“It is not as if an “I” exists independently over here and then simply loses a “you” over there, especially if the attachment to “you” is part of what composes who “I” am. If I lose you, under these conditions, then I not only mourn the loss, but I become inscrutable to myself. Who “am” I, without you? When we lose some of these ties by which we are constituted, we do not know who we are or what to do. On one level, I think I have lost “you” only to discover that “I” have gone missing as well.”
― Judith Butler, Precarious Life: The Powers of Mourning and Violence
In collaboration with San José State University (SJSU), the ICA San José is proud to showcase the exhibition Who ‘Am’ I Without You?
In addition to their solo thesis exhibitions, San José State University’s (SJSU) MFA Candidates participate in a group exhibition and collaborate with MA Candidates in Art History and Visual Culture to create the annual, Lift Off Catalogue. Hosted this year at the ICA San José, the twelve students showcase a wide range of mediums including painting, printmaking, drawing, sculpture, photography, digital art, and multidisciplinary installation.
Zoë Latzer, Curator and Director of Public Programs at the Institute of Contemporary Art San José, presents a question from Judith Butler’s Precarious Life: The Powers of Mourning and Violence: Who ‘Am’ I Without You? as the title for the San José State University 2025 MFA exhibition held at the ICA. In the context of the Anthropocene and the sixth extinction—a time defined by both devastation and interconnection, the MFA graduates all explore and grapple with their understanding of being artists during a time of technological advancements and socio-political turmoil.
These twelve artists seamlessly blend their personal experiences and identities into their work while connecting to a rich and nuanced range of social, cultural, and political issues of a global community in the 21st century.
Participating Artists
Pt 1: April 4, 2025 – June 8, 2025
- Erin de Jauregui
- Andrew Marovich
- Mary Morse
- Timna Naim
- Samantha Saldana
- Chelsea Stewart
Pt 2: June 19, 2025 – August 24, 2025
- Mona Farrokhi
- Michelle Frey
- Lisa Heikka-Huber
- Sam Swenor
- Xiao Wu
- Shea Windberg
Who ‘Am’ I Without You? at the ICA San José is made possible thanks to sponsorship from Wanda Kownacki along with support from San José State University. Programs and exhibitions at the ICA are made possible with thanks to generous support from the City of San José’s Office of Cultural Affairs, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the San Francisco Foundation; significant support from Applied Materials, the Lipman Family Foundation, and Yvonne and Mike Nevens; along with additional support from SVCreates.