Silicon Valley Photography in SPUR & ZERO1 Exhibit

When someone says "Silicon Valley", what images, concepts, or names come to mind? 

Many people immediately start to rattle off the tech giants; Google, Yahoo, Apple... well you know, all of them. Technology! Cell phones! Semiconductors! 

But to some of us - it means your favorite taqueria, downtown festivals, movies in the park, or some of the many people that make up the South Bay. 

In partnership with Hipstamatic and ZERO1, SPUR (San Francisco Planning and Urban Research) put together an exhibit of Bay Area photographer's interpretation of the theme:

 A Peek Behind Silicon Valley's Digital Veil

I want to share my excitement, that -- I was part of the exhibit! I saw the call for submissions on Facebook awhile back and thought I'd go for it. So I put together some of my favorite photos I've taken here in the San Jose area. In the shots below, you might spy the Silicon Valley Roller Girls, the Alviso Marina, a scene from SubZero, and the Valet building next to the San Jose Stage Company. I really wanted to represent as much as I could of the San Jose area.

Posing with my photos. First time on exhibit!

My work is nothing compared to the other photographers featured at the event. It was an honor to be included with them. 

The exhibition photographers (and the theme of their work) are:

• Michele Guieu - a "geek tour" of Silicon Valley, from the Hewlett Packard garage to the Google Campus to the Apple Store
• Daniel Garcia - "Behind Everything is a Person", the talented people of San Jose that are changing the culture of Silicon Valley in less traditional ways
• Thomas Rogers - glimpses and snippets of Menlo Park, a focus on things that people wouldn't normally see in passing
• Barbara Boissevain - My Backyard to highlight environmental issues, with aerial shots of ponds along the bay's edge and mining in the South Bay
• Michelle Oblena - "Valley of Stomach's Delight", shots of the diversity of restaurant owners in the Santa Clara Valley
• Alex Chan - shots of Japantown performers, local painters and Color Me Rad in San Jose
• Halie Kampman - video footage of the subtle connections between the areas of San Jose, Los Gatos, Sunnyvale and Palo Alto

Here are some photos from the opening night:

Daniel Garcia of CONTENT Magazine

The exhibit is currently running up in San Francisco at the SPUR Gallery until October 20th. There has been some talk that a photo from each of the photographers will be featured in the windows of the retail establishments under the SPUR San Jose office (on Santa Clara Street) but I haven't gotten confirmation just yet. (I also haven't been downtown in the last week to check it out first hand.)

So you have a couple of weeks to jump on BART and head up to the SPUR gallery and check out the exhibition! 

A Peek Behind Silicon Valley's Digital Veil

September 19 - October 19

SPUR Urban Center Gallery
654 Mission Street,
San Francisco, CA 94105-4015

ZERO1 Kicks off Today!!!

For the full schedule of everything going down over the next 4 days, just click on the images below to expand them, or print the schedule using this PDF link!

01SJ: Play Me I'm Yours

This is probably my favorite 01 exhibit so far. 20 decorated piano's have been placed across San Jose, most of them Downtown. Anyone can walk up to them and just start playing. A couple weeks ago I was walking down Paseo de San Antonio and heard some jazzy piano music accompanied by singing. It really seemed to add so much life downtown, I couldn't wait to find out where the music was coming from. At first, I thought it was a hired professional, but as I got closer I discovered just a normal guy playing his heart out. There wasn't even a crowd he was playing for, he was just playing because it was clearly something he loved to do.

A few other times, I actually did find crowds of people watching and listing to impromptu street artists. There always seemed to be something interesting going on around the pianos. This is one 01 project that I wish would become permanent!  Photos from the Play me I'm Yours website below:

01SJ: Santana Row Also Gets a Role

Downtown San Jose isn't the only part of San Jose benefiting from the ZER01 festival, Santana Row is getting in on the action as well. Below is the full breakdown on what to expect in the "other downtown."

Be part of the art at Santana Row

SAN JOSE, Calif. (August 25, 2010) – Dreams for the future projected four stories high, ballerinas with musical tutus and a lone piano waiting to be played are some of the unique, interactive art that will be on display at Santana Row during the 2010 01SJ Biennial (01sj.org), a city-wide exhibition of visual and performing arts, public art and digital media.  As a proud sponsor of the Biennial, Santana Row will host three of the dynamic installations and performances.

Play Me I’m Yours

Tickle the ivories with this installation by internationally acclaimed artist Luke Jerram.  From August 28-September 19, Santana Row will host one of 20 pianos placed throughout Silicon Valley, each one free to be enjoyed by anyone who encounters it.  Whether they practice their scales, play a concerto, or just fiddle with the keys, visitors are encouraged to take photos or video of themselves interacting with the pianos and share with the world at 01SJpianos.com.

On Wednesday, September 8, Play Me I’m Yours will be part of Piano Explorations, a special performance by young pianists who will play piano selections ranging from classical to jazz.  Produced by the Steinway Society of the Bay Area and Sherman Clay Pianos of Santa Clara, members of the audience will be encouraged to duet with the young artists on Luke Jerram’s installation.  Piano Explorations takes place September 8 at 6 p.m. in Park Valencia.

offscript (pictured right)

From September 14-19, the glass façade of Santana Row’s newest building, 300 Santana Row, will become a massive canvas for this interactive video installation by artist Christopher Baker that asks the question: what happens when individuals reject a future scripted for them and move offscript? 

Participants are encouraged to submit responses to the question, “What is your dream for the future?” in 140 characters or less.  Answers can be submitted by email, text message or voicemail (408-634-4436), Twitter (#offscript) or Facebook (offscript).  Answers may also be sketched and submitted at www.offscript.org.  To see the story that unfolds as these responses are projected across the façade of 300 Santana Row, stop by September 14 -19 from approximately 7:30 p.m. – Midnight.

For full details on participating in offscript, visit offscript.org.

Audio Ballerinas

In this site-specific collaboration between Ballet San Jose and artist Benoît Maubrey, dancers from Ballet San Jose will wear solar-powered, plexiglass tutus that have been equipped with microphones and speakers that record and play back the sound patterns of their movements and their environment. Using photovoltaic sensors, sounds emitted from Audio Ballerinas change according to the intensity of light, enabling these world-class dancers to translate their movements directly into sound.  Santana Row will host two performances of Audio Ballerinas on Saturday, September 18. (Times and location to be announced; visit santanarow.com for the schedule.)

For more information on these interactive works of art, visit 01sj.org or santanarow.com.

About ZER01’s 01SJ Biennial

San Jose-based ZER01 has served as a catalyst and platform for the world’s most innovative artists since 2000. The nonprofit focuses on inspiring creativity at the intersection of art, technology and digital culture.  As producer of the 01SJ Biennial, a multidisciplinary, multi-venue event of visual and performing arts, the moving image, public art and interactive digital media, ZER01 has showcased the work of 350 artists from more than 40 countries using such media as GPS-equipped pigeons, interactive platform shoe devices, mobile phone and surveillance technologies.

A celebrated success in the region, the two previous  01SJ Biennial in 2006 and 2008 attracted 65,000 visitors and generated $15 million in economic revenue for San Jose. Between biennials–the 2010 01SJ Biennial takes place Sept. 16-19, 2010–ZER01 nurtures Silicon Valley’s cultural landscape with events such as the SubZERO Festival, produced in partnership withSoFA, which drew 10,000 people to downtown San Jose.

About Santana Row

Santana Row is a one-of-a-kind neighborhood that blends a distinctive mix of living, shopping, dining and entertainment.  Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Santana Row features 563,000 square feet of retail, an international array of restaurants, a 213-room European-style boutique hotel and six-screen arts theatre, all surrounded by meticulously landscaped gardens, parks and plazas.  Above the retail pedestal are 514 residential units, featuring a fitness center and resort-style pool.  Santana Row is a property of Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE:FRT), headquartered in Rockville, Maryland. 

01SJ: Oglala Oyate (Sister City Cam)

Another cool 01SJ public art piece that will be up during the festival is called Oglala Oyate and will provide a look at what our sister cities are up to around the globe. I wouldn't mind if this one was up all year round. You can find it at the corner of San Carlos and 1st Street on the side of the UFCW Local 5 building.

01SJ: Particle Falls

One of the many public artworks coming to Downtown San Jose during the 01SJ festival is called Particle Falls. This dynamic 8-story tall art piece displays a real time visualization of particulate pollution in the San Fernando Corridor. It can go from a trickle to a full blown waterfall depending on the amount of pollution in the air.

2010 01SJ Biennial Promo

ZER01 is coming very soon and represents the art forms that will differentiate San Jose's art scene from other cosmopolitan cities across the world. We're talking about art that's innovative, dynamic, interactive, eclectic, thought-provoking, and fun. Much more info to come, but let's start with the teaser video below: