RugLife
December 14, 2024 – April 20, 2025
Guest Curators: Ginger Gregg Duggan and Judith Hoos Fox of c2-curatorsquared.
This program is supported as part of the Dutch Culture USA program by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York. Support for RugLife is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The Museum of Craft and Design’s exhibitions and programs are generously supported by Anonymous, the Windgate Foundation, and Grants for the Arts.
In-kind support by Cadogan Tate.
Exhibition and Graphic Design by Studio Hinrichs
Rugs and carpets have defined the character of space since animal skins began to warm and adorn cave dwellings; the earliest known Persian rugs are nearly 2500 years old. Given this long history—entwined with religion, culture, and nature—it is not surprising that artists continue to find potential in the form of the rug. While many artists take a formal approach to the subject matter, others engage in cultural critique, taking on the appropriation of cultural, racial, and gender roles and stereotypes within the framework of a decorative object turned art object.
Guest curated by Ginger Gregg Duggan and Judith Hoos Fox of c2-curatorsquared, RugLife features the work of 14 contemporary artists from around the world who use the rug as a medium to address cultural issues such as religion, technology, social justice, housing, and the environment.
Image: Oksana Levchenya, Pac Man and Cossacks, 2022, hemp thread and natural dyed wool, 80 x 140in.
Image courtesy of the artist.
TICKETS
All visitors need a daily admission ticket, even those receiving free admission. Tickets may be purchased at the front desk or online in advance. Reserving tickets online is not required, but encouraged.
PHOTO GALLERY
Above Images: RugLife, 2024-2025. Museum of Craft and Design. Photos by Henrik Kam.
ARTISTS
Nevin Aladağ
Azra Aksamija
Ali Cha’aban
Sonya Clark
Liselot Cobelens
Nicholas Galanin
Johannah Herr
Oksana Levchenya
Noelle Mason
Wendy Plomp
Stéphanie Saadé
Slavs & Tatars
Ai Weiwei
Andrea Zittel
LARGE PRINT WALL TEXT
TRANSLATIONS
PRESS RELEASE
View the press release for RugLife here.
November 14, 2024, Datebook SF Chronicle
Holiday 2024: Bask in visual art to celebrate this season
November 27, 2024, Nob Hill Gazette
The Museum of Craft and Design Turns 20
December 3, 2024, San Francisco Examiner
Five exhibitions heating up The City’s art scene this winter
December 10, 2024, The Voice of San Francisco
‘RugLife’ opens at the Museum of Craft and Design
December 27, 2024, Datebook
Art beneath your feet celebrated in ‘RugLife’
December 27, 2024, Secret San Francisco
15 Coolest Museum Exhibitions To See This January In San Francisco
January 3, 2025, Mission Local
What’s on now at San Francisco museums