ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

SFMOMA's 'snap+share' Traces Photography Sharing from Mail Art to Instagram

exhibition · 2026-05-04

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) presents 'snap+share', an exhibition exploring the history of photographic image transmission and sharing, from 1960s-70s Mail Art to contemporary internet and social media projects. Curated by Clément Chéroux, the show argues for historical continuity rather than seeing the internet as a radical break. It features works by Ray Johnson, Joseph Beuys, Walker Evans, On Kawara, Thomas Bachler, Moyra Davey, Erik Kessels, Corinne Vionnet, Aram Bartholl, David Horvitz, and Eva and Franco Mattes. On Kawara's postcards are highlighted as precursors to Snapchat and Instagram. The exhibition runs until August 4, 2019.

Key facts

  • Exhibition 'snap+share' at SFMOMA runs until August 4, 2019.
  • Curated by Clément Chéroux, SFMOMA's photography curator.
  • Traces image sharing from 1960s-70s Mail Art to contemporary social media art.
  • Features works by Ray Johnson, Joseph Beuys, Walker Evans, On Kawara, Thomas Bachler, Moyra Davey, Erik Kessels, Corinne Vionnet, Aram Bartholl, David Horvitz, and Eva and Franco Mattes.
  • On Kawara's postcards are presented as precursors to Snapchat and Instagram.
  • Erik Kessels' '24HRS in Photos' (2011) prints all Flickr photos uploaded in 24 hours.
  • Corinne Vionnet's 'Photo Opportunities' (2005-14) focuses on aesthetic uniformity in tourist photos.
  • Aram Bartholl's 'Map' (2006-2019) is a sculptural version of Google Maps' geolocation pin.
  • David Horvitz's '241543903' (2009–ongoing) is a collective online performance involving heads in refrigerators.
  • Eva and Franco Mattes' 'Ceiling Cat' is a new version of the viral meme, featured on the exhibition catalog cover.

Entities

Artists

  • Ray Johnson
  • Joseph Beuys
  • Walker Evans
  • On Kawara
  • Thomas Bachler
  • Moyra Davey
  • Erik Kessels
  • Corinne Vionnet
  • Aram Bartholl
  • David Horvitz
  • Eva and Franco Mattes
  • Valentina Tanni

Institutions

  • San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
  • Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam
  • David Zwirner
  • One Million Years Foundation
  • Artribune

Locations

  • San Francisco
  • United States
  • Amsterdam
  • Netherlands
  • Beijing
  • China
  • Paris
  • France

Sources