Premier Galleries, Programming and Exhibitions
May 1 – 4, 2009
Chicago’s Merchandise Mart
222 Merchandise Mart Plaza,
12th Floor,
Chicago, IL 60654
Offering a comprehensive survey starting with early 20th Century modern masters up through the most celebrated artists of our times, Art Chicago includes works in a wide range of media. International in scope, the fair will host galleries from Spain, England, Germany, Canada, India, Korea, France, Mexico, China and Japan, as well as dealers throughout the US.
In an exceptional alliance with the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Art Chicago coincides with the opening of Take your time: Olafur Eliasson and will host a special First Focus preview to benefit the museum.
Onsite Exhibitions
An original Buckminster Fuller geodesic dome will be on site, courtesy of Max Protetch Gallery. A representation of his influence on art, design and architecture, it also serves as a complement to the MCA’s concurrent exhibition Buckminster Fuller: Starting with the Universe.
Partisan, curated by Mary Jane Jacob, School of Art Institute of Chicago, features work that addresses social and political ideas. With hopes of initiating continued dialogue about art, activism and social change, Partisan provides a critical space of thought-provoking, highly-charged works.
New Insight returns as an exhibition of top MFA students from influential graduate art programs such as Yale, Hunter, RISD, UCLA and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Curated by Susanne Ghez, the Renaissance Society, New Insight is a platform for innovative ideas and fresh talent.
The Hairy Who and Imagist Legacy in Contemporary Art will honor Chicago’s legendary artists best known for a colorful, irreverent and often vulgar aesthetic. Curated by Lynne Warren, MCA Chicago, the exhibition will include contemporary artists who demonstrate such influences in their work.
Panel Discussions and Public Programs
Art Chicago Speaks
Art Chicago is a series of programs featuring an international roster of artists, critics, collectors and curators.
In Artists as Catalysts for New Ways of Working, artists Catherine Sullivan and Pedro Reyes, along with curators Aimee Chang, the Hammer Museum and Julie Rodrigues Widholm of the MCA, discuss the innovative ways that artist residencies can benefit both artist and institution.
Inventive shifts in the building and display of private and corporate collections which exemplify new, alternative models will be addressed in Beyond Collecting: New Models for Contemporary Art Collections featuring Paige West, The West Collection, Victor Zamudio-Taylor, Jumex Collection, Jacqueline Lawrence, the UBS Collection, Alexander “Sandy” Kemper, The Collectors Fund and Jennifer Phelps, the Chambers Luxury Art Hotel.
CONVERGE Chicago: Contemporary Curators Forum, May 1-2
Born of an increased need for dialogue CONVERGE will assemble 30+ curators from museums including the Whitney Museum, Hammer Museum, Miami MoCA, the New Museum and the Studio Museum, together in public programs and panels to discuss topics confronting museum and curatorial practice in the changing economic climate.
With the fair’s critical mass and the support of Chicago’s own world-class institutions, the forum will provide the opportunity for curators to engage in meaningful dialogue about pressing topics. CONVERGE highlights include:
Museums in a Time of Crisis, will be led by Michael Rush, The Rose Museum, and will address museum de-accessioning practices, the symbolic value of public collections, institutional transparency, and the role of the museum in tough times.
In Past, Present, Future: Curators Speak on the Three Biggest Challenges and Opportunities They Face Today, dynamic curators address their practice at increasingly relevant and influential regional art centers. Moderated by Stephanie Smith, the Smart Museum, panelists include Anthony Huberman, Contemporary Art Museum Saint Louis, Peter Eleey, Walker Art Center, Margo Crutchfield, Cleveland MoCA and Jane Simon, Madison MoCA.
For more information on Art Chicago Speaks and CONVERGE, visit www.artchicago.com
