EXPO Chicago, an international exposition of contemporary and modern art, has released the full lineup of participants for its 11th annual event, which returns to Navy Pier this year April 11-14.
“EXPO Chicago’s programming engages with local and visiting audiences by offering opportunities of engagement beyond the core fair, extending conversations to neighborhoods throughout Chicago,” Kate Sierzputowski, EXPO Chicago artistic director, said in the announcement.
The event includes the /Dialogues panel series, IN/SITU and IN/SITU Outside art installations along the lakefront and throughout Chicago, the Override billboard project across the city, and the Northern Trust Exchange Stage.
Highlights for /Dialogues include a keynote with Chance the Rapper, Asma Naeem of the Baltimore Museum of Art, and Nate Freeman of Vanity Fair on hip hop and its influence on international contemporary art, as well as a discussion with curator Carla Acevedo-Yates of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and artists Candida Alvarez and Omar Velázquez on the importance of Puerto Rican representation in local collections and institutions. There will also be a conversation on art making and social change with For Freedoms and a forum on criticism as art practice with ARTnews.
This year’s IN/SITU program, curated by Amara Antilla of the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, is titled “In the Country of Last Things.” It features 15 artists, including Iván Argote and American Artist, who explore the idea of the uncertain nature of contemporary life. Meanwhile, the IN/SITU Outside program includes work by Brendan Fernandes and Eddie Martinez.
The Override project, organized in collaboration with the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, will see more than 100 digital billboards across the city displaying works by artists including Art & Language, Judy Ledgerwood and Lucia Koch.
Meanwhile, the VIP programming at Exchange by Northern Trust will include discussions on creating a Chicago-based collection, practices in self-taught art and collecting prints.
Additionally, presented in conjunction with DCASE and Choose Chicago, EXPO Art Week will host events and celebrations across the city, with highlights including a South Side Night in Hyde Park and Bronzeville (April 9) and an Art After Hours event (April 12).
Other notable EXPO participants include artists Josèfa Ntjam, Ebony G. Patterson, Michael Rakowitz, Amanda Williams, and Paul Mpagi Sepuya; curators Jordan Carter, Miranda Lash, Drew Sawyer and Yesomi Umolu; and organizations Art21 and United States Artists.
EXPO Chicago runs April 11-14 at Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave.; single day admission tickets start at $40 at expochicago.com
