Blank pixel used during image takedowns
While the Windy City might be home to Chicago staples like deep dish pizza, Derrick Rose, and Kanye West, last weekend it played host to artists and galleries from around the world.
From Sept. 19-22, art enthusiasts visited the second annual EXPO Chicago,The International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art. The event, which took place at Festival Hall in Navy Pier, included over 125 international galleries and a wide array of programming that had everything from artist discussions to special exhibitions. Here's are 10 Highlights from Expo Chicago 2013 in case you're sad you missed it.
RELATED: 30 Must-See Art Pieces at Frieze New York 2013
RELATED: Art Basel Miami 2012 Highlights
Metropolis by Vaughn Bell
Presented by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), "Metropolis" is a four-towered terrarium made by Seattle-based artist, Vaughn Bell. Each tower, filled with native Midwestern plants, represents a skyscraper. Viewers were invited to place their heads inside the terrarium, giving them a unique way to explore their relationships with nature. As a bonus, EXPO-goers were also allowed to adopt their own "Pocket Biospheres" for free—as long as they signed written contracts to take care of them.
Bridge by Glenn Kaino
Throughout the weekend, EXPO visitors gazed at Glenn Kaino's Bridge as it hung from the vaulted ceilings of Festival Hall. From far away, what seemed to be slats of a golden footbridge were actually the arms of Olympic gold medalist, Tommie Smith. During the 1968 Olympics, Smith, after he had just won gold in the 200-meter dash, he raised his fist on the podium during the national anthem. This image soon became largely symbolic of the Black Power movement. Bridge was a part of EXPO Chicago's IN/SITU, a program that focuses on large-scale, site-specific works by international artists.
&& by Karl Haendel
Above the emergency exit, on pillars, and yes—even in the bathroom, Karl Haendel's "&&" was scattered throughout EXPO Chicago for viewers to discover and enjoy. The double vinyl ampersands, found in various sizes around Festival Hall, were placed in full sight while others were more discreet. Although the sets of double ampersands looked similar, each one had its own unique identity, playing on ideas of duplication and subtleties of change. "&&" was also a part of IN/SITU "Levity/Gravity."
EXPO Video
In partnership with Columbia College, EXPO Chicago presented "EXPO Video," a showcase of innovative film, video and new media pieces by artists chosen from the exposition's 125 participating galleries. EXPO visitors sat on log seats and watched screens incased in wooden displays, adding to the overall viewing experience. The collection of work included artists like Cao Fei, Glenda Leon, and Dawoud Bey, and was curated by Dean Otto, program manager at the film/video department at Minneapolis' Walker Art Center. EXPO Video also featured a film by Columbia College graduate student, Ahmed Hamad, which focuses on the use of drones in his homeland of Gaza Strip, Palestine.
Dialogues: Highlight (LaToya Ruby Frazier and Karen Irvine)
On Sunday, Sept. 22, EXPO Chicago, along with The School of The Art Institute of Chicago, featured photographer and media artist, LaToya Ruby Frazier, in their program "Dialogues." Frazier, who has documented her family and community of Braddock, Pa. for the past decade, spoke about the socioeconomic and intergenerational impact behind her work. She also gave insight on the video installation presented at the EXPO by the Museum of Contemporary Photography. Using photos and videos of her family, Frazier explores deeper issues of social injustice in her hometown and similar cities throughout the United States.
Design Highlights
Whether it was a white canopy or a spaceship-looking dome, it wasn't hard to see that the actual design of EXPO Chicago made it an art piece in itself. The brainchild of Jeanne Gang and Studio Gang Architects, the EXPO layout mimicked the grid system of Chicago's streets. Its "main avenues" helped EXPO-goers navigate through Festival Hall's massive space, allowing them to view multiple exhibits at a time without getting lost. Overhead were three distinctive art installations, each in the shape of a cone, which signified main areas in the expo, such as EXPO Video and EXPO Café. Under the silver cone, you could find Bend, a design element created by Snarkitecture and Volume gallery, which featured upholstered cylinders that viewers could lounge on, play with, or rearrange.
"William John Kennedy: The Warhol Museum Edition"
Presented by The Andy Warhol Museum, viewers were given a closer look into the life of Andy Warhol at the special photo exhibit "William John Kennedy: The Warhol Museum Edition." It featured five signed photographs of Warhol in 1964, taken by American photographer William John Kennedy. This limited edition box set was the first print portfolio released in the museum's history. The exhibit also presented a limited edition photograph of Kennedy's most iconic piece, Warhol Holding the Marilyn Acetate.
EXPO Chicago Shuttles
As if it wasn't big enough, EXPO Chicago, in conjunction with the Chicago Gallery News, provided free shuttle services to and from various museums and galleries in Chicago. You could choose from the "River North Circuit," which included the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, or the "West Loop Circuit," which included the Art Institute of Chicago. The shuttles gave EXPO-goers the chance to fully immerse themselves in the local art and culture of the city.
Untitled by Andreas Lolis
Andreas Lolis' Untitled is a contemporary take on the phrase, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." As a part of EXPO Chicago's IN/SITU, it fit in perfectly with Curator Shamim M. Momin's theme of "Levity/Gravity." Each cardboard box and piece of packing foam was made completely out of marble, no additional color or dye needed. Downplaying the preciousness of the marble by disguising it as everyday packing material, Lolis might have made some viewers wonder if they were just looking at was someone else's mess.
Home presented by 6018 North
If you needed a space to lounge, work or eat, Home presented by 6018 North, was the place to be. A literal "home away from home," it included a kitchen, studio, bedroom, and living room each created by four different artists. In the kitchen designed by John Preus and Dilettante Studios, visitors were offered grapes and wine. They could then wander into the disco-inspired studio of Lise Haller Baggesen and unwind in the meditative atmosphere of Jane Jerardi's bedroom. The living room, made by Sabina Ott, was the perfect space for groups to "chill out" before they headed back into the busy walkways of EXPO Chicago.