Download a PDF version of this press release

Berkeley, CA, April 10, 2013 - The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAM/PFA) presents Kaleidoscape, a new installation by the San Francisco–based design firm Rebar. Both a work of art and a piece of furniture, the modular sculpture is designed to be reconfigured spontaneously by visitors and is the newest centerpiece of BAM/PFA's expansive 7,000-square-foot central atrium Gallery B.

Visitors are encouraged to rearrange any combination of the nearly thirty pieces that comprise Kaleidoscape to create a customized environment for study, relaxation, or socializing. Together, the colorful sections, which are constructed of a rigid foam encased in a soft and durable fabric, may also be used to create a crystalline pattern to be viewed from the upper galleries. Like its predecessor in Gallery B, Thom Faulders's BAMscape, the work may also function as a seating area for performances and events, including the regular L@TE: Friday Nights @ BAM/PFA series. During gallery hours, free wireless Internet will allow students and other visitors to enjoy Kaleidoscape as a site for study and socializing. The installation will be on view from May 12, 2013 through late 2015.

Rebar is known for work that challenges expectations about the use of public space, the potential of materials, and the opportunities for social and cultural interaction. Recent projects include Park(ing) (2005), which transformed metered parking spaces in San Francisco into temporary parklets, the Panhandle Bandshell (2007) fabricated from recycled materials, and the restoration of degraded bird habitats on Año Nuevo Island with nest modules and habitat ridges (2009-2011).

About Rebar
Rebar was founded in 2004; the principal designers are Matthew Passmore, John Bela, Blaine Merker, and Teresa Aguilera. Their work has been exhibited at the 2008 Venice Architecture Biennale; ExperimentaDesign Amsterdam; ISEA 2009 Dublin; Yerba Buena Center for the Arts; the American Institute of Architects; the Canadian Centre for Architecture; Harvard Graduate School of Design; and Parsons School of Design.

About BAM/PFA
Founded in 1963, the UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAM/PFA) is UC Berkeley's primary visual arts venue and among the largest university art museums in terms of size and audience in the United States. Internationally recognized for its art and film programming, BAM/PFA is a platform for cultural experiences that transform individuals, engage communities, and advance the local, national and global discourse on art and ideas. BAM/PFA's mission is “to inspire the imagination and ignite critical dialogue through art and film.”

BAM/PFA presents approximately fifteen art exhibitions and 380 film programs each year. The museum's collection of over 16,000 works of art includes important holdings of Neolithic Chinese ceramics, Ming and Qing Dynasty Chinese painting, Old Master works on paper, Italian Baroque painting, early American painting, Abstract Expressionist painting, contemporary photography, and video art. Its film archive of over 14,000 films and videos includes the largest collection of Japanese cinema outside of Japan, Hollywood classics, and silent film, as well hundreds of thousands of articles, reviews, posters, and other ephemera related to the history of film, many of which are digitally scanned and accessible online.

Museum Information
Location: 2626 Bancroft Way, just below College Avenue across from the UC Berkeley campus.

Gallery and Museum Store Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Open L@TE Fridays until 9 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

Information: 24-hour recorded message (510) 642-0808; fax (510) 642-4889; TDD (510) 642-8734.

Website: bampfa.berkeley.edu

###