This is what intersectional feminist art looks like
The Vietnamese language does not have a word for feminism. But the country did and does have feminists, including Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, a revolutionary leader of the Indochinese Communist...
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‘En Mas’ at DuSable takes a different look at Caribbean carnival
Even if you've never danced, feasted and gawked your way through the spectacular celebrations of Caribbean carnival, you likely have some sense of the elaborately feathered headdresses and sequined bikinis,...
Ai Weiwei, the new hero of selfie culture
More images than usual are on view at the Museum of Contemporary Photography right now, each the product of Ai Weiwei. Shot from 1983 through 2016, they form a dizzying...
Walls and doors ask compelling questions about public art
This year marks the 50th anniversary of two of Chicago's most notable public artworks, Picasso's mammoth steel figure in Daley Plaza and The Wall of Respect, a cacophonic mural depicting...
Helio Oiticica’s show is sensory overload, in all the best ways
First of all, thanks are due to any artist canny enough to situate an orange juice machine in the middle of an installation. Second of all, kudos to the institution...
Merce Cunningham at MCA finds the art in dance — with mixed results
"Merce Cunningham: Common Time" is not an obvious show to have mounted at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. For one, it centers on a choreographer, though admittedly Cunningham, who...
Building a caring community through art
A few weeks ago I went to a gallery opening in River North. While sipping complimentary sparkling water, a woman and I made small talk about the soul-crushing nature of...
2 half-good shows combine to form a memorable whole
A particularly ugly anniversary came and went a few weeks ago. Feb. 19 marked 75 years to the day that President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, forcing all...
Art Institute exhibit ‘Provoke’ makes past protest feel present
"Provoke: Photography in Japan between Protest and Performance," a groundbreaking exhibition of 1960s- and '70s-era Japanese photography, opened at the Art Institute of Chicago a week after Inauguration Day. The...
Vostell, Fluxus and the art of protest
What does protest look like? Consider the reactions these past few weeks to the statements, Cabinet picks and executive orders of President Donald Trump. There have been legal moves made...