EXPO Chicago 2019 Review– Focus on Art and Social Justice

Borderlines

The CASE Art Fund is a non-profit organization raising awareness of human rights issues through art photography. “We believe images can effect change”, their website states. Children playing in the debris of war, mothers providing for families in extreme poverty, a young man wading through the aftermath of natural disaster to bring groceries home… these are the images that stuck with this viewer. For a small donation, viewers were encouraged to take a paper flower off the chain-link, spreading the visual symbol throughout the EXPO while simultaneously breaking down the wall. The installation became a powerful image in and of itself of what we can accomplish when we work together.

Georgia Sherman Projects

Pairs of black cleats dangle from a chain, suspended in the ceiling. A throne, all black, the seat of which is unattainably high. A set of football pads are adorned with intricate, colorful patterns and beading, draped in a cape of chains. These are the select pieces on display from Georgia Sherman Projects of Toronto. The artist, Esmaa Mohamoud, explores the politics of blackness and black bodies in public spaces throughout her work. The triptych of pieces feel strongly necessary, the vibrancy of Black culture juxtaposed with the oppressive culture of professional sports, on display just down the street from Soldier Field.

Charcot Fjord, Greenland

The photorealism of Zaria Forman’s iceberg pastels has an almost gravitational-like feeling, pulling you in closer and closer, as though you could see beneath the ocean’s surface if you got close enough. Having visited the Polar Ice Cap before, Forman’s attention to detail and technical precision here feel inspired by her travels with NASA’s space missions, documenting their erosion. The deep blues, contrasting with the almost iridescent whites of the ice, strike the eye in a truly pleasurable way. You can’t imagine one existing without the other, and yet, as you move through the pieces, you see the ice slowly melting out of the compositions, as though experiencing the erosion in real time.

Upending the Narrative

The vivid portraits in Bisa Butler’s elaborate textile work portray Black excellence (presented by the Claire Oliver Gallery, New York). Using a traditionally woman’s craft, Butler takes quilting to the next level through vibrant patterns in clothing, and saturated contrasting colors, giving depth and light to the faces of her subjects. One piece in particular, Dear Mama, depicts two young women in beautiful mid-century style, the contrasts and colors like a topographical map of their faces and arms. Behind them, a letter to Mama written in needlepoint, thanking her for all she’s taught the writer. It’s a moment of celebration of black femininity and motherhood, and is in this viewer’s opinion, one of the finest works of art on display at this year’s EXPO.

They say art reflects life, and in that regard, the 2019 EXPO Chicago did not disappoint. The prevailing winds of change could be felt on Navy Pier as exhibitors used this opportunity to express the change they desperately want to see in our world.

If, like this writer, art on a mission speaks to you, then these artists are certainly ones to watch in the coming years.

Highly Recommended

For more information on the CASE Art Fund and a complete listing of photographers, visit Case Art fund Website

For more information on the Georgia Sherman Projects, visit Georgia Sherman website.

For the website of Esmaa Mohamoud, visit Esmaa Mohamoud website.

For more information on the Winston Wachter Gallery in New York, visit Winston Wachter website.

For Zaria Forman's website, visit Zaria Forman website.

For more information about the Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, visit Claire Oliver website.

For more information about Bisa Butler, visit Bisa Butler website.

For more details about EXPO Chicago, including a complete list of exhibitors and artists, visit EXPO Chicago website.

About the Author:

Heather Sparling is a Chicago-based storyteller, collaborator and lighting designer. She received her BFA in Lighting Design from Boston University. Since then she has worked all over the country in theaters large and small. While living in New York, Heather worked full-time on the production staff for St. Ann’s Warehouse. In Miami, she was employed as Lighting Supervisor for Florida Grand Opera. Since moving to Chicago 6 years ago, Heather has designed lighting for over 30 productions including La Havana Madrid and The Fly Honey Show. For more information on her design work, visit Sparling Designs Website.