FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2025
7:15–9 PM
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Wattis Theater, Floor 1
151 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA
"Making art and thinking about it is the way that I learn." Carlos Villa
“Shadows for Carlos Villa” (2020) Film Screening + Live A/V Performance
Immerse yourself in this short cinematic portrait of Filipino artist Carlos Villa, as part of the EVERY POINT TELLS A STORY short film festival, presented by💡💣 SMARTBOMB x SFMOMA for their Waves Of Knowing series. Tickets are free for Bay Area residents after 4PM. Visit sfmoma.org for details.
About Shadows for Carlos Villa (2020)
In the Fall of 2019, ShadowLight was asked to create an interlude for the Asian Art Museum Leadership Donor Celebration. We wanted to do something reflecting our company's long-term relationship with Southeast Asia, and with our home in San Francisco. Filipino-American artist Carlos Villa came to mind. Together with Bindlestiff Studio, we listened to the music he loved and delved into his writing. We put this all together as a kind of poem in sound and light. It is our tribute to his genius.
Co-directed by Aureen Almario & Larry Reed
Words by Carlos Villa
Spoken by: Larry Reed, Alan Manolo, Ramon Abad
Duration: 10min 25seconds
Carlos Villa's work is deep and expansive. In researching his life's work, we uncovered layers upon layers of art that was personal and experimental. He dared to create art that drew inspiration from his history, activism, his identity as a Filipino American, and other cultures. As an artist and teacher, he paved the way for himself and other artists of color during a time when opportunities were limited. Furthermore, his life experience of growing up amongst many uncles or manongs (referring to the first wave of Filipino migration in the 1920s), influenced his artistic perspective. It is because of this that we chose to weave the history of the manongs into our production. Our performance reflects on his artistic experimentation and personal evolution—a tribute to his legacy as a pioneer Filipino American artist. -Aureen Almario
Event Details
SMARTBOMB x SFMOMA Present Waves of Knowing
Join us for a dynamic program of performances and activations curated by the artist collective SMARTBOMB. WAVES OF KNOWING is a gathering of energy curated by SMARTBOMB, including over twenty Bay Area artists sharing performance, visuals, films, poetry, and more. Using The Unknown, a San Francisco Art Institute gathering from 1949 as a point of departure, WAVES OF KNOWING explores the power of collective thought, motion, and creation. Rather than focusing on what is unknown in the future, this experience serves as a reminder that, with openness and presence, we already know the path and can find our way forward together.
Event Schedule
2:30–4 p.m. | Screen printing featuring Nosei Sun Room
Koret Education Center, Floor 2
Please bring items you’d like to screen print on!
3:30–6:30 p.m. | Vibration Is an Invitation
White Box, Floor 4
Live music, poetry, and video performance by:
Macro Waves
Obstacs
JAS STADE
Sarah O’Neal
IDHAZ + Emily Bouton
Agnes Martian
7:15–9 p.m. | Every Point Tells a Story
Wattis Theater, Floor 1
Film screenings and A/V performances with live music by Zachary James Watkins and Melanie Marie and films by:
Anna Firth
Lauren Geiger
GAMU GAMO / W.A.L.A
Justin Tuân Smith
Eddie Leonard & Tessa Shimizu
Billie0cean
Andrew Kodama
Jules Retzlaff & Nick Derenzi
ShadowLight Productions
Plus, don’t miss the Oakland Roots SC x Muzae Sesay x SFMOMA Jersey Launch happening from 5–7 p.m. on Floor 5.
Click here for full event details and tickets.
Learn more about SMARTBOMB.