Cosmic Wonder Curated by Betty Nguyen Doug Aitken, Jose Alvarez, Reed Anderson, Hanna Fushihara Aron and David Aron, Hisham Bharoocha, Mark Borthwick, Anna Sew Hoy, Sam Gordon, Yayoi Kusama, Terence Koh, Yukinori Maeda, Richard Misrach, Takeshi Murata, Paperrad, Mike Pare, Erik Parker, Ara Peterson and Jim Drain, Arik Roper, James Turrell, Banks Violette, Debora Warner The infinite, the transcendental, the unseen – these are the artistic quests of Cosmic Wonder, an exhibition of metaphysical art that gives colorful expression to the mystical yearnings of a new generation. Guest curator Betty Nguyen identified key young artists who explore trance, “alternative” realities and the psyche, who tap into altered states of consciousness through exaggerated color, mind-altering patterns, morphing forms, and visions of the infinite. Their work is inspired by nature, by the cosmos, by the vastness of the Western landscape, and yet is rooted in an urban sensibility. Cosmic Wonder presents a range of young artists – including Jim Drain and Ara Peterson, alongside their avante-garde, 60s and 70s predecessors such as James Turrell. Call it New Tribalism with edge, or the 1960s refracted through a 21st century consciousness, Cosmic Wonder revels in the wondrous. Cosmic Satellites celebrates the intimate, handmade, the beloved souvenir and the special gift. Guest curator and art director Betty Nguyen will set up a temporary shop at the Triple Base Gallery carrying limited edition art works, merchandise, clothes and media by an international roster of artists – many of whom are featured in Yerba Buena Center for the Arts' simultaneous exhibition Cosmic Wonder. In both the Cosmic Wonder exhibition and Satellite show, Nguyen strings together a community of artists from New York, Los Angeles, Japan, and San Francisco that work between aesthetics of transcendental, digitally tight and homespun. Cosmic Satellites is a contemporary cube of intricate jewelry, silk-screened and digital posters, couture clothes, humorously clever tee-shirts, documented zines, ephemeral paintings, and recursive videos that highlight the varied creative endeavors of these multi-talented artists.