Opening Reception | Bruno Oliveira: Resilience in Togetherness—Navigating Uncertainty Post Lockdown
Where: In-Person, SF LGBT Center
When: October 10th, 2024 | 6 – 7:30PM
About: As we continue to navigate global uncertainty—through elections, the climate crisis, and human rights challenges—the exhibition Bruno Oliveira: Resilience in Togetherness—Navigating Uncertainty Post Lockdown reflects on the power of community and radical joy in overcoming adversity. Supported by the SF LGBT Center’s Cultural Programs and Unity San Francisco, this event invites you to explore how connection heals and strengthens us. The exhibition features The Thinker (2020) and Alleles in Flow (2024) with the support of exhibition advisor and writer Emma-Caitlin Cooper.
Opening night on October 10 features a poetry performance and a short panel discussion with Bruno Oliveira, Miraaj, and the Center’s Director of Cultural Programs, Timothy Hampton. The discussion will explore the intersection of art, mental health, and community.
The event is free; however, donations are deeply appreciated! Food and refreshments will be provided.
Beginning Monday, October 14, the FREE exhibit will be open for public viewing through November 14. Regular viewing hours are Monday through Thursday from 2-5 pm, by appointment only. To schedule an appointment or if you have any questions, please contact our Director of Cultural Programs, Timothy Hampton, at [email protected].
More on the Exhibit:
Reflecting on the radical power of community in response to personal and global crises, the exhibition presents two distinct bodies of work, The Thinker (2020) and Alleles in Flow (2024). Exploring the ways the pandemic has reshaped our sense of self and community, Oliveira’s work blends his personal narrative with broader social experiences.
Addressing the “stress paralysis” experienced by Oliveira during the first summer of the pandemic, The Thinker (2020-2022) captures the feeling of being trapped in cycles of dissociation and escapism. The work draws from interviews with peers, mental health professionals, and data from the Center for Disease Control and Pew Research Center, connecting the artist’s personal experience to the wider social environment of the time. Mirroring the physical and mental environment of isolation with its clean, yet tense compositions, the series invites viewers into the internal battle faced by so many.
In contrast to this experience of isolation, Alleles in Flow (2022-2024) evokes a journey towards healing, connection, and relf-reclamation through community. The result of a careful creative collaboration with performance artist Miraaj, the series processes the artist’s personal journey of better understanding and connecting with their own queer identity post-coming out. Inspired by the kinship found in Miraaj’s performance work and spiritual ideologies, the project led Oliveira to engage more deeply with the San Francisco LGBTQ community. Empowered by the collaboration, the series offers a renewed understanding of the importance of kinship and community-building as a powerful tool that allows us to move past division and uncertainty.
