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Robin Lasser

@robin.lasser

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Professor of Art at San Jose ́ State University. I produce photographs, video, site-specific installations and public art.

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Built in 2012. Reborn at Montalvo.

This started as a dress tent I fabricated back in 2012 in my very first home shop, a simple little two car garage. This year it came back to life as an interactive hummingbird dress tent at Montalvo Art Center, envisioned by artists Robin Lasser (@robin.lasser) and Adrienne Pao (@adriennepao) Fabric work done by Sasha Vermel (@sashavermel)

There’s a symmetry I keep coming back to: that original frame came out of a home shop, and right now I’m building a new one. Fifteen years of big-shop work in between — full circle.

Swipe through: wings fully spread against a blue sky → the finished canopy with the bench swing inside (yes, you can sit in it) → the steel skeleton from the inside, swing hung → the frame broken down into parts → install day one, just bones on a dirt pad → then 2012, where it started: the original frame going up, and the first tent finished in the garden.

It’s interactive all the way down — sound, the swing, and a performable dress with wings. My job was the structure underneath it all: the steel frame, the chain-link skin, the rigging that holds a performer at the top.

If you’re at Montalvo, check it out and take a swing.

#publicart #interactiveart #sculpture #montalvoartscenter #bayareaart

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💫Two weeks later and we’re still feeling the magic of 𝘌𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘧 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘦.

Thank you to the 1,500+ people who attended our Marcus Festival this year! And a heartfelt thank you to all of the artists, performers, and guests who made the evening so extraordinary: Zuri Alexa, Ritmos Calientes, Rashid Zakat, Melecio Estrella, Damara Ganley, Juan Luna-Avin, Namita Paul, and Taro Hattori. 🫶

Cheers to the 2026 Marcus Exhibition artists who were able to join us: Terry Berlier, Robin Lasser and Adrienne Pao + Sasha Vermel, Lead Pencil Studio, Tony May, Rebeca Méndez, Viviana Paredes, and Andre Woodward!

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 is on view throughout the Montalvo grounds and inside its Cottage Gallery until November 8. Montalvo is open daily from 8am-sunset, free of admission. The Cottage Gallery is open Thursday-Sunday, 11am-3pm, or by appointment. Click the link in our bio to learn more!

👋Coming Soon! Our next exhibition with LAP 2023 CA Visual Arts Fellow Namita Paul, 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺, opens on August 20 at Miro Gallery in downtown San Jose. More information will be shared here and, on our website, next week.

Video by Elisabet Gallego

#LucasArtRes #MontalvoArtsCenter #EnterIfYouDare #PublicArt #ArtsFestival

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🌿 #TNOCRoundtable
What are ways to extend the values and benefits of botanical gardens beyond their walls?

This new roundtable, curated by Olivia Bina (Instituto de Ciências Sociais da Universidade de Lisboa) and @ewsanderson (@nybg New York Botanical Garden), gathers 27 voices from 18 cities across 4 continents to explore how Botanical Gardens — often at the very heart of our cities — might facilitate a more entangled, respectful, and diverse co-evolution of the vegetal and built environment. ✨

An invitation to notice the transformation already underway — in Botanical Gardens quietly extending spatially, culturally, and symbolically into the cities around them.

Deep gratitude to Olivia and Eric for curating, and to every contributor:

@yourbgci
@ewsanderson
@clairemartin.info
@sarahedavies
@pollinatorpathmaker
@julieannemlilnski
@mathimare
@duartesanto
@verofabio25 @fabio.vege2
@thehuntingtonlibrary
@robin.lasser
@fajardolandscape
@grupoverdesas
@instituto_humboldt

and many more!

✨ Where in your city do you already see the vegetal and the built beginning to entangle? Tell us below 👇

🔗 Full roundtable at the link in bio
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#NatureOfCities #BotanicalGardens #UrbanNature #NatureBasedSolutions #UrbanFutures #UrbanEcology #VegetalCities #PlantsAndPeople #BotanicalTurn

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Wingspan 30 Feet, A Wearable Sanctuary/Robin Lasser and Adrienne Pao with Sasha Vermel

Performance / Sophie Lastra

Exhibition/The Art and Architecture of Maybe curated by Kelly Sicat and Judy Dennis

3D film footage by Florian Pilsl, Editing and bird composition by Robin Lasser, Cello composition by Gustavo Lorenzatti

Earlier this month Wingspan 30 Feet was performed at the Montalvo Art Center, 2026 Marcus Exhibition. Performances by Lauren Baines, Maija Fletcher, Sophie Lastra, and Sasha Vermel

Situated within a garden inhabited by native plantings, Wingspan: A Wearable Sanctuary merges body, bird, architecture, and landscape in a temporary hybrid form.

Migration and adaptation are natural conditions of survival: birds traverse territories, plants reseed and root, and architectural forms travel across time and geography. Visitors activate the work by setting a wooden bench swing in motion, triggering a layered soundscape of endangered and thriving California bird calls interwoven with human voice and an original cello composition.

In a moment of ecological precarity, joy becomes a form of resistance. What is vanishing does not fall silent. Through embodied participation, human movement amplifies what remains. The Garden Dress Tent becomes a resonant aviary, where vitality and vulnerability exist in charged balance.

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Next Friday night! Join us for 𝘌𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘐𝘧 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘦, our FREE community Marcus Festival on July 17 from 6–10pm! Get ready for an exhilarating night of music, movement, and art as we celebrate 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘵 & 𝘈𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦. Dance between multiple sound stages with Zuri Alexa, Ritmos Calientes, and LAP Fellow Juan Luna-Avin, then catch Pew Fellow Rashid Zakat’s video DJ projection on the Villa after dark.

LAP Fellow Melecio Estrella and Damara Ganley will be sharing site-responsive dances in the trees and on the grounds exploring the architecture and ecology of place. Join in the fun by helping create two community art projects: Montalvo’s Origami City and LAP Fellow Namita Paul’s Community Landscape.

This is also your chance to see 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘯: 𝘈 𝘞𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘺 fully activated and visit the SCC Saratoga library table who will bring their seed library to celebrate Montalvo’s NEW native plant garden. Finally, if you’re looking for a space to relax, join Taro Hattori at his 𝘙𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 for tea.

🎉 Click the link in our bio to RSVP!

🍴Food trucks: Waffle Roost, Yakitori Harue, Road Dogs, Rocko’s Ice Cream Tacos, Lucy’s Fruits, and Smokin’ J’s Pulled Pork Tacos by LAP residency chef Jose Ortiz, plus a no-host bar.

🚫There is NO parking at Montalvo for this event. FREE shuttles will be available from West Valley College. Rideshare services are drop-off only at Montalvo;pick-ups must be requested from West Valley College.

Photo courtesy of Ritmos Calientes.

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The Art & Architecture of Maybe, Montalvo’s 2026 Marcus Exhibition, examines the role that art, when integrated with architectural elements and sensibilities, can have in building community. While art is an act of personal communication, architecture is explicitly committed to connecting people to each other and the landscape. At the intersection of these two disciplines, the horizon line of magical thinking becomes visible.

Curated by Kelly Sicat and Judy Dennis / Commission by Montalvo Arts Center

Situated within a garden inhabited by native plantings, Wingspan: A Wearable Sanctuary merges body, bird, architecture, and landscape in a temporary hybrid form. Installation created by Robin Lasser + Adrienne Pao and Sasha Vermel.

Performed by Lauren Baines, Sophie Lastra, and Maija Fletcher.

Drawing from the historic arches of Villa Montalvo, the Dress Tent translates the estate’s architectural language into a winged, inhabitable structure that extends built space into living habitat–serving as a threshold between estate and ecology.

Migration and adaptation are natural conditions of survival: birds traverse territories, plants reseed and root, and architectural forms travel across time and geography. Visitors activate the work by setting a wooden bench swing in motion, triggering a layered soundscape of endangered and thriving California bird calls interwoven with human voice and an original cello composition. The surrounding native plantings echo the installation’s color and reinforce its field of resonance.

In a moment of ecological precarity, joy becomes a form of resistance. What is vanishing does not fall silent. Through embodied participation, human movement amplifies what remains. The Garden Dress Tent becomes a resonant aviary, where vitality and vulnerability exist in charged balance.

Video: https://vimeo.com/1185306917?fl=pl&fe=sh

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🛠️ Mark your calendars! Our 2026 Marcus Exhibition, 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙧𝙩 & 𝘼𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚, opens June 26 and is on view through November 8, 2026!

This year’s exhibition examines the role that art, when integrated with architectural sensibilities, has in building community — and challenges us to reconsider existing landscapes through the unique perspectives of thirteen contemporary artists. Across these works, bold and fantastical architectural forms serve as catalysts for collective future imagining and playful resistance.

Participating artists: Terry Berlier, Taro Hattori, Cameron Hockenson, Robin Lasser + Adrienne Pao and Sasha Vermel, Lead Pencil Studio (Annie Han and Daniel Mihalyo), Tony May, Rebeca Méndez, Lee Mingwei, Viviana Paredes, Edra Soto, and Andre Woodward.

Visit montalvoarts.org/maybe for more information or click the link in our bio!

The exhibition is made possible by the George and Judy Marcus Family Foundation and the Jo and Barry Ariko Fund for Artistic Programs. It is presented with gratitude and appreciation for the Lucas Artists Program Committee, the Montalvo Acquisition Committee, and the many partners who invest in Montalvo Arts Center.
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📅 SAVE THE DATE Friday, July 17 (6-10pm): 𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙄𝙁 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝘿𝘼𝙍𝙀, our free Marcus community festival and celebration of 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙧𝙩 & 𝘼𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚. Featuring live music, dance performances, art-making activities, food trucks and of course, a special evening projection on the Montalvo Villa. More details coming soon! RSVP at montalvoarts.org/calendar.

Artwork: Lead Pencil Studio, 𝘋𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘋𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘺, 2026, 60 yr epoxy finish on welded stainless-steel rods, 12 x 8 x 1 ft. Montalvo Arts Center 2026 Marcus Commission.
Photos by Paul Gallo

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First planted in 2012 at Montalvo Arts Center, the Edible Garden Dress Tent returned—alive again on May 1, 2026 for Art of Fashion Botanicals, activated by dancer/choreographer Lauren Baines.

Commissioned by Montalvo Arts Center— curated by Kelly Sicat and Judy Dennis—this reawakening evolves into Vanishing Wings Sanctuary (June 2026): a newly planted dress tent installation within a native garden where the gardener becomes a bird with a 30-foot wingspan.

By Robin Lasser & Adrienne Pao. In progress—stay with us.

With thanks to Montalvo Arts Center for the 2026 Dress Tent commission

@robin.lasser @adriennepao @kellycsicat @montalvoarts @lucasartres

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The view from last night’s performance. More to come!

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Join us for an intimate evening of storytelling, reflection, and creative exchange as artists discuss their works in our current exhibition.

RSVP: arttongue88.eventbrite.com

Join us for an intimate evening of storytelling, reflection, and creative exchange as artists from the Bầu Cua Cá Cọp - Gourd Crab Fish Tiger exhibition come together to share the voices behind their work.
In this special Art Tongue series, participating artists will speak about their artistic process, inspirations, and the personal and cultural narratives woven into their pieces. From concept to creation, gain deeper insight into the stories, materials, and meanings that shape each artwork.
This is a unique opportunity to connect directly with the artists, ask questions, and experience the exhibition through their perspectives.
Come listen, learn, and be part of the conversation.
Moderated by Esther Young, Chopsticks Alley’s CreativiTEA Open Mic Producer  Featured Artists:
* Saraswathy Lakshmivaraham
* Hadi Aghaee
* Robin Lasser
* Combsy
* Nina Le
* Tangying Shen
* Brandon Luu
* Angelina Melchor Nguyen
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Exhibition on View - “Bầu Cua Cá Cọp - Gourd Crab Fish Tiger” Chopsticks Alley Art proudly celebrates eight years of creativity, community, and cultural storytelling. The number eight symbolizes prosperity, harmony, and an unending flow of connection.
Under a theme inspired by the spirit of Bầu Cua Cá Cọp, the beloved Vietnamese game of chance is often played during Tết Lunar New Year. Played with three dice and six iconic symbols: a gourd, crab, fish, deer, rooster, and prawn, the game evokes luck, risk, anticipation, and joyful unpredictability.
Reflecting these qualities, the exhibition showcases artists and artworks that speak to who they are, how they see the world, and the vibrant diversity of creative expression within our community.
Exhibition dates: February 6 - May 3, 2026
Chopsticks Alley Art Gallery Open San Jose 38 S. 2nd Street San Jose, CA 95113  Gallery Hours First Fridays 1-9 pm Friday - 1-6 pm Saturday -12 pm - 4 pm

@saraswathyiy @hadiaghaeefineart @robin.lasser @combsy @byninale @bluupoet @re._birthofvenus @_evesheaven_

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An artist’s walk-through of “Landscape ReEnvisioned” @montereyart, a beautifully curated show by Helaine Glick.
Alternate materials and experimental forms tell a different story of the California landscape. Just a few views of this fantastic show, on view through April 26.

1 @tonyvictorbellaver
2 @robin.lasser , Tony, Helaine
3 Tony’s backpack journal, the source for his work.
4 curatorial statement
5 Brian Taylor
6 one of Brian’s unique books.
7 @adrienne_defendi
8 @debbieachen
9 Vincent James Waring discussing his process.
I’m missing an image of the beautiful work of @clsmstudio . So much more to see and think about here!

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