I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On

Curated by Rena Tom

I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On features 21 Bay Area fresh faces and heavy hitters at @120710.art in Berkeley. The opening reception is June 28 from 4-8pm with a short performance at 6, and it closes on July 19 from 12 - 4 pm. There’s also a preview dinner on the 27th if you’d like to nom while hearing from some of the artists and supporting the gallery, which is resolutely independent and non-commercial. Buy tix from eventbrite .

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The word ‘sustain’ suggests persistence and endurance. It’s durational: a sound, a gift, an action. While it’s rooted in care and nourishment, it also recognizes that we survive hardships that leave physical or emotional scars. What links these definitions is the need for community and connection to actively navigate the challenges of everyday life.

I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On borrows its name from a phrase about perseverance by Samuel Beckett. Whether exploring legacies of the past that are carried into the present, showcasing different flavors of sustenance, or reimagining social frameworks that can reshape the future, the artists in the exhibition recognize the importance of nurturing a collective web of support as well as acknowledging how one is situated in the world. To sustain is not just to exist, but to resonate through time. In our current economic, political, and ecological climate, this work is more necessary than ever.