Lock, Stock, and Workshop

Locks, like borders, are manmade inventions that define ownership, not just of property but of people (think of chain gangs or suspects in a jail cell). The lock has also become a potent metaphor for control and safekeeping, finding its way into slang. We have Al Gore’s “lockbox,” “lockdown,” “lock and load,” and — perhaps most revealingly — “wedlock.” Artist Lucas Murgida takes delight in freeing the sneaky meanings of these phrases, and of our reliance on keys in general. He is a trained locksmith and founder of the Locksmithing Institute, a three-year traveling project that teaches young students how to pick locks; unshackle handcuffs; and find, make, and lose keys, of the material and metaphorical varieties. Tonight, the institute's eleventh and final lesson promises "a demonstration on opening doors without keys," thereby begging the question: If you free your mind will the rest follow?
Fri., Aug. 22, 6 p.m., 2008

 
My Voice Nation Help
0 comments
 
©2013 SF Weekly, LP, All rights reserved.
Browse Voice Nation
  • Voice Places San Francisco / Bay Area

    Voice Places

    Find everything you're looking for in your city

  • Happy Hour App

    Happy Hour App

    Find the best happy hour deals in your city

  • Daily Deals

    Daily Deals

    Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%

  • Best Of

    Best Of...

    Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city