MATRIX: 50 years of Experimentation
January 23 – April 18, 2027
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
A wide-ranging group exhibition that brings together the largest selection of works from past and present MATRIX exhibitions
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
2155 Center StreetBerkeley, CA 94720Located between Oxford Street and Shattuck Avenue, one block from Downtown Berkeley BART.
Wednesday–Sunday 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
General: $18
Seniors (65+): $12
Youth (14–18): $5
Children (13 and under): Free
ADA Accessible
Matrix: 50 Years of Experimentation is a wide-ranging group exhibition that brings together the largest selection of works from past and present MATRIX exhibitions in the history of the program. Since 1978, BAMPFA’s MATRIX series has served as a living archive of contemporary art. Conceived as a nimble, artist-driven platform, MATRIX reflects what the program’s founder James Elliott described as a “cumulative and ongoing statement” of the ideas explored by artists today. Through over 280 presentations, MATRIX has shaped how contemporary art is understood in relationship to global movements, diasporas, and social urgencies, and has played a pivotal role in the careers of some of today’s most important artists, including Nan Goldin, Shigeko Kubota, Adrian Piper, Martin Puryear, Allan Sekula, Kiki Smith, and Cecilia Vicuña, among many others. In the year leading up to the program’s 50th anniversary, this exhibition will celebrate and connect the experimental approaches of these intergenerational, intercultural, and interdisciplinary artists.
MATRIX: 50 years of Experimentation is curated by Victoria Sung, Phyllis C. Wattis Senior Curator, with Blake Oetting, Curatorial Fellow.
Exhibiting Artists
Adrian Piper, Allan Sekula, Arthur Jafa, Berenice Olmedo, Christina Quarles, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Jay DeFeo, Kiki Smith, Lorna Simpson, Martin Puryear, Nayland Blake, Nicole Eisenman, Paul Kos, Ree Morton, Scott Burton, Sin Wai Kin, Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, Young Joon Kwak, Zoe Leonard
Installation view of Paul Kos / MATRIX 36, Ramp, 1980. University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley, CA
Exhibition Support
The MATRIX program is made possible by a generous endowment gift from Phyllis C. Wattis.
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive is an art museum, movie theater, and film archive, bringing groundbreaking works from around the world to Downtown Berkeley. As part of UC Berkeley, BAMPFA is committed to connecting audiences with the leading artists and filmmakers of our time.
Things to Do Around Here
Kopi Bar and Bakery on BAMPFA’s second floor is famous for their Kopi Avocado and fresh South East Asian flavors from chef Nora Haron. Also of note are the moringa latte, or the pandan desserts fresh from the oven.
Roseli Ilano, Director of Marketing and Audience Development, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
La Note is a beloved French Provençal-inspired bistro that has been serving Berkeley since 1997. Go for the pancakes, french toast, or eggs served until 2 p.m.
Margot Norton, Chief Curator, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
Take a stroll across the street from the museum to explore sculptures from BAMPFA’s permanent collection on UC Berkeley’s crescent lawn: Mamma Mobius, 2018, by Mark di Suvero; The Hawk for Peace, 1968, by Alexander Calder; and Sphere Within a Sphere, 1969, by Arnaldo Pomodoro.
Anthony Graham, Senior Curator, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive