort Mason, Franklin and Bay streets)

The notion of sanctuary—both physical and psychological—has been fundamental in shaping a sense of selfhood and social identity throughout human history. But in an era of increasing global migration and rising nationalism, the right to safe haven is under threat, and the necessity for compassion is greater than ever. Seeking to address these issues and ideas, FOR-SITE invited 36 artists from 21 different countries to design contemporary rugs reflecting on sanctuary, offering visitors a multiplicity of perspectives on the basic human need for refuge, protection, and sacred ground.

The participating artists represented diverse ideologies and backgrounds (many including experiences as migrants and refugees), but their contributions to the exhibition—spectacularly varied in content and design—conformed to a single format, lending a unifying element that bridged racial, cultural, and religious differences. Installed on the floor of the historic Fort Mason Chapel, the four-by-six-foot wool rugs—woven in Lahore, Pakistan, using traditional materials and hand-knotting techniques—called to mind traditional prayer rugs, but they transcended religious connotations, encompassing thoughtful viewpoints on cultural identity, sense of place, and belonging. The rugs were meant to be appreciated by touch as well as sight; visitors were encouraged to remove shoes and walk, sit, and recline on the artworks—to quietly contemplate our shared humanity and the space of sanctuary.

A PDF of the Sanctuary final report is available here. 

Participating Artists

Hamra Abbas (Kuwait)
Adel Abidin (Iraq)
Arwa Abouon (Libya)
Shiva Ahmadi (Iran)
Ai Weiwei (China)
John Akomfrah (Ghana)
Ammar al-Beik (Syria)
Diana Al-Hadid (Syria)
Tammam Azzam (Syria)
Sandow Birk (United States)
Mohammad Bozorgi (Iran)
Jamal Cyrus (United States)
Ala Ebtekar (United States)

Marcos Ramírez ERRE (Mexico)
Brendan Fernandes (Kenya)
Ana Teresa Fernández (Mexico)
Nicholas Galanin (United States)
Jeffrey Gibson (United States)
Sherin Guirguis (Egypt)
Mona Hatoum (Lebanon)
Susan Hefuna (Germany)
Thaier Helal (Syria)
Shirazeh Houshiary (Iran)
Alfredo Jaar (Chile)
Emily Jacir (Palestine)
Hayv Kahraman (Iraq)

Sanaz Mazinani (Iran)
Meleko Mokgosi (Botswana)
Julio César Morales (Mexico)
Aimé Mpane (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Ranu Mukherjee (United States)
Cornelia Parker (United Kingdom)
Rashid Rana (Pakistan)
Miguel Angel Ríos (Argentina)
Hank Willis Thomas (United States)
Uman (Somalia)

More

Featured Works

Mona Hatoum
Sanaz Mazinani
Jamal Cyrus
Uman
Hayv Kakraman
Ranu Mukherjee
John Akomfrah
Thaier Helal
Shiva Ahmadi
Adel Abidin
Marcos Ramirez ERRE
Susan Hefuna
Ana Teresa Fernández
Cornelia Parker
Ala Ebtekar
Emily Jacir
Sandow Birk
Alfredo Jaar
Hamra Abbas
Arwa Abouon
Diana Al-Hadid
Hank Willis Thomas
Ammar al-Beik
Nicholas Galanin
Ai Weiwei
Tammam Azzam
Mohammad Bozorgi
Aimé Mpane
Shirazeh Houshiary
Rashid Rana
Miguel Angel Ríos
Sherin Guirguis
Julio César Morales
Jeffrey Gibson
Meleko Mokgosi
Brendan Fernandes

 

Additional Information

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Related Media

  • Pots of pigments that are used in dyeing yarn for the handmade rugs. Photo: ALRUG.com
    An artisan in Pakistan prepares dye during the rug-making process. Photo: ALRUG.com
    Dyeing wool for one of the rugs; artisans identify the specific color array required for each rug and dye the yarn in batches to match. Photo: ALRUG.com
    Dyeing wool for one of the rugs; rug-makers check the yarn frequently to achieve the correct hue. Photo: ALRUG.com
    Drying the dyed wool; a single design might require dozens of different colors of yarn. Photo: ALRUG.com
    Weavers use a meticulous hand-knotting technique; the Senneh knot, or Persian knot, is preferred for intricate designs, such as the rugs for Sanctuary. Photo: ALRUG.com
    Cutting the finished rug from the loom. Photo: ALRUG.com
    Trimming the rug; the warp on which the yarn is woven becomes the fringe of the finished rug. Photo: ALRUG.com
    Behind the Scenes
  • Sanctuary installation view; photo: Robert Divers Herrick
    Sanctuary installation view; photo: Robert Divers Herrick
    Sanctuary installation view (detail); photo: Robert Divers Herrick
    Sanctuary installation view (detail); photo: Robert Divers Herrick
    Sanctuary installation view (detail); photo: Robert Divers Herrick
    Sanctuary installation view (detail); photo: Robert Divers Herrick
    Installation Views
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      • Meleko Mokgosi
      • Sanaz Mazinani
      • Hayv Kahraman
      • Emily Jacir
      • Alfredo Jaar
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      • Thaier Helal
      • Susan Hefuna
      • Mona Hatoum
      • Sherin Guirguis
      • Jeffrey Gibson
      • Nicholas Galanin
      • Ana Teresa Fernández
      • Brendan Fernandes
      • Marcos Ramírez ERRE
      • Ala Ebtekar
      • Jamal Cyrus
      • Mohammad Bozorgi
      • Sandow Birk
      • Diana Al-Hadid
      • Ammar al-Beik
      • John Akomfrah
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      • Hamra Abbas
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