CAPTURED: Expo Chicago 2014

Retreat curated by Theaster Gates. BlackArtistNews photo. All rights reserved.

BlackArtistNews | September 22, 2014

Navy Pier is one of Chicago's top tourist attractions. Whether strolling inside its massive but densely filled mall or outside along the 1.5 mile long pier, it's not unusual to simultaneously hear conversations in French, Spanish, German, Mandarin and/or Southern American dialects within close proximity of each other.

The same global atmosphere was displayed at EXPO CHICAGO held September 18 – 21 inside the pier's exhibition hall space. Dealers from around the world represented works by artists as diverse in practice as they are in nationality and ethnicity.

Spotted among EXPO CHICAGO attendees were artists Dawoud Bey, Robert Burnier, Tavares Strachen, Hank Willis Thomas, Mickalene Thomas and Rhonda Wheatley; art collector Eric McKissack; and curators Felicia Mings, Tempestt Hazel and Frank Sirmans.

People spotting aside: it was ALL about the ART and there was plenty enough to gawk (and gag) at. 

Here's a (very) small sample of what was presented:

Campbell's Streetlight by Trenton Doyle Hancock at Hales Gallery (London) booth.

WIND, curated by Yinka Shonibare, MBE at James Cohan Gallery (NYC) booth.

Untitled (The Seamstress) by Geraldine Hamilton McCullough at Richard Norton Gallery (Chicago) booth.

The Jazz Singers by Archibald Motley at The Conservation Center (Chicago) booth.  

44.2258° N, 76.5967° W #6, #7, #8 by Paul Anthony Smith at Carrie Secrist Gallery (Chicago) booth.

Kin XLIII (C.P.T.) by Whitfield Lovell at D.C. Moore Gallery (NYC) booth.

Untitled (Ella on silk) by Carrie Mae Weems at Carolina Nitsch (NYC) booth.

Works by Kehinde Wiley, Dawoud Bey and Chris Ofili included in SHAQ LOVES PEOPLE curated by Shaquille O'Neal at The FLAG Art Foundation booth.

Bartica Born by Frank Bowling at Hales Gallery (London) booth.

Weight of Time by Betty Saar at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery (NYC) booth.

Shinique Smith at James Cohan Gallery (NYC) booth.