SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- Cain Schulte Contemporary Art San Francisco & Berlin's joint exhibition Magna Carta explores the diverse and innovative creations of international artists who work with and on paper. The 20 acclaimed and emerging artists involved have been asked to create pieces thematically anchored in an investigation of the 13th-century legal document the Magna Carta, which is widely considered a pivotal turning point in the attempt to establish individual liberties, and a key element in the radical transformation of constitutional thought. The works in this exhibition explore contemporary issues focusing on the protection of personal freedom, individual rights, and unlawful imprisonment. The exhibition seeks to highlight the universality and contemporary relevance of the issues emanating from the Magna Carta in today's increasingly globalized world.

The artists involved hail from many countries, including Germany, Israel, Italy, The Netherlands, and across the United States. The breadth alone of the styles and visions they bring to the topic is inherently an illuminating study of cultural differences. The cadre of subjects addressed spans the Abu Ghraib torture atrocities, Japanese bondage techniques, illegal immigration, as well as the resilience of religious dogmas, the possibilities of Utopian organizations of space, and the visual codification of legal systems in medieval textile patterns.

The works on display range from small charcoal and ink drawings to large experimental sculptures. Some of the works offer novel perspectives on the deterioration and transgressions of the Magna Carta's ideals by focusing on current interpretations of cultural colonialism. Other artists have conceptualized the literal translation of Magna Carta ("big paper") as a basis for their thematic explorations within the limits of the medium of paper.

Curated by directors Marina Cain and Kit Schulte, the Magna Carta exhibition will open at the San Francisco, US gallery on November 17, 2010 and will then continue on to Berlin, DE for its opening on March 18, 2011. Each location will show a variation of works created by a selected group of gallery and guest artists. Magna Carta is the first of an annually occurring group exhibition, jointly produced by the Cain Schulte galleries as part of an intercultural conversation of contemporary art.