This multi-site photographic exhibition presents recent works by ten artists who engage with the dynamic social landscapes of Chicago or Paris, staging a cross-cultural reflection on contemporary life in two global cities. The artists presented are Chicago-based artists Marzena Abrahamik, Jonathan Michael Castillo, zakkiyyah najeebah dumas o’neal, Tonika Johnson and Sasha Phyars-Burgess, and Greater Paris-based Gilberto Güiza-Rojas, Karim Kal, Assia Labbas, Marion Poussier, and Rebecca Topakian.
The unique approaches of the photographers consider the historic processes of urban redefinition taking place in both cities. Their photography, whether documentary or poetic, enables each artist to reflect with accuracy and subtlety the issues and identities specific to each city, as well as their differences, similarities, and the transformations at work. Through a series of events organized in the various exhibition venues in the presence of the photographers, the exhibition organizers aim to ensure a coherent dialogue between the works and their environment, to create the conditions for a transatlantic conversation among the artists, and to catalyze a fruitful exchange with the public.
The Chicago Cultural Center hosts the main exhibition, featuring the work of all ten photographers. Three other venues―BUILD Chicago, Experimental Station, and 6018North―exhibit a subset of the artists whose work resonates particularly with the neighborhoods in which these institutions are located and the communities they serve. Related events include screenings, workshops and conversations.
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An initiative of the Terra Foundation for American Art in partnership with artists and organizations across the city, Art Design Chicago is a series of events and exhibitions that highlight the city’s artistic heritage and creative communities.
