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; dance performances will periodically take over the space. 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. Bring your tots and see if they’re ready to take on the dance floor.
Details: Show runs 1- 8 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Monday until Jan. 26, 2026 at 200 Larkin St., San Francisco; $20 adult admission (plus $5 for the special exhibit), asianart.org
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