Smart to the Core: Wise to Power examines questions about the formation of political communities, the organization of economic lives by political society, and individual navigation of society. The exhibition integrates visual art with foundational texts of modern social and political thought spanning nearly four centuries. It addresses themes familiar yet deeply connected to specific political, economic, and cultural histories.

Wise to Power is the fourth installment of “Smart to the Core,” a series fostering collaboration with the University of Chicago’s Core undergraduate curriculum and exploring the role of art across disciplines. The exhibition is drawn primarily from the permanent collection and organized by the Smart’s Feitler Center for Academic Inquiry with UChicago’s Social Sciences Core, “Power, Identity, Resistance.”

Support is provided by the Smart Museum’s Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Endowment, Feitler Center for Academic Inquiry Fund, and SmartPartners, with special thanks to Jack Shainman Gallery and The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections.