LEVI’S PLAZA PRESENTS PASSAGES
RITUAL SPACE MAKING
A SITE-SPECIFIC ART ACTIVATION BY
RUTHANNA HALPRIN HOPPER

OPENING JUNE 15, 2024 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.: RSVP to attend Activation by Performance Artist Dohee Lee at 6:00 p.m. ON VIEW THROUGH JULY 27, 2024

(San Francisco, CA) --Levi’s Plaza is proud to present Passages, a site-specific installation by Ruthanna Halprin Hopper, which is both tribute and continuum, an intimate conversation with the artist’s late grandfather, environmental designer of Levi’s Plaza, Lawrence Halprin, using the creative process as their shared language. Within this dialogue, Halprin Hopper explores themes of influence, mentorship, ritual and artistic evolution, posing an inquiry into her own artistic identity in the absence—and presence—of her grandfather’s guiding vision.

In this exploration is the artist’s engagement with a mask, a casting from the 1980’s of Lawrence Halprin crafted by seminal pop sculptor George Segal. This metaphorical tool allows a layer of ‘seeing’ through her grandfather’s eyes, thus continuing the dialogue between grandfather and granddaughter beyond the conventional limits of time and presence. Passages embodies a communion of dialogues woven across time and space, bridged by the acts of remembering and creating. The installation also includes works on paper by Lawrence Halprin.

Public Event Info

PUBLIC VIEWING: June 26 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. | July 3, 10, 17, 24 – 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

OPENING JUNE 15, 2024 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.: RSVP to attend
Passages is organized by Jessica Trent :

Private Appointments 

Ruthanna Halprin Hopper ON VIEW THROUGH JULY 27, 2024 by appointment only:

Says Halprin Hopper, “It’s a beautiful full circle, connecting to Levi’s Plaza and my grandfather through this installation. We shared cherished moments together, often visiting Levi’s Plaza where I’d play in the fountain, mirroring his vision of people engaging with the space. Inspired by the High Sierras, his design echoes our hikes and the rock cairns he taught me to create, guiding us home. The stepping stones of the fountain now feel like a path leading back to those memories.”

Passages is a creative inquiry, interconnecting visual art, sound, ritual space making and performative elements. Each aspect is intended to encourage visitors to move through physical and conceptual ‘passages’, exploring their own relationship with identity, heritage, and the transformative power of art. By integrating the natural elements of water and stone, symbolic of fluidity and permanence, the installation reflects the dynamic dialogue between evolving artistic practices, steadfast historical influences, the influence of natural processes, our own myth-making rituals and the inevitability of the life-cycle. 

In partnership with performance artist Dohee Lee, who worked closely for years with Halprin Hopper’s grandmother, the visionary choreographer Anna Halprin, on June 15th the space will be further activated through movement and sound, intensifying the sensory experience and deepening the engagement with the themes of reflection and transmission. This collaboration activates the ceremonial aspect of the installation, elevating the space to a realm where art becomes a ritual, a sacred space for questioning, understanding, and celebrating the threads that connect us to our past and future selves.

As viewers navigate Passages, they are invited into a shared space of exploration and introspection—a journey through the layers of artistic lineage and self-discovery, urged to consider their responses to their heritage and that which shapes and reshapes their understanding of identity and creativity.

Summer Concert Series

Plaza Palooza Line Up

May 30th – Foxtail Brigade 

June 6th – Prophet Martian

June 13th – Astralogik

June 20th – Crying Uncle 

June 27th – Katsy Pline 

July 11th – Individuo

July 18th – Cardboard People

July 25th – Ian Santillano

Free live music concert series every Thursday in the Levi's Plaza soft park May 30th through July 25th. 12:00 P.M. to 1:30 P.M.

Concert Amenities

Enjoy bistro tables, lounge chairs, and lawn games. Blankets available for rent with valid ID from 1105 Battery Hospitality Suite.

Food Options

Delicious food options from Off the Grid and Xica Mexican Restaurant. Fog City Diner just a few steps away from the soft park.