San Francisco's center for art, technology, and culture since 2008.

San Francisco, CA
Joined March 2008
More ways to learn at Gray Area this fall ๐Ÿ‚ Registration is now open for our Fall 2026 workshops and intensive courses, with classes spanning electronic music, projection mapping, decentralized technology, creative coding, hardware, and more. Hereโ€™s a closer look at some of whatโ€™s coming up: ๐ŸŽ›๏ธ Machines & Ideas: Creative Electronic Music Production in Ableton Live 12 with Ryan Smith โ†’ Learn the tools of electronic music in Ableton Live 12, then learn to break them, developing your own approaches to composition, production, and performance. [Tuesdays, 6 โ€“ 9 PM | Sept 15 โ€“ Oct 6] ๐ŸŒ€ MadMapper 101: Projection Mapping for Immersive Environments with Sieanele Ponce โ†’ Learn the fundamentals of MadMapper and build projection-mapped environments that transform architecture, objects, and unconventional surfaces through image and light. [Wednesdays, 6 โ€“ 9 PM | Sept 30 โ€“ Oct 21] ๐ŸŒ Beyond Big Tech with Ayana Zaire Cotton, mai ishikawa sutton, Sarah Friend, Sarah Grant, and Nasir Anthony Montalvo โ†’ Explore data sovereignty, self-hosting, and the decentralized web while gaining hands-on experience building networked resources outside centralized tech infrastructure. [Oct 5 โ€“ Nov 12] ๐ŸŒ€ Vibecheck: Building 3D Generative and Interactive Art with AI with Kate Hollenbach โ†’ Build interactive 3D artwork for the web using three.js, combining vibecoding with direct authorship of code while developing your JavaScript coding literacy along the way. [Nov 2 โ€“ 23] ๐Ÿ—๏ธ Breadboarding Modular Synthesizers with Sean Hallowell โ†’ Build a playable instrument from the ground up using breadboarded oscillator and sequencing circuits to create synth melodies, rhythmic patterns, and live drum sequences. [Oct 5 & 7 | 6 โ€“ 9 PM] Featured DWeb projects: guacamaya net.work by jorge courtade Right to Belong by Joni Chan {B/qKC}: a Black queer archive by Nasir Anthony Montalvo, Anevay Martz, & Sunday Adesoye Adegbenro And thereโ€™s more coming soon ๐Ÿ‘€ Keep your Wednesdays open: weโ€™ll be announcing a new community-driven weekly program for workshops, artist talks, and more. Explore our currently announced Fall 2026 classes and register now at grayarea.org/courses/
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TOMORROW at Patch Bay: From Lore to Logic: Building Interactive Worlds with AI + Figma, led by Erik B. In this hands-on workshop, Erik B. will lead from story and concept to working prototype using Figma, AI, and vibe coding. Using his civic simulation project Supertino as a case study, weโ€™ll build out the storyboard, UX, narrative, characters, and visual assets, team up with a large language model to turn behaviors and interactions into code and logic, and bring it all together into an interactive prototype. Weโ€™ll wrap with Q&A, troubleshooting, and an honest conversation about where these tools shine, where they break, and how to use them more intentionally. Come through tomorrow night and build something with us! ๐Ÿ“… Wednesday, October 21 ๐Ÿ•• 6 PM ๐Ÿ“ Gray Area / Grand Theater ๐Ÿ”—RSVP at luma.com/vi6p9wpc Patch Bay is a new Wednesday night series for media artists, creative technologists, and anyone looking to get hands-on with emerging technology, exchange ideas, and connect with the Bay Area creative community. ๐Ÿ’ญ Have an idea for a future Patch Bay session? We especially want to hear from people looking for a place to share bold, critical, and creative work. Send us a note at [email protected]
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What happens when artists get access to compute at the scale industry runs on? Scaling Intelligence: Modal x Gray Area AI Commissions opens Wednesday, October 28 at Gray Area. 13 artists debut new work built with AI and large-scale cloud computing, moving between scales that rarely meet: a satelliteโ€™s planetary view beside a microbial colony, the inside of a neural network opening onto forests and watersheds, a day of visitor conversation becoming a creatureโ€™s memory. Rather than using AI to make more of the same, these artists treat it as a translation layer, letting intelligences of vastly different sizes and speeds sense one another. Of those 13 artists, @iragreenberg presents Protobyte Phylogeny, a living ecosystem of artificial organisms evolving in real time. Evolve your own specimen at the bench and the population at the close of the show will be partly descended from you. Stop by and become part of the ecosystem! ๐ŸŒ Opening Night Wednesday, Oct 28, 7-10 PM RSVP: luma.com/5j93bc4c ๐Ÿ•‘ Exhibition Hours Thu, Oct 29: 2-6 PM Fri, Oct 30: 2-8 PM Sat, Oct 31: 1-8 PM Sun, Nov 1: 1-8 PM Visit: grayarea.org/exhibitions/scaโ€ฆ ๐Ÿ“Gray Area, 2665 Mission St, San Francisco Free admission, donations welcome
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Thereโ€™s still time to add your voice. Now through November 4 , the free, bilingual 4th Wall app lets you view Nancy Baker Cahill's FREE in AR from San Francisco's waterfront or from anywhere in the world. A love letter to those imprisoned and suffering without justice, write a message of solidarity for anyone held in detention in the United States and see as each message becomes part of a conversation that keeps growing. Learn more at grayarea.org/.../nancy-bakerโ€ฆ ๐Ÿ•Š๏ธ
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Thanks to everyone who came out to our first ever Patch Bay โญ๏ธ and thank you once again to @hanryss and Tori Sommerhof for kicking us off! Patch Bay is a new weekly series to get hands-on with emerging tech and creativity as well as connect with media artists, designers, and engineers within the community. ๐Ÿ“… Every Wednesday, 6-9 PM ๐ŸŽŸ๏ธ Sliding scale, NOTAFLOF ๐Ÿ’ก Got an idea for a session? We want to hear it! Email us at [email protected] Next up: a hands-on workshop with Erik B. on using Figma, AI, and vibe coding to turn a story into a working interactive prototype. See you Wednesday ๐ŸŒ
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๐Ÿ•‘ Exhibition Hours: Thu, Oct 29: 2โ€“6 PM Fri, Oct 30: 2โ€“8 PM Sat, Oct 31: 1โ€“8 PM Sun, Nov 1: 1โ€“8 PM Visit: grayarea.org/exhibitions/scaโ€ฆ ๐Ÿ“Gray Area, 2665 Mission St, San Francisco Free admission, donations welcome
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What happens when artists get access to compute at the scale industry runs on? Scaling Intelligence: Modal x Gray Area AI Commissions opens Wednesday, October 28 at Gray Area. Thirteen artists debut new work built with AI and large-scale cloud computing, moving between scales that rarely meet: a satelliteโ€™s planetary view beside a microbial colony, the inside of a neural network opening onto forests and watersheds, a day of visitor conversation becoming a creatureโ€™s memory. Rather than using AI to make more of the same, these artists treat it as a translation layer, letting intelligences of vastly different sizes and speeds sense one another. Featuring @CezarMocan @colin_odonnell + Justine Sun Dela Cruz + Will Gardiner @graysonearle @ideeplistening @iragreenberg @TinaPulejkova @xMiguelNovelo @pkmital @rashedhaq Sasha Sorokina @spencerc99 Presented in partnership with @modal ๐ŸŒ Opening Night Wednesday, Oct 28, 7โ€“10 PM RSVP: luma.com/5j93bc4c #ScalingIntelligence #GrayArea #AIArt #NewMediaArt #SanFrancisco
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Meet @hanryss, the artist behind Dreaming Babies: illi. Drawn from real genetic data, each simulated baby represents a different human chromosome, inviting you to consider the hidden potential within our genetic code. Catch the exhibition before it closes on the 19th and hear more about Hanโ€™s work at Gray Area's new weekly series, Patch Bay alongside fellow exhibiting artist Tori Sommerhof. Stop by at tonight's event for artist talks, conversation, and happy hour, and explore Hanโ€™s exhibition, which is open during events and by appointment. ๐Ÿ“… Tonight, October 14 ๐Ÿ•• 6 PM ๐Ÿ“ Gray Area / Grand Theater ๐Ÿ”—RSVP at luma.com/gscsaj0j ๐Ÿ’ญ Have an idea for a future Patch Bay session? We especially want to hear from people looking for a place to share bold, critical, and creative work. Send us a note at [email protected]
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Weโ€™re grateful to be among this yearโ€™s grantees supported by the San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) and Grants for the Arts (GFTA)! Together, SFAC and GFTA are awarding 465 grants totaling $25.26 million to 393 artists and arts organizations across San Francisco. This support helps us continue our exhibitions, education, and public programs, and weโ€™re proud to be part of a citywide investment in San Franciscoโ€™s creative community โญ๏ธ
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TOMORROW โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
Introducing Patch Bay, a new Wednesday night series for media artists, creative technologists, and anyone looking to get hands-on with emerging technology, exchange ideas, and connect with the Bay Area creative community. For our inaugural session on October 14, current exhibiting artists Yoon Chung Han and Tori Sommerhof take us inside their works now on view at Gray Area. Han will discuss Dreaming Babies: illi, her solo exhibition transforming the gallery into a speculative nursery of 23 virtual babies drawn from genetic data. Sommerhof will share Requiem Aternum, an experimental found-media film currently screening as part of our new Machine Vitrine spotlight series. Come by for artist talks, conversation, and happy hour ๐Ÿซง ๐Ÿ“… Wednesday, October 14 ๐Ÿ•• 6 PM ๐Ÿ“ Gray Area / Grand Theater ๐Ÿ”—RSVP at luma.com/gscsaj0j ๐Ÿ’ญ Have an idea for a future Patch Bay session? We especially want to hear from people looking for a place to share bold, critical, and creative work. Send us a note at [email protected]
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Xiu Xiu last night at Gray Area โญ๏ธ
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Have you ever thought of what babies will look like in the future? ๐Ÿ‘ผ This is the central question for Yoon Chung Hanโ€™s 'Dreaming Babies: illi'โ€”an interactive, immersive solo exhibition currently on view in the Gray Area Gallery. Han has brought to life 23 virtual babies, each a special human hybrid with a different chromosomal abnormality. After undergoing egg retrieval and PGT, Han faced the question of what makes an embryo "normal" and whether those deemed "abnormal" should be discarded. This AI-based installation reimagines the genome not as a site of pathology, but of imagination and mythology. Each chromosome given a name, an alter ego, and a poetic superpower. By naming what society often silences, the work challenges the stigma around disability and genetic difference, dissolving the line between what is considered "normal" and "abnormal" and offering difference as a generative force for new identities, perspectives, and forms of beauty. Exhibition visits are open during events and by appointment. Shoot us an email to let us know when youโ€™d like to stop by. ๐Ÿ“… September 17 โ€“ October 19 ๐Ÿ“ Gray Area / Grand Theater, San Francisco ๐Ÿ”—Learn more at grayarea.org/event/exhibitioโ€ฆ
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Thank you Derrick Gee for curating tonightโ€™s vibe โญ๏ธ
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For anyone wondering: yes, the synth library is real, and yes, itโ€™s free ๐Ÿ’ซ Borrow synths, drum machines, modular gear + more from our Creative Resource Library: grayarea.org/create/creativeโ€ฆ
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Derrick Geeโ€™s Radio Hour at Gray Area ๐Ÿ–ค
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Introducing Patch Bay, a new Wednesday night series for media artists, creative technologists, and anyone looking to get hands-on with emerging technology, exchange ideas, and connect with the Bay Area creative community. For our inaugural session on October 14, current exhibiting artists Yoon Chung Han and Tori Sommerhof take us inside their works now on view at Gray Area. Han will discuss Dreaming Babies: illi, her solo exhibition transforming the gallery into a speculative nursery of 23 virtual babies drawn from genetic data. Sommerhof will share Requiem Aternum, an experimental found-media film currently screening as part of our new Machine Vitrine spotlight series. Come by for artist talks, conversation, and happy hour ๐Ÿซง ๐Ÿ“… Wednesday, October 14 ๐Ÿ•• 6 PM ๐Ÿ“ Gray Area / Grand Theater ๐Ÿ”—RSVP at luma.com/gscsaj0j ๐Ÿ’ญ Have an idea for a future Patch Bay session? We especially want to hear from people looking for a place to share bold, critical, and creative work. Send us a note at [email protected]
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Next week, ๐—จ๐—ก๐—ฆ๐—˜๐—˜๐—ก ๐—ฉ๐—œ๐—ฆ๐—œ๐—ข๐—ก๐—ฆ: ๐˜ˆ ๐˜•๐˜ฆ๐˜ธ ๐˜ˆ๐˜จ๐˜ฆ ๐˜”๐˜ถ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ค & ๐˜Š๐˜ถ๐˜ญ๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜š๐˜บ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฐ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ถ๐˜ฎ โœจ Across two days of live music, film, conversation, and archival media, Unseen Visions brings together voices from New Age, ambient music, visionary film, and West Coast counterculture. It's the brainchild of our friend Jacob Smith, professor at Northwestern University, made in support of his forthcoming book ๐˜‰๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ฅ๐˜จ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ ๐˜œ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ ๐˜š๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ: ๐˜•๐˜ฆ๐˜ธ ๐˜ˆ๐˜จ๐˜ฆ ๐˜”๐˜ถ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ค ๐˜ข๐˜ด ๐˜๐˜ช๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜บ ๐˜ˆ๐˜ณ๐˜ต (University of California Press). Lineup: Erik Davis @katepple @StevenHalpern Ken Jenkins Larkin @robertrichmusic Jacob Smith โ€ฆplus screenings of films by Jordan Belson, Dorothy Fadiman, and Rowena Pattee Kryder Swing by for two days of ambient music, film, conversation, and more! ๐Ÿ“… Fri-Sat, Oct 9-10 ๐Ÿ“Gray Area / Grand Theater, San Francisco ๐ŸŽŸ๏ธ Tickets: grayarea.org/event/unseen-viโ€ฆ
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THIS UPCOMING MONDAY & WEDNESDAY! DON'T MISS OUT โญ๏ธ
Back by popular demand this Fall: ๐˜ฝ๐™ง๐™š๐™–๐™™๐™—๐™ค๐™–๐™ง๐™™๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ ๐™ˆ๐™ค๐™™๐™ช๐™ก๐™–๐™ง ๐™Ž๐™ฎ๐™ฃ๐™ฉ๐™๐™š๐™จ๐™ž๐™ฏ๐™š๐™ง๐™จ workshop! Presented by audiovisual artist Sean Russell Hallowell, this two-day course focuses on the basics of breadboarding and using that knowledge to create your own modular synthesizer. By the end of this workshop, not only will you know how to make basic oscillators and a simple sequencer, but you'll also have built your own unique, playable instrument capable of generating synth melodies and sequencing drum patterns in real-time. No previous experience is necessary, and all materials are provided for you in this workshop. ๐Ÿ—๏ธ ๐ŸŽน Breadboarding Modular Synthesizers Workshop ๐Ÿ“† Monday, October 5 & Wednesday, October 7, 2026 ๐Ÿ•˜ 6 โ€“ 9 PM Enroll at grayarea.org/course/breadboaโ€ฆ
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Missed Agentworld ร— Superdark Factory? The full recording is now online: video.grayarea.org/w/9goHntzโ€ฆ A few weeks ago, @bratton @antikythera_xyz and Marek Poliks (Disintegrator) joined us for a sold-out double lecture on how AI agents and increasingly automated systems could reshape society.
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Bratton introduced Agentworld, Antikytheraโ€™s research initiative exploring hybrid human-AI societies, while Poliks presented Superdark Factory, examining software production beyond the human loop. โ€œThere are certain times in history when our technological capabilities are ahead of our ideas and ahead of our concepts.โ€ โ€” Benjamin Bratton
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