Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA Videos

Transcending artistic boundaries, this painting capturing the historic meeting between Maharajah Sher Singh and Dost Muhammad Khan is a critical resource for understanding the 19th-century Sikh Empire because of it’s meticulous details. 🔈Hear Sonia Dhami from @TheSikhFoundation talk about the complexities of this extraordinary piece. #MuseumDifferently #AsianArtMuseum #SikhFoundation #KapanyCollection 📷: Maharaja Sher Singh and Dost Muhammad watching a dance performance, approx. 1845. Pakistan; probably Lahore. Opaque watercolors on paper. Lent by Kapany Collection, Sikh Foundation, IL2021.2.2.

“It offers a queer meditation on the Japanese American women who found same-sex intimacy amid sake and fish guts while the men were off to sea.” — TT Takemoto Known for exploring themes of identity and sexuality, TT Takemoto, a queer, fourth-generation Japanese American artist manipulates archival materials to create immersive fantasies of queer histories. For this piece, Takemoto takes inspiration from pre-war cannery workers in San Diego and reimagines their experiences to celebrate individual stories. Watch the full video during your next visit to “Into View: New Voices, New Stories.” 📷: On the Line, 2018, by TT Takemoto (b. US, 1967). Single-channel digital video with sound; hand-processed 8mm/16mm film, paint, and found footage. Asian Art Museum, museum purchase, Frederick S. Whitman Trust Acquisition Fund, 2021.33. © TT Takemoto. #queerartist #sfpride #sanfrancisco #sfarts #sf #artmuseum #bayarea #sfpridemonth #visitsf @onlyinsf #onlyinsf

But only through July 22. 😉 Missing “Murakami: Monsterized?” Here’s your second chance to revisit a couple of Takashi Murakami’s rainbow colored sculptures and neon works in Wilbur Gallery. 🌸 After July 22, they’ll be gone for good! 🎟️ Access to Willbur Gallery requires a special exhibition ticket for “Phoenix Kingdoms.” #MuseumDifferently #AsianArtMuseum #murakamiflower #murakami #contemporaryart #contemporaryartist #sfarts #sanfrancisco #artlover #museumsofinstagram #japaneseculture #museum #civiccenter #bayarea #igsanfrancisco #asianart #artofig #sfbayarea #artmuseum #wereback #thekardashians #popart #howsfseessf #onlyinSF #visitsanfrancisco #visitsf #alwayssf #thingstodoinsanfrancisco #japaneseartist #museumday

🐍🐍🐍 This 2400 year old bronze drum stand consists of multiple intricately fitted components were cast separately then joined by soldering. There are numerous smaller serpents surrounding the larger ones to create the impression of a flickering flame. 🔥 💛 Close out AAPI Heritage Month with “Phoenix Kingdoms.” Guests 17 & under can visit for FREE the rest of May! #MuseumDifferently #AsianArtMuseum 📷: Base of drum stand, ca. 433 BCE. Warring States period (475–221 BCE). Bronze.

Here for a good chime. 🔔 Based on recent archaeological discoveries, “Phoenix Kingdoms” reveals how the Yangzi River Valley states were technologically and artistically far more advanced than scholars had originally assumed. For AAPIHM, visitors ages 17 and under can visit our “Phoenix Kingdoms” for FREE! See bronze bells, food vessels, jades, and more that showcase the previously unknown splendor, sophistication, and extravagance of the Zeng and Chu states. #MuseumDifferently #AsianArtMuseum 🎶: “Phoenix Kingdoms” bronze bells. Courtesy of the Hubei Provincial Museum. 📷: Yongzhong bell of Marquis Yu, 500–450 BCE. Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BCE). Bronze. Photograph © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

Buried for 2,500 years, fabulous and luxurious objects that were only recently discovered have significantly changed our understanding of Chinese art and culture. Celebrate opening day with us on Friday, April 19!🎉 Be among the first to explore the mysteries of the Zeng and Chu states with dance performances, Hanfu costumes, and family activities. 🎟️ Get your tickets today at asianart.org. #MuseumDifferently #AsianArtMuseum

Erased from history, reborn as legend.🔥 Get ready for the opening of “Phoenix Kingdoms” with this behind the scenes look! Be among the first to explore the mysteries of two ancient, phoenix-worshipping cultures. Join us for opening day festivities on April 19 with dance performances, Hanfu costumes, and family activities. Reserve tour tickets at asianart.org. #MuseumDifferently #AsianArtMuseum

Save the Date! "Phoenix Kingdoms" Opens April 19
Be one of the first to discover the extraordinary Bronze Age artworks from China’s mysterious Yangzi River Valley kingdoms.🔥 Erased from history and reborn as legend, the Zeng and Chu states were highly advanced cultures with luxurious tastes, imaginative styles, and a yearning for immortality. 🎉 Celebrate opening day on April 19 with a performance by the Xiaopei Chinese Dance school and encounter NorCal Hanfu Association performers in period costume. If you’re an Asian Art Museum member, see it before anyone else! Members are invited for an exclusive preview of Phoenix Kingdoms on Thursday, Apr. 18 from 1 to 8 p.m. with music and cash bar starting at 6 p.m. 🎟️ Tickets available NOW at go.asianart.org/PhoenixKingdoms. #MuseumDifferently #AsianArtMuseum

Highlighting the complexity and beauty of human expression in the digital age, this spontaneous dance between the technological and the organic offers audiences a shared moment of serene reflection. On Thursday April 4, watch an undulating tapestry of shapes and patterns glide across the gallery walls that move and change in response to the sound of a live cello and guzheng performance. Tune in for performances at 5:30 PM and 7 PM and hear from the artists at 6 PM. Reserve Thursday evening $10 tickets at asianart.org. #MuseumDifferently #AsianArtMuseum

Can you outsmart an AI camera? 🚗 In a timely scenario, “How (not) to get hit by a self-driving car” is a game installation in which players must figure out how to cross a ‘street’ without being detected by an AI-powered camera. This fun and dynamic fame may resonate with many San Francisco and Bay Area residents. Play the game from Thursday, Mar. 21 through Saturday Mar. 23 in the “RAD (Research And Development)” gallery space on the first floor. And on Thursday, Mar. 21 at 6 p.m., join us to hear from the artists! #MuseumDifferently #AsianArtMuseum 🎶: “How (not) to get hit by a self-driving car - Main Theme” by Plot Generica, @plot.generica

Hear artist Pinaree Sanpitak talk about her “Breast Stupa Topiary” sculptures for International Women’s Day. 🛎️ #WomensHistoryMonth With curvilinear lines executed in the industrial material of polished stainless steel, these works explore the shape and structure of the stupa as a form that also echoes the female breast. For Sanpitak, the coexistence of body and soul is well expressed in the Thai concept of rang-gai, in which the body is a compound of the physical and the spiritual. Head to the East West Bank Art Terrace during your next Asian Art Museum visit to interact with and become “part of” the work itself. #InternationalWomensDay #WHM #MuseumDifferently #AsianArtMuseum #SanFrancisco #OnlyInSF

What’s in our bag? 🎒 All the art supplies you need to let your imagination soar! ✏️ Let your imagination be your guide and discover a favorite pattern in a sculpture and find delight in the animals that have inspired artists across culture and time. Designed to spark creativity in visitors of all ages, Draw with Reina Activity Packs are filled with personal art supplies like colored pencils, paper, and erasers! 🏛️ Pick up a Draw with Reina Activity Pack from the information desk during your next visit. And don’t forget, kids under 12 are always free! #MuseumDifferently #AsianArtMuseum #BayAreaKids #MuseumWithKids #ThingsToDoWithKids #BayAreaFamily #BayAreaMoms

"Into View: New Voices, New Stories" Now On View
At "Into View: New Voices, New Stories" see a selection of recently acquired works by contemporary artists that challenge and subvert convention. The paintings, sculptures, ceramics, prints, and mixed-media works on view share a mode of inventive storytelling termed “speculative fabulation.” Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art & Programs Naz Cuguoglu notes, “The term speculative fabulation may be new to many viewers, but it reflects the need for new language to accompany the important conceptual innovations of contemporary artists from Asia and the Asian diaspora.” Learn more about "Into View: New Voices, New Stories": go.asianart.org/IntoViewNewVoicesNewStories #MuseumDifferently #AsianArtMuseum

This is the LAST WEEKEND to see #MurakamiMonsterized! We love @litofoodie’s suggestion to take the time to delve into each piece and uncover hidden monsters. But take *our* advice and bring your Valentine for a monstrous date full of Murakami flowers! 👹🌼🩷 The last day to see Takashi Murakami’s first solo exhibition in San Francisco is Monday, Feb. 12. Purchase your tickets in advance at asianart.org. #MuseumDifferently #AsianArtMuseum © Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. #murakamiflower #murakami #contemporaryart #contemporaryartist #sfarts #sanfrancisco #artlover #artlife #museumsofinstagram #museum #civiccenter #bayarea #igsanfrancisco #asianart #artofig #sfbayarea #artmuseum #popart #howsfseessf #onlyinSF #visitsanfrancisco #visitsf #alwayssf #dothebay #thingstodoinsanfrancisco #japaneseartist #valentinesdayactivity

Happy Birthday to Ruth Asawa, who was born #onthisday in 1926! Dubbed the “Fountain Lady,” Ruth Asawa created many public artworks that locals and tourists alike have encountered throughout San Francisco. However, Asawa is best known for suspended, abstract works of looped wire, like this one which is currently on view in the Fang Family Launchpad on the second floor of the Asian Art Museum. Its airy interior and exterior spaces flow seamlessly into one another, using organic lines that evoke shapes found in nature — including the human body — while also suggesting a gently undulating movement. 🏛️ See this mesmerizing hanging installation during your next visit! Learn more and plan ahead at asianart.org. #MuseumDifferently #AsianArtMuseum #RuthAsawa #SanFranciscoArtist

Join us for the world premiere of AntingAnting Project on Jan. 27 & Jan. 28. @KULARTSpresents and the AsianArt Museum present Alleluia Panis’s AntingAnting Project, a multidisciplinary project exploring the talismanic power of movement and dance through ritual performance. Philipinx artists, educators, and culture bearers consider the relationship between museum objects and their cultural contexts through ritual, dance performance, and scholarly inquiry. Learn more and reserve tickets for these special performances at asianart.org. #MuseumDifferently #AsianArtMuseum

“Murakami does a great job of borrowing from Asian art and culture to create an entirely new world of artwork and really pushes the boundaries of contemporary art today.” — @johninthemiddle Thank you @johninthemiddle for sharing about your visit to the Asian Art Museum! 👹 Don’t miss your chance to see this blockbuster exhibition. #MurakamiMonsterized CLOSES NEXT MONTH, so plan your visit soon at asianart.org. #MuseumDifferently #AsianArtMuseum