The Exhibitionist

Evidently, tagging the word biennale onto the title of a major art exhibition underlines its significance, given that an event of such magnitude, by definition, takes place only once every two years. What then to make of the yearly Garage Biennale—comprising six one-night-only art shows spread over six months—founded by local artist Justin Hoover in the garage of his Pacific Heights residence? “I decided [it’s] more about the exhibition of art than it is about being every two years,” says Hoover. “There aren’t a lot of experimental spaces in SF,” adds the 25-year-old, who then sheepishly clarifies (after recognizing a slew of institutions such as Southern Exposure, the Lab and Intersection for the Arts), “Well, there aren’t enough.”

Originally from Berkeley, Hoover launched the art happening in 2004—not to compete with La Biennale di Venezia or the Whitney Biennial, but to “make art happen, no matter what.” (Last year, this admirable decree allowed local moped gang Creatures of the Loin to tear up Hoover’s driveway as a piece of performance art.) Hoover has wooed such up-and-coming artists as James Stranahan, whose 15-minute, Matmos-scored stop-motion film, Vitiligo, debuted at the Garage in 2004. Last month’s “Seven Sad Forests,” a show featuring artists’ interpretations of “the state of the world,” is scheduled to appear at the Ping Pong Gallery in Potrero Hill (just one of the venues selected to host post-Garage exhibits) from August 24 to 27. The mount-’em-and-move-’em tactic is one Hoover says he hopes will give the pieces some much-deserved extended limelight. On August 25, “Food For Thought” (which is cocurated by Artweek contributor Terri Cohn) opens at the Garage before moving to Oakland’s Chandra Cerrito Contemporary Gallery.

The Garage Biennale through Oct. 27; garagebiennale.com