The international contemporary and modern art fair, EXPO Chicago, took over the city from April 13-16 with the main fair at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, and satellite fairs, offsite programs, and other art events lit the city up with incredible art, creative energy, and maybe a few late-night dance parties. EXPO showcases leading and emerging galleries and is also a platform for inspiring curated dialogues around art, equity, community, institutions, and the transformative power of creativity.
This year’s EXPO shared a global lens on art with international galleries showing work from Bogota to Beijing alongside galleries and work from all over the U.S.. Chicago is home to an incredibly vibrant art community, with an exciting lead-up to EXPO featuring Southside galleries and spaces with openings at University of Chicago’s Washington Park Arts Incubator, the Southside Community Art Center, Blanc Gallery, and others.
Here we share some of our favorite works and spaces seen at the Navy Pier. Inspired by the materiality and incredible craftsmanship as well as transformative ideas and new perspectives.
The Hole NYC, New York
Jackie Head, “Waterfall,” (2023), colored porcelain on painted wall
Image below courtesy of Yasmin Spiro
Maximilian William, London
Anina Major, “Serenity and Reverence,” Glazed stoneware
Image below courtesy of Yasmin Spiro
Chambers Fine Art, New York
Fu Xiaotong, “518,600 Pinpricks-Sacred Mountain,” (2015), handmade paper
Image below courtesy of Chambers Fine Art
TERN Gallery, Nassau, Bahamas
Leasho Johnson, "Buried beyond the pasture without any names (Anansi #22)," (2023), charcoal, distemper, watercolor, indigo dye, logwood dye, acrylic, oil, oil stick, gold foil, gold leaf, gesso on paper mounted on canvas
Image below courtesy of Yasmin Spiro
Instituto de Visión, Bogota, Colombia and New York
Cristina Camacho, “Heavy Breathing,” (2022), acrylic and flash on canvas
Image below courtesy of Yasmin Spiro
AMFM, Chicago
Kelvin Kweku Haizel, “Mushrooms in the Sky,” (2022), altered photography
Image below courtesy of Yasmin Spiro
Artadia, online gallery
Selva Aparacio, “Auto-da-Fé (Act of Faith)_3”, (2021/23), found teddy bear, dandelion seeds
Azadeh Gholizadeh, “Viridian,” (2023), tapestry on canvas mesh
Maryam Taghavi, “Hhhh,” (2021), wood, laser-cut cardstock