“What is the relationship between care and curation? It’s in the word, after all. This is the question posed by Renaud Proch, executive and artistic director of the Independent Curators International (ICI), during the opening of the 10th edition of Expo Chicago, which began yesterday, April 13. The organization partners with the fair to provide professional development opportunities for some 70 visiting curators and museum directors from the United States and around the world. Inspired by this proposition, I spoke up to see if I could find any evidence of care here at an art fair, notoriously a site for the most mercenary of considerations in the art world: sales.
With 170 international exhibitors representing 36 countries and 90 cities, there’s a tremendous amount of ground to cover this year – every square foot of the massive Navy Pier exhibit hall is adorned with their brightest stars and best efforts, as well as special sections like the Corridor Exhibition, which features solo presentations and presentations to two gallery artists 10 years of age or younger; and special exhibitions, centered on curatorial projects that highlight the relationship between contemporary art and nonprofit organizations.
There were some ridiculous moments, of course, including what appeared to be an Audi placed in a product parked inside the showroom. At least one Los Angeles dealer didn’t seem quite ready to meet the preview audience, his office completely covered in small paintings still in their boxes. And when I stopped to inquire about some of the works on display at the University of Chicago Department of Visual Arts booth, a weary student who manned the booth alone told me that the documents identifying the artists ” were supposed to be here now”. However, anyone attending Expo Chicago looking for big drama might be disappointed. Miami might love a show, but the Midwest keeps it simple, heartfelt, and art-focused.
My initial plan was to approach the floor in an orderly and systematic manner so that nothing was missed. Three minutes and I’m criss-crossing space like Billy from family circus, chasing one artistic crush after another. I settled in for my first quiet moment at the Stephen Daiter Gallery in Chicago, drawn to an exhibition of small, deceptively naïve oil paintings by Isidor (Pop) Wiener, and discovered an incredible story of intergenerational care. to accompany them. Dan Wiener, Isidor’s son, was a successful documentary photographer who encouraged his father to pursue an unformed interest in painting once he retired in his golden years. The gallery features an intact collection of the elder Wiener’s works, as well as selections of black and white photographs of the younger, all made possible through the efforts of his family.
“Dan Wiener’s son-in-law, John Broderick, has carried on the tradition for several years and has looked after [Dan’s wife] Sandra is over ninety,” said gallery founder Stephen Daiter. “Now he kind of takes care of the inheritance.”
At the Detroit gallery Reyes|Finn’s booth, which exhibited a selection of ceramic works by Marie Herwald Hermann and paintings by Leif Ritchey, co-founder Bridget Finn wondered what “care” means in a context regional.
“Having a gallery in the Midwest, you also care a lot about location and engaging with your community and your peers — but also about the art world as a whole and being able to connect those pieces,” said Finn. “For me, that’s really satisfying and doing a fair in the Midwest that’s of that profile really allows us to get that perfect.”
Of course, there were tons of eye-level concerns. A giant bronze self-portrait sculpture at the Southern Guild in Cape Town indicates that photographer and filmmaker Zanele Muholi is exploring a new medium for portraiture. Artist Ebony G. Patterson was visible a thousand feet away, holding Chicago’s Monique Meloche Gallery with a group of her large-scale intermedia tapestry works. “Funtime Unicorns” (2022), a sort of sculptural queer workhorse by Derrick Adams, drew me to Chicago’s Rhona Hoffman Gallery before I noticed it on the cover of Expo magazine; while I was there I was delighted by a selection of a series of works by Michael Rakowitz which deals with looted antiquities.
I flew over the fair, summoned by the flocked cherubs adorning Miami’s Mindy Solomon Gallery, and loved them even more when I discovered they were made by Moises Salazar as a tribute to the victims of the Pulse nightclub in 2016. I even found some environmental care at 6018North, a Chicago-based experimental arts and culture venue with a streetwear collection curated by Tria Smith made entirely from trash recycled and salvaged from the streets – a puffer jacket made from recycled coffee bags by Alex McDermott; circular handbags co-designed and manufactured by Lilith Parker; accessories co-designed by KHÔI; waste collection bags from Declan Flynn – as well as the stand itself built by Lan Tuazon using Waterbricks, a container system for people in need of bulk water and food.
Although the first-day preview wasn’t the best for viewing the crowds or the most colorful stunts of art students, the fair’s first visitors were an upbeat mix of locals and locals. outside, and everyone was overflowing with enthusiasm.
“I mean, it’s inspiring,” Chicago-based mixed-media artist Katie Fountain said when I stopped her on the floor to let her know about the fair, which she’s attending for the second time. “I would say it’s a bit too challenging at first, because there’s so much bombarding you. But it’s one of the things I’ve been looking forward to for months.
Most exhibitors pegged for eye-catching presentations, but a few bet on a quiet moment. The Patrick Parrish Gallery in New York presented a solo premiere of a new work by Eric Oglander, some 60 pieces, most of which were minimalist sculptures small enough to fit in cupped hands.
“With big jobs, it’s easy to attract attention,” the gallery attendant said. “He likes the challenge of working small.”
These are, of course, just a fraction of the offsite offerings, exhibitors, programming and events surrounding what promises to be a great weekend for the arts community in Chicago and beyond. One could go to an art fair anticipating the spectacle, shenanigans, and mind-boggling sales figures, but the thing I found was far more encouraging, and also deeply Midwestern: a caring environment, made possible by a deep work ethic and a sincere enthusiasm for bringing art with its audience.
