EXPO Chicago is here in Chicago this weekend! It’s not just the Windy City’s most prominent Art Fair but the largest in the Midwest. Spanning the whole weekend from Thursday to Sunday, it’s a fun, creative, and eye-opening place to find yourself in the city this weekend. This weekend will mark the 11th time the EXPO art fair will be held in the city of Chicago. The acclaimed event will take place at Navy Pier.
EXPO Chicago 2024 Gallery
Last year, the fair pulled in more than 30,000 people, ranging from fans to the artists themselves. It will feature works from artists across the Midwest and even the globe in all different mediums and styles.
The main gallery will be held at the pier, showing art from about 170 artists from 75 different cities and 29 different countries. However, according to Tony Karman, the founder, president, and CEO of EXPO, the event is more than what’s happening at the pier. In his words about the event, “It’s what’s happening throughout our city.”
EXPO will kick off on Thursday with a two-panel VIP event. After in the evening, a benefit gala will be held; the gala is titled ‘Vernissage.’ However, the tickets begin at a whopping $350. Chicago-born music artist Chance the Rapper will also present a keynote talk at the gala.
Opening night tickets are $175 per person; however, don’t be discouraged by the price. Single-day tickets are only $40, and a three-day weekend pass is $70 per person.
Furthermore, The cultural correspondent of Vanity Affair, Nate Freeman, will be moderating the night. His dialogue will revolve around the exhibition “The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century,”.
The exhibition is packed with memorabilia and fragments of decades of Hip-Hop culture. It will include photos of some of hip-hop’s most iconic figures and even mementos, such as Chance the Rapper’s iconic 2017 Grammy “3” hat.
The main event of the art fair, the gallery featuring 170 artists, will also include works from several notable Chicago-based galleries, including Mariane Ibrahim and Corbett Vs. Dempsey, as well as moniquemeloche.
EXPO’s Other Events
The art fair’s main gallery will be open all weekend, but there are other things to do at the art fair. There will also be film screenings and more panel talks to enjoy. Film screenings will take place on Friday and Saturday, featuring two daily screenings.
Half of the screenings will highlight the work of Chicago artists, while the other half will focus more on experimental films, such as the works of Miranda July and Christine Sun Kim.
Moreover, the panel talks will include conversations surrounding the role and effect of artists in the current era of climate change and art critiques. Panels regarding industry-based discussions will also take place.
Some, in particular, will be related to the ‘Director’s Summit,” a three-day event that revolves around museum leadership. It will also include a Curatorial Forum for curators, catering to on-site and off-site curators.
Also, Navy Pier’s festival hall will house the IN/SITU. TheI N/SITU is an exhibit featuring large sculptures and more visual art.
If you are looking for an off-site experience, the art fair provides that, too. The one-night event is called Art After Hours.
Art After Hours
Art After Hours is an off-site event connected to the EXPO art fair. It will occur late Friday night and includes multiple neighboring Chicago art galleries. Art After Hours will consist of 50 galleries in 15 different Chicago neighborhoods. The exhibits will feature a selection of other events to pick from.
There will be conversations with different artists, gallery walk-throughs, and more. Though there are many selections to visit and only one night, the civic and cultural Chicago-based agency ‘Gertie’ created a map featuring all the locations and times among the Art After Hours affiliated galleries.
Chanelle Lacy, the Creative Director of ‘Gertie’, made a statement applauding the EXPO art fair and its ease of access for art lovers to explore the city through the Art After Hours event.
Some galleries are offering entrance till 8 p.m, while others are offering more exclusive invitations. For example, Mariane Ibrahim Gallery’s first-come, first-served experience is from 4 p.m to 6 p.m.
The Mariane Ibrahim Gallery is located in the West Town area of Chicago, near other well-renowned galleries such as Andrew Rafacz and Monique Meloche.
EXPO’s Future
The EXPO art fair was purchased last year by Frieze, an international contemporary art magazine. Although there is new ownership, the art fair has kept its overall authenticity. For avid attendees, there might be some noticeable differences. For example, newer, up-and-coming artists’ works are placed more in the center of the exhibit.
Also, “blue-chip” galleries, or galleries from well-established artists, are making a comeback at the fair for the first time since the pandemic, opening the art event to more global dealers.
The event may seem a bit intimidating to newcomers to the art world, but it’s a great way to get involved in the local and international art milieu.
Written by AriAnna Rathers
Sources:
Block Club Chicago: EXPO Chicago, City’s Biggest Art Fair, Takes Over Navy Pier This Weekend, by Andy Vasoyan
WBEZ: Your guide to EXPO Chicago, from must-see artists to after-hours parties, by Courtney Kueppers
Gertie: Art After Hours, by Gertie Staff
Block Club Chicago: EXPO Chicago’s Art After Hours To Keep Galleries Open Late Friday, by Andy Vasoyan
Featured Image Courtesy of Eric Allix Rogers’ Flickr – Creative Commons License
First Inset Image Courtesy of Julio Enriquez’s Flickr – Creative Commons License
Second Inset Image Courtesy of Joi Ito’s Flickr – Creative Commons License
Third Inset Image Courtesy of Regan Vercruysse’s Flickr – Creative commons License
