At the San Francisco Art Fair in April, held at Fort Mason Centre’s Festival Pavilion, organizers, curators, and gallerists centered Asian-American and Pacific Islander voices through a curated group exhibition titled “Da Da Daam” and a pop-up design store featuring over 70 Asian diaspora artists and brands. The fair’s 14th edition, directed by Kelly Freeman, responded to ongoing anti-immigrant rhetoric in the US by celebrating the strength of the immigrant community in a city where nearly 35% of the population identifies as Asian.
This matters because it demonstrates how art fairs can serve as platforms for political and cultural solidarity, amplifying marginalized voices during divisive national discourse. By foregrounding AAPI identity and collaboration with local institutions like the Chinese Culture Centre of San Francisco and Edge on the Square, the fair models a proactive, community-driven approach to representation that extends beyond commercial transactions.