Artifice of Power I: Architecture, Anthem, and Gesture Packard Jennings

Artist Reception, November 5, 5 - 8 pm

Join us Election Day eve for a special activation. Bring your "I Voted" sticker or proof of voting to ascend the staircase into the installation.

Presented by The Space Program SF,  Artifice of Power I: Architecture, Anthem, and Gesture represents the physical expression of power through architecture, anthems, and gestures. The front is pure spectacle: a towering sculpture made of stacked architectural elements - spires, rotundas, and domes -that evoke authority, permanence, and dominance. Every hour, a different anthem plays, accompanied by a pre-programmed light show. However, from the side, the illusion weakens, and at the rear, the artifice is fully revealed: exposed set pieces, plywood, clamps, sandbags, and tangled wires— all showing that the display of power is merely stagecraft.

Beyond the sculpture lies an open circular seating area for public gathering and reflection on how we engage with both physical and internalized forms of power. During events, visitors can ascend the installation's staircase to a lectern that overlooks the crowdbelow. This project uses humor and spectacle to invite visitors into a critical exploration of power's porous, performative, and structural nature.