Space 4 Art presents "Instructions for Unrest: Art Against Complacency," a group exhibition curated by Alessandra Moctezuma, Gallery Director and Professor of Fine Art at San Diego Mesa College. The third in a series of exhibitions at Art Produce Gallery in 2026, the exhibition opens with a public reception on April 18 from 4-7 p.m. and will remain on view through May 14. In keeping with Space 4 Art’s mission to promote meaningful dialogue and creative exchange, Moctezuma will lead a Conversation with the Artists on Thursday, May14 from 6-8 p.m. "Instructions for Unrest: Art Against Complacency" brings together artists who view art as a tool to disrupt and to sound an alert. Emerging from a moment of heightened political and social tension, the exhibition reflects on a year marked by widespread protest and renewed public resistance to policies that have caused national and global instability. In the United States and across the world, people have taken to the streets in response to political extremism, social inequity, environmental crisis, and the erosion of civil rights. Artists, too, have responded using their practices to question power, confront injustice, and refuse silence. The exhibition examines the role of art as a catalyst for awareness and action. Through diverse materials and approaches, the featured works expose systems of power, challenge historical amnesia, and confront our impulse to look away. Some artworks mourn loss, others invite participation, and still others demand accountability. Together, they insist that artistic expression can function as a form of civic engagement and resistance. Curator Alessandra Moctezuma frames unrest as a necessary friction that makes change possible. The exhibition invites viewers to look inward, and examine their own position and experiences within the social and political structures the works reveal. Produced by Space 4 Art and presented at Art Produce Gallery, the exhibition is part of ongoing efforts to support artists and activate cultural dialogue across the region through the Prebys Foundation’s Arts Ecosystem Grant. The exhibit includes artists: Doris Bittar, Jennifer de Poyen, Electronic Disturbance Theater (EDT), Patricia Frischer, Terri Hughes-Oelrich, Linda Litteral, Nicole Gonzalez, Nick McPherson (Nicholas Danger), Teresa Mill, Michelle Montjoy, Marcos Ramirez, Katie Ruiz, and Claudia Biezunski-Rodriguez (Sew Loka). The public is invited to attend the opening reception on Saturday, April 18 from 4-7 p.m. and a closing event featuring a gallery walk-through and artist conversation led by curator Alessandra Moctezuma on Thursday, May 14 from 6-8 p.m. Gallery hours Fridays from 1-7 p.m.; Saturdays from 12-6 p.m. through May 14; and by appointment. Location: Art Produce Gallery, 3139 University Ave., San Diego, CA 92104. About Space 4 Art Space 4 Art is a San Diego-based nonprofit arts organization dedicated to supporting artists and strengthening the region’s cultural ecosystem through exhibitions, public programming, and community engagement. Space 4 Art on Facebook / Instagram
