Bear with me. 
A large-scale exhibition within the tent of the institution is no small undertaking. Couple that with an exhibition which seeks to present a loose overview of a field so varied as contemporary Asian art, and you have quite a job on your hands, between shipping work from around the world and trying to represent the contemporary’s wide scope of practices. 

Phantoms of Asia, up at the Asian Art Museum tries its best to do this, with one more complication: in it works from the collection are brought into the mix with the contemporary, and new works are hung upstairs within the collection. These are all unified by wall texts with a matching format and it is here the show starts to falter: in attempting to be all things to all people the voice of the text is strange, guiding one’s viewing in an almost condescending way (“…Does this work look like chaos?”) I joked at the show that most of these yellow labels, present throughout the three floors of the space, were written for children too short to read them. There were a slew of passable but none-too-exciting paintings and drawings, and the reinstallation of work echoed strategies of institutional critique without any of the criticality.

You the reader must wonder why in the midst of this holiday week we are spending our time together talking about an exhibition that was disliked. Surely there is something opening that can be discussed, something to look forward too…

But there is more than one way to view a group exhibition. The sort of broad-stroked look at the show is important, but we mustn’t get ahead of ourselves or close our eyes to the art. In the middle of even the most jumbled group show there are highlights and surprises.

There is some great work in Phantoms of Asia, great enough to make the whole slog worth it. Two films really impressed me, and I highly recommend attending this show to see them: The Class, by Araya Radsjarmrearnsook, a disquieting lecture on death given to five recently deceased individuals, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Phantoms of Nabua, a short film involving fire, cinema in cinema, and a dark tropical night. I would do a disservice to go into more detail about either, but they are great. 

There is other good work, both as part of the new show and in their collection. As a bit of a fan of ceramics there are plenty of gems for my taste; I imagine there is some thread of material or content hiding in here to please anyone. It takes time to get the most out of the Asian Art Museum, it is a great resource (sometimes despite itself).

If you go, let us know what you liked/didn't like perhaps.

NOTE
We'll skip the Curiously Direct this week since that went long. And, keep your suggestions coming in for content. What do you want, what does this community need? We are looking for future contributors to Art Cards Review, so get in touch if that sounds interesting.

Friday:
+ Screening: David Enos, more performers and films to be announced. "TALKIES: film and standup" curated by Anna Seregina, George Chen, Jesse Elias, Miles K. at A.T.A.
+ Adrienne Heloise, Ari Salomon, Bridget May, Chris Thorson, Ginny Mangrum, Kate Thompson, Kyle Dunn, Masako Miki , Mathew Zefeldt, Matthew Weston Taylor, Sofia Sharpe, Torreya Cummings, Tressa Pack "What we can’t see but want to see is art: BAY AREA CURRENTS 2012" curated by Renny Pritikin at Pro Arts Gallery
+ Closing reception: George Pfau "3 for 3: Three Summer Residencies at RNG - George Pfau" at Royal NoneSuch Gallery

Sunday:
+ Screening: Ai Weiwei "Fairytale" at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

Thursday, July 5

Garry Winogrand "Circa 1969" at Fraenkel Gallery
Downtown: 49 Geary Street, floor 4, Free, 5-7pm

Artist Talk: Bruce Haley, Tomas Van Houtryve "Artist Talk & Book Signing - Bruce Haley, Tomas Van Houtryve" at Carte Blanche
Mission District: 973 Valencia Street, floor 1, Free, 6-8:30pm

Friday, July 6

+ Screening: David Enos, more performers and films to be announced. "TALKIES: film and standup" curated by Anna Seregina, George Chen, Jesse Elias, Miles K. at A.T.A.
Mission District: 992 Valencia Street, $8, 8 - 10 pm

Daniel Healey, Darren Hawk, Michael Cutlip "Dealey Dawk Mutlip presents: ugly baby knuckles" at Marion and Rose's Workshop
Oakland: 9th Street 461, floor 1, 6-10pm

+ Adrienne Heloise, Ari Salomon, Bridget May, Chris Thorson, Ginny Mangrum, Kate Thompson, Kyle Dunn, Masako Miki , Mathew Zefeldt, Matthew Weston Taylor, Sofia Sharpe, Torreya Cummings, Tressa Pack "What we can’t see but want to see is art: BAY AREA CURRENTS 2012" curated by Renny Pritikin at Pro Arts Gallery
Oakland: 150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza , entrance on Kahn's Alley, Free, 6-8pm

+ Closing reception: George Pfau "3 for 3: Three Summer Residencies at RNG - George Pfau" at Royal NoneSuch Gallery
Oakland: 4231 Telegraph Avenue, 7-10pm

Anna Fidler "Vampires & Wolfmen" at Johansson Projects
Oakland: 2300 Telegraph Avenue, at 23rd Street, Free, 5-8pm

Saturday, July 7

"WaterWorks" curated by Ed Carey at Arc Studios & Gallery
SOMA: 1246 Folsom Street, FREE, 7-9pm

"WaterWorks" curated by Ed Carey at Arc Studios & Gallery
SOMA: 1246 Folsom Street, FREE, 7-9pm

Alexandra Fisher, Anonymous artists, Cannon Dill, Chris Shaw, Chuck Sperry, Colin Smith, Cristy C. Road, Dave Garcia, Dignidad Rebelde (Melanie Cervantes, Emory Douglas, Eric Drooker, Eric Drooker, Ewen Wright, Faviana Rodriguez, Fred Zaw, Gabby Miller, Gregoirire Vion, Ilka Hartmann, Jason Justice, Jesus Barraza), Kota Ezawa, Li Chen, Megan Wilson, Miriam Klein Stahl, Nuclear Winter Art, Occupy Design, Political Gridlock (Jon-Paul Bail), Rachael Romero, Rich Black, Robert Bechtle, Ronnie Goodman, Rupert Garcia, Sanaz Mazinani, Sergio De La Torre, Sheila Tully, Steven Marcus, Suzanne Lacy, Winston Smith, Xavier Viramontes, Zerena Diaz, “Indian Joe” Morris "Occupy Bay Area" at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
SOMA: 701 Misssion Street, at Third Street, Free, 6-9pm

Judith Foosaner "Breaking and Entering" at Brian Gross Fine Art
Downtown: 49 Geary Street, floor 5, Free, 2-4 pm

David Hannah "cycle" at Gallery Paule Anglim
Downtown: 14 Geary Street, floor 2, Free, 4-6pm

William Tucker "Monotypes and Sculpture" at Gallery Paule Anglim
Downtown: 14 Geary Street, floor 2, 4-6pm

Alexis Arnold, Allyson Seal, Christine Elfman, Dan Herrera, Daryll Peirce, Erin Mitchell, Kylea Borges , Lacy Davis, Lori Hepner, Margo Duvall, Megan Gorham, Renée Gertler , Robot Versus Future "Visions of Yore" curated by Emily Lakin, Tanya Gayer at Gallery Hijinks
Mission District: 2309 Bryant Street, at 21st Street, floor 1, Free, 6-10pm

Brooke Westfall, Claire Colette, Laura Zuspan, Melissa C. Miller, Michelle Ramin, Zina Al-Shukri "Good Counsel" curated by Brian Perrin, Scott S. Jennings at INCLINE Gallery
Mission District: 766 Valencia Street, floor 1, Free, 6-9pm / press preview 5-6pm

Sunday, July 8

+ Screening: Ai Weiwei "Fairytale" at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
SOMA: 701 Misssion Street, at Third Street, YBCA Screening Room, $10 regular/$8 YBCA members, senior, student, teacher/FREE for YBCA: You participants, 2-5pm

Artcards San Francisco is a weekly email publication led by editor Jackie Im and Aaron Harbour. Email event submissions to sfinfo@artcards.cc or use our submission form. New: you can now add an image to your listing by using the submission form.

+ = Editor's pick
? = Opening not confirmed - check site for updates.