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The year 2014 marks another high point in Chicago Public Art scene, as it adorns its public spaces with world class art. We have sculptures by world’s leading contemporary artists – Ai Weiwei, Jaume Plensa, Chakaia Booker, Yinka Shonibare, Christopher Wool, Alice Aycock, Robert Lobe and Steinunn Thorarinsdottir – in outdoor settings, free and open for all to enjoy! It reaffirms Chicago’s claim to be museum without walls!

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My focus in this post is only on Temporary Exhibits, and on the institutions – public / private/ public-private collaborations – that brought them to Chicago.

Don’t Tread on Me – by Chakaia Booker, at Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park
1004 Portraits – by Jaume Plensa, at Millennium Park
Wind Sculptures – by Yinka Shonibare, at MCA Plaza
Zodiac Heads – by Ai Weiwei, at Adler Planetarium plaza
Untitled [2013] – by Christopher Wool, at Buckingham Plaza
Three sculptures – by Alice Aycock, at Promontory Point
Two sculptures – by Robert Lobe, at Museum Park Campus and Diversey Harbor
Ten Thousand Ripples by Indira Johnson, at Palmisano Park
Borders – by Steinunn Thorarinsdottir, at Solti Garden

Note that all these are installed this year, with the exception of Borders by Steinunn Thorarinsdottir, which was unveiled last year, and its stay has been extended to fall of this year. Also note that none of the artists mentioned above are from Chicago, with the exception of Indira Johnson. I will write about the year 2014 for local artists in another post.

 

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At the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park, there is solo exhibition, “Don’t Tread on Me: Sculpture by Chakaia Booker [2014]”. It consists of three outdoor pieces: Serendipity [1998], Meeting Ends [2005] and What’s Not [2009]. These works from different times in her career suggests her creative range. All these sculptures are made of discarded automobile tires. Chakaia Booker was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1953. She currently works and resides in New York City. This is the fourth of the solo-exhibition series, which began in 2004. Since their inception in 2009, these presentations of exceptional artwork by nationally and internationally recognized artists have been generously supported by BMO Harris Bank. For more, click here..

 

 

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In the heart of the city, Millennium Park celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2014, with four new portrait sculptures by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa. He calls it 1004 Portraits; as these four new faces are an addition to the 1000 LED portraits in the Crown Fountain. The first sculpture, “Looking into My Dreams, Awilda” stands at the entrance of Millennium Park at Madison Street and Michigan Avenue. It stands 39-foot tall and is made of resin and marble dust. Three other portrait sculptures, “Laura”, “Paula”, and “Ines” are installed in the South Boeing Gallery. These stand 20 to 23 feet tall and are made of cast iron. This is the fifth such temporary large scale outdoor sculptural exhibition at the Millennium Park. The exhibitions are brought to us by the not-for-profit Millennium Park Inc., in collaboration with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events [DCASE, also a not-for-profit organization] and is sponsored by the Boeing Company, with support from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. For more, click here..

 

 

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At the MCA plaza are the “Wind Sculptures” by London based artist Yinka Shonibare. This is a part of MCA Plaza Project which began in 2011. This is the fourth such exhibit. For more, click here..

 

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Chicago Park District has brought eight sculptures to Chicago: Untitled [2013] by Christopher Wool is at Buckingham Plaza. Three sculptures – Twin Vortxes, Spin-the-Spin and Waltzing Matilda – by Alice Aycock are in South Side Chicago near Promontory Point, two sculptures – Nature’s Clock and Eastern Hophornbeam – by Robert Lobe are at Museum Park Campus and Diversey Harbor respectively and Ten Thousand Ripples by Indira Johnson at Palmisano Park. For more on Alice Aycock work, click here... I have yet to photograph other works!

 

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Adler Planetarium Plaza has a new installation, Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads: Bronze – by Ai Weiwei. The Zodiac Project is Ai Weiwei’s first major public sculpture. These are touring sculptures and before coming to Chicago, they appeared in They have appeared in São Paulo, New York, London, Los Angeles, Taipei, Houston and Washington D.C., Kyiv, and Princeton. They are based on the famous twelve bronze animal heads that once adorned the Old Summer Palace in Beijing. Chinese zodiac is based on a twelve year cycle, each year in the cycle related to an animal sign – rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. They Zodiac Heads were unveiled at the time of EXPO Chicago, as a part of inaugural IN/SITU Outside, in partnership with Chicago Park District [CPD] and the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events [DCASE]. For more, click here..

 

 

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Borders by Steinunn Thorarinsdottir at Solti Garden. It features 13 pairs of anonymous figures, half made of aluminum, the other, from cast iron. The pairs mirror each other in silent conversation. Chicago is the fourth stop for these touring sculptures. The Exhibition is sponsored by Bloomberg, Chicago Park District, Grant Park Conservancy and Icelandic Ministry of Culture. These were unveiled last year, and the stay has been extended this Fall of this year! For more, click here..
If one of the characteristics of a great city is its public art collection, Chicago has consolidated its position as a world class city!

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RELATED LINKS:

Don’t Tread on Me – by Chakaia Booker, at Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park.. click here..
1004 Portraits – by Jaume Plensa, at Millennium Park.. click here..
Wind Sculptures – by Yinka Shonibare, at MCA Plaza.. click here..
Zodiac Heads – by Ai Weiwei, at Adler Planetarium plaza.. click here..
Untitled [2013] – by Christopher Wool, at Buckingham Plaza
Three sculptures – by Alice Aycock, at Promontory Point.. click here..
Two sculptures – by Robert Lobe, at Museum Park Campus and Diversey Harbor
Ten Thousand Ripples by Indira Johnson, at Palmisano Park
Borders – by Steinunn Thorarinsdottir, at Solti Garden.. click here..

 

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