Visitors to this year’s EXPO Chicago will get a sneak peek of some of the artists featured in the Obama Presidential Center when it opens later this year.
The annual art fair, which runs April 9-12 at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, is now in its 13th year and is an outgrowth of Art Chicago, which was launched in the 1980s. “It was the first fair in the Americas,” says EXPO director Kate Sierzputowski, “so there was a fair in Chicago before Art Basel in Miami or Frieze in New York.”
In addition to the Obama Center artists, who will be grouped in a section called Embodiment, there are two other main sections at the fair.
Galleries established 12 years ago or earlier are part of the Focus section.
“This is where you can see emerging art,” Sierzputowski says. “It’s a great way to enter the fair for a first-time visitor because all the presentations are just one or two artist booths. So it’s a little bit more approachable in terms of getting to know more artworks from a single artist, rather than a booth that might have lots of works from lots of artists. (The latter) can be really engaging to look at, but when it comes to finding an entry point to understanding the artwork, I feel like going to the Focus section first is a good place to start.”
Focus is curated by Katie A. Pfohl, who says highlights include New Orleans artist Big Chief Demond Melancon, who creates “elaborate beaded suits and artworks that celebrate New Orleans culture.”
Another artist, LaKela Brown, creates “stunning sculptures of collard greens, okra and corn, cast in black resin,” Pfohl says. And “reinventing the still life tradition, the Detroit-born artist celebrates African American food and agricultural traditions.”
The fair’s other section is called Profile, curated by Essence Harden, and will feature the artist Lava Thomas, whose sculptural work “Freedom Song No. 5 (We Shall Not Be Moved)” combines “materials such as tambourines, suede, ribbon and realistic drawings of eyes for a quietly powerful presentation,” says Harden.
Another artist in Profile is Janiva Ellis, whose work “Curb Check Regular, Black Chick” that Harden says is “especially compelling, showcasing a painting of a figure in a pastoral scene. There looks to be an explosion at the figure’s chest, while doves hover in the foreground… (it) feels both serene and chaotic.”
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“I think there’s an appetite for things that feel new and exciting and fresh, while also returning to things that feel very familiar — painting, photography, sculpture,” says Sierzputowski. Perhaps tellingly, one of the panel discussions at this year’s fair will feature museum leaders weighing in on AI.
As for the fair itself, a number of artists will be in attendance, which Sierzputowski says tends to be rare.
“The galleries want to be accessible and answer questions, so this becomes a really great opportunity to meet the artists. I always feel happy when our galleries say EXPO is one of their favorite fairs for conversation, because people are really interested in understanding an artist’s story and understanding the artwork a little better. When you go into a museum, it can be hard to ask questions right on the spot about a work that you’re looking at. This is a chance to ask questions and understand what’s being presented and get a very personalized experience of seeing the artwork.
The fair’s global lineup is one of its key features.
“We showcase leading galleries from around the world,” Sierzputowski says. “That’s galleries from the Midwest, that’s galleries from Brazil, from Korea, from African nations. So we have this global roster of galleries that participate. It’s such an incredible opportunity to see work from around the world all in one place. We have about 135 exhibitors participating this year.
“You’re never going to be able to see that much art in one place in Chicago in any other way, so it’s like traveling to galleries from all around the world, but you can do it in one afternoon in Chicago.”
If you go
The 13th edition of EXPO Chicago runs April 9-12 in Festival Hall on Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand Ave.; tickets from $40 (single day admission) at expochicago.com
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