September 18–21, 2014
Navy Pier
600 East Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
EXPO CHICAGO, The International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art, announces more than 25 special exhibitions and several special projects to be included in the third annual exposition. Joining 140 leading galleries representing 17 countries and 43 cities from around the world, EXPO’s special exhibitions and special projects programming offers unique, high quality exhibitions and site-specific work throughout Navy Pier’s iconic Festival Hall. Complementing the surrounding elements of the exposition, these programs illustrate and preserve the important relationship between contemporary and modern art and non-profit organizations.
Highlighting this commitment, select special exhibitions from some of the top museums, universities, organizations and institutions include The FLAG Art Foundation‘s SHAQ LOVES PEOPLE, an exhibition featuring portraits of people of various races, cultures and ethnic backgrounds by both emerging and established international artists, curated by 15-time NBA All-Star Shaquille O’Neal; Human Rights Watch‘s Teach Us to Outgrow Madness by Alfredo Jaar, inspired by the writing of Nobel laureate Kenzaburo Oe; and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) presenting Jenny Kendler’s Tell it to the Birds, created specifically for EXPO CHICAGO and conceived as an imaginative attempt to bridge the gap between human and animal minds. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago will feature some of the highest quality graduate student work curated by artist and Assistant Professor in the Painting and Drawing department at SAIC José Lerma; a curated project by Theaster Gates titled Retreat will also be on view, combining architectural elements and living green structures created by Erika Allen and Mitchell Squire; The National Museum of Mexican Art‘s Border Crossings will bring together a group of young emerging artists from both sides of the border. Additionally, Laumeier Sculpture Park will present New Territories and Raqs Media Collective, a two-part exhibition exploring the relationship between contemporary art and the natural environment seeking to multiply the organization’s geographic and cultural breadth; the Union League Club of Chicago will present a museum-quality collection that tells the unique story of art in Chicago—both past and present; and Vox Populi will curate a selection of contemporary work by emerging Philadelphia-based artists.
Other special exhibitions include: Aperture Foundation, Artadia, Artslant, Bad at Sports, Bill Viola‘s Martyrs (Earth, Air, Fire, Water), Chicago Artists Coalition’s BOLT Residency, Columbia College Chicago, The Conservation Center, Hyde Park Art Center, International Sculpture Center, Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, National Base for International Cultural Trade (Shanghai), The Renaissance Society, Threewalls, the University of Chicago, VMU Galerija 101/The Art Fund and Whitechapel Gallery.
In addition, EXPO CHICAGO is proud to present special projects on view throughout Navy Pier’s Festival Hall during the exposition including: 6018North’s Bling Bling; ArtReview Live‘s dienstag abend; John Preus’s Social Furniture; Monika Wulfers‘s Five Equal Lines, but not a pentagon; Erik L. Peterson‘s Seep as part of the BOLT Residency’s special exhibition; a collaboration between artist Paula Crown and architect Jeanne Gang titled WALL-SPACE: The Non-Architecture of the Studio Wall; and Ordinary Projects’ performative series By the Horns, a presentation that will take place throughout opening night.
For full descriptions on all special exhibitions and special projects, visit www.expochicago.com/programs.
