Extended: American Framing

Wrightwood 659 Spring/Summer 2022 exhibitions
Behind a brick curtain in 2018, an ordinary Chicago-style apartment building was quietly transformed into an extraordinary exhibition space. Though some walk by without a passing glance at the familiar masonry façade, visitors to Wrightwood 659 Chicago enter to find an architectural masterpiece by world-renowned architect Tadao Ando, a stunning showcase for architecture and socially engaged art. The Wrightwood 659 space is uniquely intimate while bold in its artistic vision—a masterful re-imagining and a testament to Ando’s genius.

The familiar can conceal the remarkable. Wrightwood 659’s Spring/Summer 2022 exhibitions bring everyday life into view, deepening social engagement, expanding regional histories, encouraging conversation often obscured by dominant ideologies, and celebrating access to democratic practices. These wide-ranging exhibitions from the farthest corners of the globe call attention to the often-overlooked, transporting you to new discoveries, one of which is American Framing. 

American Framing
“earnest….genially curious…[American Framing] makes a case for wood framing as a metaphor for America itself…” Architectural Record

Originating in the early 19th century, softwood construction was a pragmatic solution to a need for an accessible building system among settlers with limited wealth, technical skills, and building traditions. Wood framing has been the dominant construction system ever since—more than 90 percent of new homes in the U.S. today are wood-framed. This accessibility shaped building’s early development and continues to influence contemporary life while reflecting democratic ideals in subtle but powerful ways. Despite its ubiquity, wood framing is also one of the country’s most overlooked contributions to architecture. A variety of prejudices and habits explain its absence from intellectual discourse, which tends to focus on more rarified building techniques while ignoring the extraordinary possibilities hidden in ordinary forms. American Framing introduces the world of wood framing directly, allowing visitors to experience firsthand its spaces, forms, and techniques. The full-scale work expresses the profound aesthetic power of the structural method underlining most buildings in the United States.

Other current Wrightwood 659 exhibitions include Rirkrit Tiravanija: (who’s afraid of red, yellow, and green). His work relies on real-time experience and exchange, linking the creation of art with viewership and participation. In his installation of (who’s afraid of red, yellow, and green), the gallery is recast as a communal dining space where visitors share bowls of curry while observing local artists create ever-evolving images of civil protests on the walls.

In addition, Wrightwood 659 hosts MOGA: Modern Women & Daughters in 1930s Japan. From motherhood to beauty, this exhibition reflects on the varied and changing expectations of Japan’s modern woman.

Last, We Shall Defy: Shahidul Alam is a compelling and relevant testimony to the power of the human spirit and fragility of democracy by Bangladeshi photographer, writer, and human rights activist Alam, and his creative partners .

Support for these exhibitions is provided by Alphawood Foundation Chicago.

American Framing is presented at Wrightwood 659 by Alphawood Exhibitions in cooperation with the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). American Framing was originally made possible by The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State and the University of Illinois Chicago for presentation at the Pavilion of the United States at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia.

Rirkrit Tiravanija: (who’s afraid of red, yellow, and green) is organized by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.

All exhibitions are on view through July 30, 2022. Get tickets and information at wrightwood659.org.