The momentum is steadily building for EXPO CHICAGO, The International Exposition of Contemporary/Modern Art and Design, coming to Navy Pier on September 20-23, with a preview night on the 19th.
This Tuesday, EXPO's President and Director Tony Karman announced the gallery list for the fair, drawn from the best the Chicago, national and international art communities have to offer. Chicago will be represented by several prominent galleries, including: Russell Bowman Art Advisory, Valerie Carberry Gallery, Corbett vs. Dempsey, Stephen Daiter Gallery, Douglas Dawson Gallery, Catherine Edelman Gallery, Richard Gray Gallery, Kavi Gupta, Carl Hammer Gallery, Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Alan Koppel Gallery, McCormick Gallery, and Rosenthal Fine Art. Barry Friedman Ltd., Nancy Hoffman Gallery, David Nolan Gallery, among many others from New York, the Daniel Weinberg Gallery from Los Angeles, and Max Wigram from London and the LOOCK Galerie Berln are just some of the world-respected galleries attending.
Karman stated, "With this extraordinary list of galleries, along with the contemporary and 20th century work that will be presented, I am confident that we will host an international exposition that truly befits the rich legacy of our city and exceed the expectations of the international arts community." A full list of galleries can be found here.
Photo Courtesy Navy Pier
Karman has carefully planned every aspect of EXPO CHICAGO to achieve that goal, choosing dates that coincide with the opening of the fall art season, when "everybody has their A game up," and locating EXPO in Festival Hall at Navy Pier, building on the nostalgia and popular appeal of the iconic Chicago landmark. One of Karman's most impressive feats is securing Studio Gang Architects, led by McArthur Fellow Jeanne Gang, to design the interior space of EXPO CHICAGO. Gang plans to revolutionize art fair design, taking the needs and desires of visitors into account, in order to "design [EXPO CHICAGO] so it will be an amazing place to experience."
Jeanne Gang, Principal and Founder, Studio Gang Architects and Tony Karman, President and Director, EXPO CHICAGO. Photo credit: Dan Rest
EXPO CHICAGO will also feature an array of programming designed to elevate Chicago and its creative community. Programs include: Exposure, a small collection of emerging galleries; In/Situ, a program designed to bring performance, site-specific work, and large-scale installation to the fair; /Dialogues, a year-long symposium in partnership with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; and Chefs de Cuisine, a café that will allow guests to experience creations from chefs chosen by restaurateur Michael Kornick. The fair will debut in grand style on the 19th of September with Vernissage, an exclusive preview night with all proceeds benefiting the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. With EXPO CHICAGO, Karman is well on his way to creating an art fair that will make the world take notice.
-- Nicole Nelson/Elysabeth Alfano, Fear No ART Chicago