Every city needs a small gallery with a big brain. The ambitious Southern Exposure has long fostered S.F.'s geeky art scene, specializing in institutional critique and participatory projects. Last year, after a temporary layover at Mission and 25th streets, the artist-run gallery found itself homeless. Rather than curling up in a cardboard box, however, Southern Exposure collaborated with other galleries and organizations on public art projects such as panel discussions and audio walking tours. In September, it found a temporary home at 14th and Valencia streets in a 2,000-square-foot gallery complete with a backyard. To celebrate, the gallery showed "Grounded?," its annual juried exhibition. Among the pieces was a video that played back a scene from the gallery itself, slightly delayed — a suitably brainy metaphor for its roving identity.


