Expo Chicago opened its 12th edition on Thursday at Navy Pier, welcoming collectors, curators, artists, and VIPs. Over 170 galleries from 36 countries are participating, with notable contingents from South Korea, Canada, Latin America, and smaller US cities. Chicago’s artist and gallery community is well-represented at the fair.
Mayor Brandon Johnson visited a long-time local gallery featuring work by Chicago-based artist Amanda Williams. Tony Karman, the fair’s president and director, says “Chicago audiences, institutions, and collectors are fearless. This is not a fair where exhibitors feel they have to bring pretty pictures—our audience likes being challenged visually, thematically, and materially.”
One example is Los Angeles-based gallery Walter Maciel’s showcase of Nathan Vincent’s “Locker Room” (2011), a life-size re-creation of a men’s changing room rendered entirely in knitted and crocheted elements.
Vincent says the project started as “a piece about not feeling comfortable in spaces like this” and has become more poignant in light of contemporary socio-political issues. Another arresting installation is “Rebellion” (2021) by Deborah Oropallo and Andy Rappaport, presented by San Francisco-based Catharine Clark Gallery.
Chicago fair highlights global galleries
The video project, displayed on five freestanding screens, features a shifting sequence of images of protesters from various demonstrations around the world. “In this moment of global protests, they’re interested in the visual language of activism across movements,” says gallery partner and director Anton Stuebner. Political themes were evident in several exhibits, including vinyl banners by Colorado-based artist Anna Tsouhlarakis addressing cultural genocide and colonization, and photorealist paintings of Super Soaker water guns by Los Angeles-based artist Kalan Strauss engaging with nostalgia and the US’s ongoing gun violence crisis.
Despite the challenging economic outlook, the mood was upbeat and sales were happening. More than 40 exhibitors reported sales within the fair’s first two days, most in the five-figure range, with some notable six-figure sales. London-based Cristea Roberts Gallery sold a Josef Albers portfolio for $200,000 to $250,000, and Pippy Houldsworth Gallery sold two paintings by Chicago-based artist Wangari Mathenge for $90,000 and $100,000.
Expo Chicago continues to exemplify the vibrant, fearless spirit of Chicago’s art community, fostering robust collaborations and challenging artistic dialogues. The fair runs through Sunday, April 27.
