EXPO CHICAGO Announces 2019 Alignments

EXPO CHICAGO
Oct 9, 2018 8:04PM

EXPO CHICAGO, the International Exposition of Contemporary & Modern Art (September 19–22, 2019), is pleased to announce its year-round alignments with several globally recognized creative partners surrounding the eighth annual edition. In early 2019, EXPO CHICAGO will partner with Snarkitecture and Navy Pier to present the immersive installation The Beach Chicago in Navy Pier’s Aon Grand Ballroom; the third edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial will align with the exposition; the DuSable Museum of African American History’s proposed exhibition Reclamation! Pan-African Works from the Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection will align with EXPO ART WEEK at the Roundhouse; and the Ilya and Emilia Kabakov Foundation’s major public work and educational activation entitled The Ship of Tolerance will be on view during EXPO CHICAGO at Navy Pier as part of IN/SITU Outside.

“As EXPO CHICAGO looks to its eighth edition in 2019, we seek to continue strengthening our year-round partnerships with prescient creative endeavors on both a local and global scale,” said EXPO CHICAGO President | Director Tony Karman. “Opening with Snarkitecture’s monumental installation The Beach at Navy Pier in January 2019, the eighth edition of the exposition will feature numerous alignments, including the third iteration of the Chicago Architecture Biennial, the Kabakovs’ major public artwork The Ship of Tolerance, and a special exhibition of Beth Rudin DeWoody’s exhibition Reclamation! at the DuSable Museum of African American History,” he added. “These initiatives and soon to be announced programs will add important international cultural experiences to the City of Chicago, ensuring that next year’s exposition is as engaging and critically acclaimed as our past editions.”


The Beach Chicago | January, 2019


Snarkitecture, a New York-based collaborative design practice composed of Alex Mustonen, Daniel Arsham and Ben Porto will bring their large-scale interactive installation The Beach for its sixth international stop to Navy Pier in alignment with EXPO CHICAGO 2019. The immersive installation is comprised of a tall enclosure which creates a large, open room filled with over a million antimicrobial and recyclable plastic balls along with deck chairs, lifeguard chairs, umbrellas and signage that mimic the sensation of a day at the beach, complete with a pier hovering over the ‘sea’ of balls from which onlookers can watch and revel in the installation below. Guests of the project experience the familiar social cues and visual sensations of visiting a beach while simultaneously being delighted by the unique and unexpected setting.

“We're thrilled that The Beach is coming to Chicago,” said Snarkitecture artist Alex Mustonen. “and especially to Navy Pier, just blocks from many of Chicago's well-known beaches. Like much of Snarkitecture's work, The Beach invites a wide, diverse audience to participate in an elevated, immersive and memorable environment that encourages reflection and play. For us, Navy Pier is a perfect venue for The Beach, as it is a place with a history of both spectacle and culture, particularly given their public arts programming and partnership with EXPO CHICAGO.”

The Ship of Tolerance | September 16 – October, 2019


The Ilya and Emilia Kabakov Foundation presents The Ship of Tolerance, a multi-dimensional project, which includes a large-scale installation of a ship located in Polk Bros. Park at Navy Pier’s entrance. The installation will be a part of EXPO CHICAGO’s 2019 IN/SITU Outside program. Opening concurrently with the eighth edition of EXPO CHICAGO, the project will run from September 16 through October 2019. To date, The Ship of Tolerance has been installed in 12 cites internationally, connecting communities through art and music to address racism and intolerance. The Chicago Ship is an extension of an international program initiated in 2005 to overcome societal divisions through a three-pronged approach; educational initiatives held throughout Chicago schools, the building of a scale model ship, and the presentation of children’s musical performances. The alignment will also feature the exhibition of the Kabakov’s artwork in EXPO CHICAGO’s 2019 Special Exhibitions program and their participation in the /Dialogues program presented in partnership with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The Chicago Ship will be fabricated locally and consist of a sail made with 139 children’s drawings and a hull built by a professional shipwright from Manchester, UK, supported by local carpenters and shipbuilders. The public is invited to view the building process, which will begin two weeks before the opening ceremony.

“We are all afraid of the unknown,” said Artist Emilia Kabakov. “Like a child, you are afraid of something coming at you from the darkness of different religions, different races. We work with these fears—trying to eliminate them, trying to learn about the others—and trying to make our audience understand that knowledge is a tool which helps with communication. Through culture and art, you don’t even need language. You just have to be tolerant and willing to learn how to trust each other.”

The Beach and The Ship of Tolerance will both take place onsite at Navy Pier, in the Aon Grand Ballroom and Polk Bros Park, respectively. 2019 will be the eighth year that Navy Pier has hosted EXPO CHICAGO in its Festival Hall.

"The Beach Chicago and The Ship of Tolerance are shining examples of the type of artistic and cultural experiences Navy Pier looks to extend to its guests year-round," said Navy Pier Chief Program and Civic Engagement Officer Michelle T. Boone. "We look forward to partnering with EXPO CHICAGO, Snarkitecture and the artistic team of the Kabakovs to host these truly unique and interactive installations at the People's Pier in 2019. The Beach Chicago will offer guests a fun escape from the Chicago winter in January, and The Ship of Tolerance will bring an insightful and meaningful shared experience next fall."


Chicago Architecture Biennial | September 19, 2019 – January 5, 2020


The Chicago Architecture Biennial, the largest architecture and design exhibition in North America, will return for its third edition September 19, 2019 through January 5, 2020. Running concurrently with the eighth edition of EXPO CHICAGO, the exposition is pleased to partner with the Biennial, who together position the City of Chicago as a world class cultural attraction. The Biennial, which attracted over half a million visitors over the three-month run of its 2017 edition, takes place in multiple venues across the city, providing both a perspective on the vanguard of architecture today, and the cultural landscape of the city.

The Artistic Director of the 2019 Biennial, Chicago-based curator and writer Yesomi Umolu, will be joined by co-curators Sepake Angiama and Paulo Tavares to develop an innovative and engaging program of exhibitions and installations highlighting the transformative global impact of creativity and innovation across creative fields that affect the way we live, work, and organize society around the world.

“Every other year, the opening of the Biennial lines up with EXPO CHICAGO, creating a moment when the international cultural community turns its eyes to the dynamic cultural programming of our city,” noted Todd Palmer, Executive Director of the Chicago Architecture Biennial. “Chicago has a rich and nuanced history across art and architecture, and when all of these elements work in conjunction with one another, it is truly engaging, inspiring and illuminating. As our curatorial team begins their work on the 2019 biennial, we’re looking forward to working with the EXPO CHICAGO team to capitalize on the inherent synergies.”

Reclamation! Pan-African Works from the Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection |

September 19 – November 1, 2019


DuSable Museum of African American History intends to present the special exhibition Reclamation! Pan-African Works from the Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection in alignment with EXPO CHICAGO 2019 at the breathtaking rotunda of the DuSable’s historic, 1881 Daniel Burnham-designed structure known as The Roundhouse from September 19 – November 1, 2019. Comprised of over one hundred selections from DeWoody’s substantial contemporary African diaspora collection, this exhibit features an impressive range of multimedia works by artists such as Kerry James Marshall, Kehinde Wiley, Amy Sherald, Hank Willis Thomas and Yinka Shonibare MBE that engage with the complexities of migration and identity.

"I am delighted that Reclamation! will be travelling to The Roundhouse at The DuSable Museum of African American History, an incredible architectural landmark,” said Beth Rudin DeWoody. “It is a very unique and meaningful opportunity to present this exhibition in the South Side of Chicago and to create a dialogue with the city and its community."

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About the Ship of Tolerance and the Ilya and Emilia Kabakov Foundation

Ilya and Emilia Kabakov Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization established in 2012 with a mission to promote and support art and education. The Ship of Tolerance is one of the Foundation’s ambitious projects that is designed to bridge divisions, overcome segregation, racism and refugee problems by working with children through the universal language of music and art. www.shipoftolerance.org.

Orliana Morag currently acts as ambassador for the Ship of Tolerance, the globally celebrated project dedicated to educating and connecting children from different continents, cultures and identities through the universal language of art. Orliana has traveled extensively to speak to young people about cooperation and overcoming prejudice and bias, giving talks and performing in New York, Moscow, Havana, Miami, Rome, Zug, and Rostock. She is thrilled that her newly adopted city of Chicago will host the Ship next September.


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About Snarkitecture

Snarkitecture is a New York-based collaborative design practice established to investigate the boundaries between disciplines. The name is drawn from Lewis Carroll’s The Hunting of The Snark, a poem describing the “impossible voyage of an improbable crew to find an inconceivable creature.” In its search for the unknown, Snarkitecture creates work that includes large-scale projects, installations and objects. Snarkitecture’s work focuses on the reinterpretation of everyday materials, structures and programs to new and imaginative effect. With a conceptual approach centered on the importance of experience, the studio creates unexpected and memorable moments that invite people to explore and engage with their surroundings.


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About Chicago Architectural Biennial

The Chicago Architecture Biennial provides a platform for groundbreaking architectural projects and spatial experiments that demonstrate how creativity and innovation can radically transform our lived experience. Through its constellation of exhibitions, full-scale installations and programming, the Biennial invites the public to engage with and think about architecture in new and unexpected ways, and to take part in a global discussion on the future of the field.

The Biennial is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to creating an international forum on architecture and urbanism. The manifestation of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s vision for a major international architectural event and an outcome of the comprehensive cultural plan developed by Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, under the leadership of Michelle T. Boone, the inaugural 2015 Chicago Architecture Biennial was presented through the support of BP, and in partnership with the City of Chicago and the Graham Foundation.

Joseph Grima and Sarah Herda, co-artistic directors, curated the 2015 biennial, entitled The State of the Art of Architecture. The second edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial (CAB) was the largest architecture and design exhibition in North America, showcasing the transformative global impact of creativity and innovation in these fields. The 2017 Biennial featured over 140 practitioners from more than 20 countries addressing the 2017 theme “Make New History.” Artistic Directors Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee selected architects and artists whose eye-opening creations invited the public to explore how the latest architecture can and will make new history in places around the world.


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About the DuSable Museum of African American History

The DuSable Museum of African American History is one of the oldest institutions of its kind in the country. Our mission is to promote understanding and inspire appreciation of the achievements, contributions and experiences of African Americans through exhibits, programs and activities that illustrate African and African American history, culture and art. The DuSable Museum is a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate. The DuSable Museum of African American History gratefully acknowledges the Chicago Park District’s partnership, and also thanks United Airlines, the official airline of the DuSable Museum for its support. dusablemuseum.org


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About Beth Rudin DeWoody

Beth Rudin DeWoody, art collector and curator, resides between Los Angeles, New York City and West Palm Beach. She is President of The Rudin Family Foundations and Executive Vice President of Rudin Management. Her Board affiliations include the Whitney Museum of American Art, Hammer Museum, The New School, The Glass House, Empowers Africa, New Yorkers for Children, and The New York City Police Foundation. She is an Honorary Trustee at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and on the Photography Steering Committee at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach. In December 2017, DeWoody opened a private art space in West Palm Beach, which presents viewable storage of her collection, as well as exhibitions. The space also holds private tours and events.


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About Navy Pier

Located on Lake Michigan, Navy Pier is one of the top-attended nonprofit cultural destinations in the Midwest, stretching more than six city blocks and welcoming more than 9 million guests annually. Originally opened in 1916 as a shipping and recreation facility, this Chicago landmark showcases more than 50 acres of parks, restaurants, attractions, retail shops, sightseeing and dining cruise boats, exposition facilities and more. In 2018, Navy Pier continues to usher in its second century with ongoing pier-wide redevelopment efforts – including the Fifth Third Bank Family Pavilion, Peoples Energy Welcome Pavilion, 220-room hotel and more – in addition to free, year-round arts and cultural programming designed to inspire, educate and connect communities across the city and globe. For more information, visit www.navypier.org or download the free Navy Pier app for Android and iOS device users.


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About EXPO CHICAGO

EXPO CHICAGO 2018, The International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art, is presented by Art Expositions, LLC at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, hosting more than 135 leading International exhibitors presented alongside one of the highest quality platforms for global contemporary art and culture. Entering its seventh year as a leading international art fair, EXPO CHICAGO offers diverse programming including /Dialogues, IN/SITU, IN/SITU Outside, EXPO VIDEO, the Curatorial Forum, the Art Critics Forum, Special Exhibitions, EXPO Sound and OVERRIDE | A Billboard Project. In addition, EXPO CHICAGO continues to publish THE SEEN, Chicago's International Journal of Contemporary & Modern Art. 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. expochicago.com

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