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Buried Treasure Island
Buried Treasure Island is a multi-platform investigation
conducted by BARGE for Ground Scores, curated by Valerie
Imus for Yerba Buena Center for the Arts' Bay Area Now 5,
on display in San Francisco from July 20 - October 18, 2008.
Given Treasure Island's long and complex history as an artificial staging ground for world's fairs, military bases, television shoots, and real estate speculation, as well as being an enormous landfill of dangerous and toxic substances, Buried Treasure Island attempts to unearth the secret histories of the site, and explore how the landscape is transformed not only by its usage, but also by what is elided from public view. Home to some of the most stunning views in the bay (but only if you turn your back on the island itself), Treasure Island remains a site full of hidden histories, presents, and possible futures.
This work is presented in several overlapping iterations: installation, guidebook, self-guided tour, audio podcast, songs, performative bus tour, staged actions and photographs, and here on this site. That some possible Treasure Island “itself” may be buried somewhere within the constellation of these versionings, between site and non-site, realities and representations, is a question that the work attempts to confront.
This (de)tour is accessible by car, foot, bicycle, and/or by guidebook & podcast, though you can only get to the island by car or bus (MUNI line 108). Visitors to the island should note that there are few public toilets on the island, no gas stations or stores, and nowhere to get food after 3pm. If you plan on going at night, you may want to bring a flashlight. It can be quite windy & foggy at times, so plan accordingly.
Tour buried treasure island
Take a Self-Guided Tour.
Download
the Guidebook. (PDF,
2.4 MB)
Limited editions also available in the YBCA gallery.
Download self-guided
Audio Tour Map (PDF,
364 kb)
Access the audio files
by dialing 415-294-3627 and entering the corresponding codes in the guidebook
/ map.
Download the audio tracks for the Audio Tour.
Take the BARGE Bus Tour.
Saturday, October 11,
noon – 4 pm
Call YBCA at 415.978.2787 to reserve your space.
Learn more
See Outtakes on
Flickr.com.
Check the News + Notes blog.