EXPO CHICAGO today announced the participating artists and speakers for the core programming of the international exposition’s tenth anniversary edition. Activating Navy Pier and the surrounding city, EXPO CHICAGO’s contemporary art and cultural programming convenes artists, curators, critics, and scholars alongside leading international galleries from April 13-16, 2023.
The fair’s core programs include IN/SITU and IN/SITU Outside, distinct presentations of large-scale sculpture, video, film, and site-specific works installed in Festival Hall and across Chicago’s public spaces; OVERRIDE | A Billboard Project, a citywide initiative that displays artworks by emerging and established artists across Chicago’s digital billboard network presented in partnership with the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE); the /Dialogues panel series, presented in partnership with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), to bring art world leaders into conversation; and the Northern Trust Exchange Stage, which provides daily discussions on collecting, philanthropy, and the art market. Further cementing its place at the forefront of curatorial engagement, EXPO CHICAGO continues its annual Curatorial Forum and international Curatorial Exchange, bringing more than 75 curators from around the world to Chicago for a series of collaborative, interdisciplinary sessions and dedicated programming, and presents the second iteration of its successful Directors Summit with two public roundtable discussions and a keynote speech.
Participants in the core programs include artists, collectives, and industry leaders from across the world, including Richard Bell, Julien Creuzet, Dimitris Daskalopoulos, Brendan Fernandes, For Freedoms, Aïda Muluneh, Esmaa Mohamoud, The Floating Museum, Ebony G. Patterson, Chance the Rapper, Stephanie Syjuco, Hank Willis Thomas, Hamza Walker, and the curators of the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale’s U.S. Pavilion, Tizziana Baldenebro and Lauren Leving, along with many more.
“For the past 10 years, the exposition has created a setting for the outgrowth of art and ideas, and our programs have always been a defining strength of our contribution to Chicago and the international arts community,” said Kate Sierzputowski, Director of Programming. “This year’s robust lineup engages local and global partners, addressing universal ideas of institution building and public art through site-specific installations, conversations, and panel discussions that allow audiences to hear from the most exciting and expert voices in the art world today. We hope these programs, which are rooted in Chicago’s cultural landscape, ignite dialogues that extend beyond Navy Pier.”
A summary of the core programs offered throughout EXPO CHICAGO follows below, and the full schedule can be found at expochicago.com.
/Dialogues
Presented in partnership with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), /Dialogues brings together leading curators, artists, designers, and arts professionals for a series of panel discussions, forums, and artistic discourse on topics of the moment, including institution building and public art.
On Thursday, April 13, Chance the Rapper joins artist Hank Willis Thomas for a conversation focused on catalyzing community building through work with underrepresented artists and public art, including REACH, Thomas’s upcoming sculptural collaboration with Coby Kennedy at Chicago O’Hare International Airport presented in collaboration with DCASE. The /Dialogues stage also presents an exhibition curated by Chance of select works produced by artists from his upcoming Star Line Gallery album, in addition to artwork made by his close collaborators. In response to these works, Chance presents a series of nightly live audio experiences from Thursday to Saturday.
Additional highlights of the 2023 /Dialogues program include a conversation with Madeleine Grynsztejn, Pritzker Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA), alongside Dimitris Daskalopoulos, NEON founder and collector, and artist Brendan Fernandes; a panel with the Center for Native Futures on building organizations for Native communities in the U.S. and Canada; a roundtable with the curators of the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale’s U.S. pavilion and members of the Floating Museum, 2023 Artistic Team of the Chicago Architecture Biennial; a talk with Richard Bell focused on protest art and his practice; and a discussion with LAXART Director Hamza Walker (SAIC Adjunct Professor) on his forthcoming exhibition MONUMENTS, organized by LAXART and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA). Between panels, interstitial screenings of For Freedoms News and Brendan Fernandes’ large-scale, dance and video installation, Free Fall, for Camera (2019) (moniquemeloche) activate the /Dialogues stage. Throughout the run of the exposition, visitors can view /Dialogues programming, film screenings, and participate in book signings from the Soho House Snug, a community area provided in collaboration with Soho House Chicago.
A full list of this year’s participants is available at expochicago.com.
Exchange by Northern Trust
Hosted in the Northern Trust Anchor Lounge at Navy Pier, Exchange by Northern Trust: An Interactive Conversation Around the Art of Collecting offers VIP patrons focused panel discussions on collecting and the art market with industry leaders including Aaron Cezar, Director of Delfina Foundation; Christian Viveros-Fauné, Artistic Director of Converge 45; and Diana Campbell Betancourt, Artistic Director of the Samdani Art Foundation and Curator of Desert X. Highlights of the 2023 program include panels on the future of digital collecting with philanthropist and founder of Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation, Ella Fontanals-Cisneros, how biennials influence city infrastructure, and the lasting impact and legacy of art collections.
Real-time captioning will be available for all programming on the /Dialogues and Exchange stages throughout EXPO CHICAGO, accessible via QR code and made viewable via StreamText on any tablet or smartphone. To request ASL interpreter services for any /Dialogues panel, please contact communications@expochicago.com by March 27.
IN/SITU
EXPO CHICAGO’s IN/SITU and IN/SITU Outside programs realize ambitious large-scale sculpture, video, film, and site-specific installations from artists represented by 2023 exhibitors throughout Festival Hall and the city of Chicago. The 2023 IN/SITU program is curated by Claudia Segura, Curator of Exhibitions and Collection at MACBA, Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona. Titled Y el mar tomó la palabra (And the sea spoke), this year’s program employs the poetic and political potential of fable-telling to imagine artistic perceptions of the future and the ancient past, featuring both natural narratives and unknown histories. The 2023 program features a selection of new and existing works, including new site-specific pieces created for this year’s edition by Carlos Alfonso (Casas Riegner, Bogotá), Richard Bell (OSMOS, New York), Julien Creuzet (DOCUMENT; Chicago, Lisbon), Jeanne Gaigher (Southern Guild, Cape Town), Andrea Galvani (CURRO, Guadalajara), Paul Mignard (Jérôme Poggi, Paris), Ebony G. Patterson (moniquemeloche, Chicago), Sun Ra (Corbett Vs. Dempsey, Chicago), Carlos Rolón (Hexton, Aspen), Nep Sidhu (Patel Brown; Toronto, Montreal), and Rosario Zorraquin (Isla Flotante, Buenos Aires).
Information on the 2023 IN/SITU program is available at expochicago.com.
IN/SITU Outside
IN/SITU Outside presents temporary public art installations along the lakefront and throughout Chicago’s neighborhoods and parks, presented in partnership with the Chicago Park District (CPD), the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), and Navy Pier. New additions to the program for 2023 include Derrick Adams’ Funtime Unicorn (2022), installed at Polk Bros Park at Navy Pier; Hank Willis Thomas and Coby Kennedy’s upcoming sculpture REACH at Chicago O’Hare International Airport; and The Garden (2022), a large-scale inflatable sculpture by The Floating Museum, the Artistic Team of the 2023 Chicago Architecture Biennial, installed at Navy Pier’s Compass Rose. On view across Chicago, 12 new photographs by Aïda Muluneh are presented on JCDecaux bus shelters as part of Public Art Fund’s exhibition Aïda Muluneh: This is where I am. The exhibition is on view in Chicago, New York, and Boston in the United States, and Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire from March 1–May 21, 2023.
For more information on the 2023 IN/SITU Outside program, visit expochicago.com.
OVERRIDE | A Billboard Project
From April 3–23, digital billboards and information panels across Chicago’s Central Business District display a curated selection of artworks as part of OVERRIDE | A Billboard Project, a citywide public art initiative. OVERRIDE is an ongoing collaboration between EXPO CHICAGO and the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) as well as the Chicago Digital Network to exhibit artwork by non-gallery represented Chicago-based artists alongside internationally recognized artists exhibiting at EXPO CHICAGO. By activating public spaces typically devoted to advertising, OVERRIDE offers artists the opportunity to engage new approaches of presentation and to explore the impact and dissemination of visual culture.
Featured artists in the 2023 OVERRIDE program include Lola Ayisha Ogbara, Ceargio Bagenda, Pelle Cass (Foto Relevance, Houston), Rico Gatson (Miles McEnery Gallery, New York), Kristin McWharter, Esmaa Mohamoud (Kavi Gupta, Chicago), Aïda Muluneh (Public Art Fund, Jenkins Johnson Gallery; San Francisco, New York), Max Sansing, Eddie Santana White aka “Edo,” and Stephanie Syjuco (Ryan Lee Gallery, New York).
Visit expochicago.com for more information on the 2023 participants and a full list of locations.
Curatorial Programming
EXPO CHICAGO serves as a vital centerpoint for regional, national, and international curators to discuss pressing issues in the field and new ways of working with artists. The 2023 edition of the annual Curatorial Forum, presented in partnership with Independent Curators International (ICI), gathers over 50 curators from across the country to discuss topics related to the notion of care in the curatorial field. The Forum features a keynote speech by Victoria Noorthoorn, Director of Museo Moderno, Buenos Aires on Thursday, April 13, during which she will discuss the processes of development and transformation undertaken at the Museo Moderno, and the challenges she faced as these played out against a background of economic fragility and social vulnerability. The U.S. Curatorial Forum participants are joined by more than 25 international curators who participate annually in EXPO CHICAGO's Curatorial Exchange. The Exchange partners with cultural and governmental organizations to fund curators from around the world to participate in the program, which encourages sustained engagement with Chicago’s cultural community. This year, the Exchange welcomes curators from 13 countries, the most to date, and sees participants from Argentina, Australia, Lithuania, Mexico, and Taiwan for the first time. The full list of curators participating in the 2023 Exchange can be found at expochicago.com.
Many international participants return to the city and exposition—this year, Jeanette Bisschops (2022 Exchange Participant, Netherlands) curates a performance on-site at Navy Pier by Michele Rizzo, in addition to a video program in Festival Hall of Netherlands-based artists featuring works by Simnikiwe Buhlungu, Kate Cooper, Remy Jungerman, Rory Pilgrim, and Eoghan Ryan.
The exposition also hosts its second annual Directors Summit, shaped in partnership with museum consultant Jill Snyder. The Summit gathers emerging art museum leaders from across the country for a three-day series of conversations on the future of museum leadership and institutional reinvention, featuring a keynote lecture by Paul R. Provost, founding CEO of Art Bridges Foundation, at the University Club of Chicago on Saturday, April 15 and a two-part /Dialogues panel on designing inclusive museum cultures on Friday, April 14 and Saturday, April 15.
For more information on the curatorial initiatives and Directors Summit visit expochicago.com.
About EXPO CHICAGO
EXPO CHICAGO, The International Exposition of Contemporary & Modern Art features leading international galleries alongside a leading platform for contemporary art and cultural programming. Hosted within historic Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, EXPO CHICAGO presents a diverse and inventive program, including /Dialogues (presented in partnership with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago) and Exchange by Northern Trust: An Interactive Conversation Around the Art of Collecting, unrivaled talks programs for both public and VIP audiences; IN/SITU, dynamic on-site installations highlighting large-scale sculpture, film, and site-specific work; and major public art initiatives, including IN/SITU Outside, public art installed throughout Chicago Park District locations, and OVERRIDE | A Billboard Project, a curated selection of international artists throughout the city’s digital billboard network. The EXPO CHICAGO program also features an unprecedented commitment to host curatorial initiatives during the exposition, including the Curatorial Forum in partnership with Independent Curators International (ICI), and the Curatorial Exchange, which partners with foreign agencies and consulates to expand the exposition’s global reach EXPO CHICAGO is presented by Art Expositions, LLC. Under the leadership of President and Director Tony Karman, EXPO CHICAGO draws upon the city’s rich history as a vibrant international cultural destination, while highlighting the region’s contemporary arts community and inspiring its collector base. For more information on EXPO CHICAGO, visit expochicago.com.
About the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) supports artists and cultural organizations, invests in the creative economy, and expands access and participation in the arts throughout Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. As a collaborative cultural presenter, arts funder, and advocate for creative workers, our programs and events serve Chicagoans and visitors of all ages and backgrounds—downtown and in diverse communities across our city—to strengthen and celebrate Chicago. DCASE produces some of the city’s most iconic festivals, markets, events, and exhibitions at the Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park, and in communities across the city—serving a local and global audience of 25 million people. The Department offers cultural grants and resources, manages public art, supports TV and film production and other creative industries, and permits special events throughout Chicago.
About ICI
Independent Curators International (ICI) supports the work of curators to help create stronger art communities through experimentation, collaboration, and international engagement. Curators are arts community leaders and organizers who champion artistic practice; build essential infrastructures and institutions; and generate public engagement with art. ICI’s collaborative programs connect curators across generations, and across social, political, and cultural borders. They form an international framework for sharing knowledge and resources—promoting cultural exchange, access to art, and public awareness for the curator’s role.
About Northern Trust
Northern Trust Corporation (Nasdaq: NTRS) is a leading provider of wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking to corporations, institutions, affluent families, and individuals. Founded in Chicago in 1889, Northern Trust has a global presence with offices in 25 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., and across 23 locations in Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region. As of December 31, 2022, Northern Trust had assets under custody/administration of US$13.6 trillion, and assets under management of US$1.2 trillion. For more than 130 years, Northern Trust has earned distinction as an industry leader for exceptional service, financial expertise, integrity, and innovation. Visit us on northerntrust.com. Follow us on Twitter @NorthernTrust or Northern Trust Corporation on LinkedIn.
Northern Trust Corporation, Head Office: 50 South La Salle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603 U.S.A., incorporated with limited liability in the U.S. Global legal and regulatory information can be found at https://www.northerntrust.com/terms-and-conditions.
About School of the Art Institute of Chicago
For more than 155 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s most influential artists, designers, and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program ranked number two in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago museum, on-campus galleries, and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world, and adults, teens, and kids in our Continuing Studies classes have the opportunity to explore their creative sides, build portfolios, and advance their skills. Notable alumni and faculty include Georgia O’Keeffe, Nick Cave, David Sedaris, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Cynthia Rowley, Michelle Grabner, Richard Hunt, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and Jeff Koons.