A thumping, multisensory museum show examines West Asian rave culture

"Raves they're not just about body paint and glowsticks. In some parts of the world, raves can be an important expression of social belonging and resistance, a fact that's celebrated in a multisensory special exhibit at San Francisco's Asian Art Museum. Rave into the Future: Art in Motion examines the dance-and-music culture of the West Asian diaspora, featuring women and queer artists familiar with the scene who hail from the U.S. and Europe."

"From robot vacuum cleaners doing ballet on glitter to a literally body-shaking demonstration of subwoofers, at the heart of it all is music, and how it serves as glue to keep communities together. A sculpture from Oakland's Sahar Khoury includes a functional DJ deck, which is commandeered by local and traveling DJs throughout the exhibit's run. Yasmine Nasser Diaz, an artist from L.A., has built an intimate bedroom complete with furniture and a 1990s-era TV playing protest footage;"

"There's also a copper-plated dance floor by London's Joe Namy, and a 20-foot-tall radio tower (of sorts) made by a pair of local artists that pays tribute to the popular Egyptian singer, Umm Kulthum. For extra fun, on Dec. 7 the exhibit will shut down for a few hours to stage a free Baby Rave with a DJ whose music explores Chinese-Cuban heritage."

Rave into the Future: Art in Motion at San Francisco's Asian Art Museum centers the dance-and-music culture of the West Asian diaspora. The exhibition features women and queer artists from the U.S. and Europe and presents multisensory works from robotic vacuum cleaners dancing on glitter to body-shaking subwoofer demonstrations. An Oakland sculpture by Sahar Khoury includes a functioning DJ deck used by local and traveling DJs. Yasmine Nasser Diaz built an intimate bedroom with furniture and a 1990s-era TV playing protest footage, periodically taken over by dance performances. Additional works include Joe Namy's copper-plated dance floor and a 20-foot radio-tower tribute to Umm Kulthum. A free Baby Rave on Dec. 7 highlights Chinese-Cuban musical heritage. Show hours run 1–8 p.m. Thursdays and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Friday–Monday through Jan. 26, 2026; admission $20 plus $5 for the special exhibit.

Read at www.mercurynews.com