You will have revelations along felled branches and longer roots/routes
September 17–December 19, 2025
Chicago Illinois 60611
United States
Lagos-based artist Temitayo Ogunbiyi brings to The Arts Club of Chicago a series of botanical drawings and paintings, along with a newly-commissioned installation in the garden. In preparing for this exhibition, her first in the Midwest, Ogunbiyi has focused attention on local plant life and its medicinal capacities. She sits down with New York Times contributor Siddhartha Mitter, known for his work about creative communities, to discuss these ideas and her practice at large. As an extension of the exhibition, there will be a number of community activations both on site and in the city of Chicago. The opening night conversation is co-sponsored by Goethe-Institut.
Register here: In-person / Virtual
Sunday September 28, 1–4pm
Off-site Ice Cream Pop-Up
Pretty Cool Ice Cream at Humboldt Arboreal Society
Come out to Humboldt Park to dance on a Sunday and taste an ice cream flavor specially designed for Temitayo Ogunbiyi’s Arts Club of Chicago exhibition in collaboration with Pretty Cool Ice Cream. Humboldt Arboreal Society is a monthly seasonal dance party in Humboldt Park, and Pretty Cool Ice Cream will be on site with a refrigerated cart serving a sorghum-popcorn-chili-peanut flavor bringing together flavors from the midwest and Lagos.
Follow Humboldt Arboreal Society on instagram at @humboldtarboreal for location details and updates
Saturday October 11, 1–3pm
Public program: Plant Salves Workshop in the Garden with SpaceShift Collective
Chicago-based SpaceShift Collective convenes in The Arts Club's Garden and Drawing Room for a weekend activation in response to Temitayo Ogunbiyi's exhibition currently on view, featuring custom plant-inspired flavors from local ice cream makers. SpaceShift, in a similar spirit, will explore restorative properties of roots, fronds, oils and essences derived from powerful plants like yarrow, comfrey, turmeric and mugwort to create concoctions for healing and hydration. Visitors will leave with their own handmade remedies, ready for the season ahead. Bring a simple family recipe or wellness tradition to share! And have some ice cream!
Tuesday October 28, 6pm
Public program: Visual Art
Exhibition tour with Curator Janine Mileaf
Arts Club Executive Director and Chief Curator Janine Mileaf will lead a tour of the exhibition. Join the public in a walking discussion about the details and passages of Ogunbiyi’s installation and outdoor commission.
Thursday November 20, 6pm
Evening Public program: Stephanie Morningstar on Indigenous Plant Knowledge
In conjunction with artist Temitayo Ogunbiyi’s exhibition, indigenous scholar and practitioner Stephanie Morningstar speaks on themes related to her work and to Ogunbiyi’s. A storyteller connecting people, plants, and the land, Stephanie bridges Indigenous and Western paradigms, helping communities reclaim relationships with the natural world and each other. This program is co-sponsored by Goethe-Institut.
