Ratio 3 was based in San Francisco, California, and became one of the most important galleries fostering contemporary art's presentation. The gallery primarily focuses on the most advanced, promotes an extensive range of artistic practices, and supports well-established artists and newcomers alike. These past few years have seen Ratio 3 develop a reputation for an idiosyncratic style of curation that can bring together a wide range of media and styles in unexpected dialogues. A large space in the Mission District has also enabled it to host ambitious installations and multidisciplinary exhibitions. The space itself was to be both a blank slate and a dramatic backdrop for the art works on show. The founders had envisioned this place as a pilgrimage for the most progressive thinkers in the art world; it expanded, eventually, into one of the leading positions of local and international artistic importance.
The mission of the gallery is to investigate new outlooks and to expand the borders of contemporary art. Ratio 3 has gained a reputation with experimental and avant-garde artists, which creates a haven for a new kind of art expression. Its exhibition program is a combination of individual and collective exhibitions showing works through a more radical approach to established thoughts and aesthetics. It is this visionary approach which has given a wide-ranging following to the people wanting to participate in eclectic and often provocative exhibitions, collectors, curators, and critics alike. The gallery's team actively searches for these risk-taking artists willing to collaborate on work often dealing with complex social, political, and cultural issues.
The artists at Ratio 3 Gallery work in a myriad of mediums, including painting, sculpture, photography, video, installation, and performance. This breadth of practices keeps the gallery's program dynamic and versatile; always in reflection, at any one time, of the fluid and constantly evolving nature of contemporary art. Artists who have shown at Ratio 3 are often seen as innovative in materials use and in their ability to blur the lines of artistic forms. Offering scope to the artists for experimentation, the gallery has helped facilitate many seminal works gaining nationwide and international notice. The way Ratio 3 curates reflects an appreciation for art visually seductive yet intellectually demanding that often makes the viewer revise preconceptions.
Exhibitions curated by the gallery are typically impeccable in presentation; each exhibition is a show selected with a glimpse into the particular characteristics of each artist's work and consolidating an overall storyline or theme. This attention to presentation extends even to the physical gallery space, where the layout is often reimagined to accommodate particular exhibitions. Ratio 3 has devised a venue that, with each new exhibition, seems freshly renovated and not at all stale, by continually adapting its physical space to an endless array of artistic visions. Dealing with each exhibition shows such flexibility that it is really one of the hallmarks of the gallery and distinguishes it from more traditional galleries. Its challenge in taking on bold installations and experimenting with the style of presentation in terms of art has helped make some of the most memorable exhibitions in the contemporary art scene of San Francisco.
Alongside its exhibitions, the Ratio 3 Gallery is committed to outreach and community involvement through a series of artist talks, panel discussions, and workshops that allow the public to interface directly with artists and art professionals. These events afford insight into the creative process of the artists represented by the gallery and create a sense of community among attendees. Emphasizing education and public engagement, Ratio 3 positioned itself as the center of contemporary art discourse in San Francisco. This is a community involvement aspect, one actually part of the gallery's mission: making contemporary art more understandable and applicable to a wide public.
The approach of Ratio 3 Gallery to art is also continued in their support of emerging artists. It is well documented that the gallery offers many up-and-coming young artists their first chance to exhibit in a professional space, serving quite often as a launch into their careers. In this sense, the gallery focuses on early-career artists who try out new ideas and has thereby gained a reputation for discovering and developing new talent. With its commitment to emerging artists, it undertakes the responsibility of contributing towards the evolving nature of contemporary art. While most galleries are inclined toward artists with already established names, Ratio 3 is one of those few that take on a commitment toward fostering new voices and new perspectives.
It can also be seen fully in its exhibitions and community programs, but the influence trickles further down into how it shapes the art market. Ratio 3 has fostered good relationships with collectors and art institutions that then serve to help push forward the careers of the artists it represents. Organizing exhibitions that are artistically valid and relevant to the market, it has gained reputation and reliability for collectors of contemporary art. Its commitment to quality and innovation has won its own loyal audience, as collectors look with special hope to procure works from its exhibitions. This blend of artistic integrity and market savvy has made Ratio 3 a respected player in the art world.
Ratio 3 Gallery has shifted pace over the past couple of years as it has added digital platforms to its offerings. It now provides exhibitions online, virtual tours, and digital catalogs in addition to its traditional settings within San Francisco. This kind of outreach into digital media truly speaks to the gallery's progressive stance and need to keep pace with the increasingly digital age that exists today. With the inclusion of online resources, Ratio 3 has made its exhibitions accessible in ways that are not possible for all viewers to visit in person, furthering the impact and audience reach.