The Wattis presents The Tramp, Justin Caguiat and Rafael Delacruz’s first institutional exhibition on the West Coast
Justin Caguiat and Rafael Delacruz, production still from The Tramp, 2026, (work in progress, 16 mm, color, sound). Courtesy of the artists.
San Francisco, CA—April 13, 2026—CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts presents The Tramp, an exhibition by Bay Area-based artists Justin Caguiat and Rafael Delacruz. On view June 10 through November 21, 2026, the exhibition brings together a newly commissioned film, installation, painting, and prints, marking the artists’ first institutional exhibition on the West Coast.
At the heart of the exhibition is a new film by Caguiat and Delacruz that follows the characters Wesley, his dog Chips, and Hiroko as they wander the streets of Oakland and the fields of Half Moon Bay. Dressed in baggy pants, a snug jacket, and a bowler hat, the film draws upon Charlie Chaplin’s iconic character “The Tramp,” first introduced in a 1915 silent film of the same name. Originally filmed at Essanay Studios in Fremont, California, Chaplin’s Tramp was a mischievous character navigating the margins of a rapidly modernizing society, using wit and humor to evade authority.
For the exhibition at the Wattis, Caguiat and Delacruz transform the gallery into an immersive environment, highlighting the inner workings of their creative, collaborative process. Deconstructed production sets are repurposed as exhibition furniture, while storyboards, behind-the-scenes photographs, costumes, prints, and ephemera are assembled within the exhibition space.
Through humor and pathos, Caguiat and Delacruz draw on their kinship with Chaplin’s character to reflect on the demands of the art world and the changing social landscape of San Francisco. Developed through the artists’ ongoing collaboration, the exhibition includes paintings and drawings that have been passed between the artists. The Tramp offers a view into their shared practice while inviting reflection on both the precarity and possibility in contemporary life.
The opening reception for The Tramp is June 10, 2026 from 6 to 8 pm.
Justin Caguiat and Rafael Delacruz: The Tramp is curated by Daisy Nam, Zlot Family director and chief curator and Diego Villalobos, former associate curator.
The Wattis Institute is generously supported by Mary and Harold Zlot, Teiger Foundation, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, and San Francisco Grants for the Arts; the Wattis Leadership Circle: Jonathan Gans, Abigail Turin, and Katie and Matt Paige; and the Curators’ Forum members. Phyllis C. Wattis was the generous founding patron.