Andrea Carlson (Grand Portage Ojibwe/European descent, b. 1979; based in northern Minnesota and Chicago, IL) considers how landscapes are shaped by history, relationships, and power. Carlson’s artworks imagine places that are “everywhere and nowhere,” visualizing these shifting yet ever-present dynamics. Grounded in Anishinaabe understandings of space and time, the works in her 2024/2025 solo exhibition Chicago Works | Andrea Carlson: Shimmer on Horizons at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, reflect on how land carries memories of colonial expansion and violence, as well as Indigenous presence and resistance.
In this interview, Carlson talks about the ways in which her work confronts ongoing histories of colonialism, erasure, and dispossession.
Video produced by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 2024.
Music by Blue Dot Sessions sessions.blue/
Andrea Carlson (Grand Portage Ojibwe/European descent) explores how landscapes are shaped by history, power, and relationships. Her 2024/2025 solo exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Chicago Works | Andrea Carlson: Shimmer on Horizons, reflects on land as a repository of colonial violence, Indigenous presence, and resistance. In this interview, Carlson discusses how her work addresses colonialism, erasure, and dispossession.
Sign up for our newsletter to stay current on new events, stories,
and updates from Art Design Chicago.
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.
