The fall museum season in art is one of the best-balanced in recent years. More than 70 exhibitions in Chicago and suburbs represent many media, artists young and old, and cultures other than our own. Also gratifying is the number of institutions that have collaborated to present shows in greater depth than they could do alone.
Some larger exhibitions — Toulouse-Lautrec at the Art Institute, an investigation of art and tourism at the Museum of Contemporary Art — are scheduled after the turn of the year. However, my highlights come only from 2004; shows thereafter will be surveyed closer to the time they occur. The view today is rich but decidedly short-term.
“GENE(SIS): CONTEMPORARY ART EXPLORES HUMAN GENOMICS”: Photographs, installations, video and computer-mediated art on the theme of genetic research; continuing through Nov. 28 at Northwestern University’s Mary and Leigh Block Gallery, 40 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston; 847-491-4000.
“YANG FUDONG: FIVE FILMS”: The Chinese filmmaker receives a screening of some of his lyrical black-and-white, 35 mm works, including one recently produced by the Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago; Sept. 12-Oct. 24 at Renaissance Society, 5811 S. Ellis Ave.; 773-702-8670.
“HOT MIX — JOHN PHILLIPS, SELECTED WORKS 1979-2004”: Paintings and drawings by a Chicago artist who anticipated the fusion of abstraction and Pop art that dominates abstract painting today; Sept. 30-Nov. 6 at Columbia College, A+D 11th St. Gallery, 72 E. 11th St.; 312-344-6156.
AMERICAN HORIZONS: THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF ART SINSABAUGH”: The first major exhibition devoted to the late photographer, educator and student of Chicago’s Institute of Design; Oct. 2-Jan. 2 at Art Institute Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave.; 312-443-3600.
BETWEEN PAST AND FUTURE: NEW PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO FROM CHINA”: A selection of 125 works by Chinese artists from the decade; Oct. 2-Jan. 16
Smart Museum, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave.; 773-702-8670 and Oct. 2-Jan. 23 at Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave.; 312-280-2660.
DENNIS KOWALSKI: A RETROSPECTIVE, 1973-2003″: More than 40 works the idiosyncratic artist and teacher formerly of Chicago; Oct. 3-Nov. 14 at Evanston Art Center, 2603 Sheridan Road, Evanston; 847-475-5300 and Oct. 3-Nov. 14 Suburban Fine Arts Center, Sheridan Road at Park Avenue, Highland Park; 847-432-1888.
“MACHU PICCHU: UNVEILING THE MYSTERY OF THE INCAS”: 400 gold and silver pieces, ceramics and textiles in what is said to be the largest exhibition of Inca artifacts in the United States; Oct. 15-Feb. 13 at Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive; 312-665-7100.
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“CAMERA/ACTION: PERFORMANCE AND PHOTOGRAPHY”: The relationship between live performance and photographic documentation shown through the work of 17 artists; Oct. 15-Dec. 23 at Museum of Contemporary Photography, 600 S. Michigan Ave.; 312-663-5554.
“ZHOU BROTHERS: 30 YEARS”: The first United States retrospective of more than 100 collaborative paint-ings, drawings, prints and sculpture by the Chicago-based artists from China; Oct. 9-Jan. 9 at Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 Cottage Hill Ave., Elmhurst; 630-834-0202 and Oct. 16-Jan. 2 at Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St.; 312-346-3278.
“HERO, HAWK, AND OPEN HAND: AMERICAN INDIAN ART OF THE ANCIENT MIDWEST AND SOUTH”: 300 works created between 2000 B.C. and 1600 A.D. that explore themes of a large branch of Pre-Columbian civilization virtually unknown to the American public; Nov. 20-Jan. 30 at the Art Institute; 312-443-3600.