KADIST, the contemporary art gallery located at 20th and Folsom streets in San Francisco's Mission District, is closing its doors after 14 years of showcasing video and modern art. The organization announced it will shift its focus entirely to international collaborations, curating exhibitions and connecting artists with museums worldwide rather than maintaining a physical gallery space.
Most Mission District residents likely recognized KADIST for its rotating window displays facing Folsom Street, which featured eye-catching installations like a neon green marijuana leaf that would later give way to neon sign exhibitions by artists such as Mungo Thomson. While the gallery often appeared closed to passersby, KADIST actually hosted two major exhibitions annually, each lasting approximately three and a half months, along with about eight public programs throughout the year.
KADIST operates as an international institution headquartered in Paris, with a nonprofit structure funded privately by a French family. The organization maintains an impressive collection of 2,400 artworks from 120 countries. Joseph Del Pesco, the gallery's Americas director, emphasized that the closure does not involve any layoffs and is not related to funding issues. "Over the last 10 years, we've shifted more and more of our attention and work to international collaborations with museums in different parts of the Americas and the world, so while we are closing this venue, KADIST is continuing," Del Pesco explained.
The gallery will host a "Farewell in Four Parts" event on Saturday at its space at 3295 20th Street at Folsom, featuring a musical interpretation of historical paintings, a book reading, and artwork from more than a dozen artists ranging from Paul Kos to René Magritte. KADIST's most recent tax form from 2023 shows $18,492,971 in direct charitable activities, a dramatic increase from the $1,329,224 reported in 2022, though representatives could not immediately explain this surge.
Currently, the nonprofit collaborates with artists and museums in China, Chile, Canada, Brazil, Morocco, and India, among other countries, organizing exhibitions and building relationships that typically last one to three years. Program director Lindsay Albert acknowledged the workload: "Yeah, it's a lot to do," she said, referring to managing international collaborations while operating with just four staff members in San Francisco.
Despite closing its physical space, KADIST plans to continue connecting Bay Area artists with events at museums nationally and internationally. The organization is already in discussions with two local institutions to bring exhibitions to San Francisco in the near future. "Feels bittersweet. I think we've definitely put an imprint on the city. We've done a lot with the local arts community," Albert said. "But I think expanding KADIST globally and bringing those voices here too is a great next step for us."
The gallery's origins trace back to a family dinner in Paris's Montmartre neighborhood in 2001, where Pablo Picasso once lived and painted "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon." Co-founder Sandra Terdjman, fresh from curatorial studies in London, wanted to create an art project dedicated to artistic and curatorial experimentation. During dinner at her family's favorite restaurant, she passed a note to her uncle and co-founder Vincent Worms, who was living in San Francisco and working in venture capitalism, asking "How about starting an art project together?" Worms, perhaps influenced by "the euphoric influence of the bottle of Bordeaux," as he later wrote, scribbled back "Why not?"
Five years later, KADIST opened its Paris gallery in 2006, followed by the San Francisco location in 2011. Over its 14 years in the Mission District, dozens of local and international artists exhibited at KADIST, including Ryan Gander, Danh Vo, Hank Williams Thomas, Roman Ondàk, Dora García, and Indira Allegra.
Artists who worked with KADIST praise the organization's experimental approach and support for ambitious projects. Performance artist Indira Allegra, whose recent KADIST collaboration was presented at Houston's Blaffer Art Museum in January, said, "I've had really positive experiences with KADIST. I feel like the folks who have moved through their curatorial team are really supportive of big ideas and aren't afraid of a big pitch." San Francisco-based artist Richard T. Walker, who first collaborated with KADIST in 2013 with his sound installation "Security of Impossibility," now part of KADIST's collection, described it as "a great space where you can experiment and work with ideas that maybe weren't fully formulated until you're actually there doing it."
Filmmaker Lynn Hershman Leeson, whose 2010 documentary "!Women Art Revolution" was acquired by KADIST, expressed regret about the closure. "I think it's an essential place for the city, there's nobody else doing the kinds of things and taking the chances that they do," she said. "It's a shame they're leaving. It's a loss to the city." The closure marks the end of an era for San Francisco's contemporary art scene, though KADIST's international mission continues to expand globally.
