News from Around the Art World: September 11, 2017
The growth of Chicago's Super Loop: So much building, so little architecture
A flock of construction cranes fills the sky. Downtown's population is soaring. The skyline is changing and so is the texture of city life.
A generation ago, West Madison Street was Chicago's Skid Row home to winos and flophouses. It is now a chic strip of sushi joints, cycle studios, preschools and a gourmet ice cream shop. But the architectural fare consists of bland apartment high rises that have drawn complaints of monotony. – Via Blair Kamin, Chicago Tribune
DNA Tests Debunk a Psychic’s Claim to Be Dalí’s Daughter, and a Surreal Saga Comes to an End
A Spanish tarot card reader’s quest to be acknowledged as the daughter of Surrealist painter Salvador Dalí may have come to an anticlimactic end.
The Court of First Instance no. 11, in Madrid, has ruled out Pilar Abel Martínez’s claim to be descended from the artist, based on DNA samples from her and from the artist, analyzed by the National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences.
The artist’s body was exhumed in July in a dramatic ceremonyat the Dalí Theater-Museum, located in his hometown of Figueres, Spain. – Via Artnet
On a Mission to Make Roger Brown a Household Name
The late Imagist Roger Brown is one of the most underappreciated artists to come out of Chicago. Gallery owner Kavi Gupta wants to change that. – Via Crain's Chicago (subscription required)
Chicago’s DuSable Museum reveals new terrace, timeline for historic Roundhouse
Late last week, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel helped cut the ribbon on a new outdoor event space at the DuSable Museum of African-American History. Created by local architecture firm Site Design Group, the addition replaces an underused parking lot with new grass, flowers, fencing, and pavers. The $582,000 project is aimed at not only boosting attendance, but also creating a new revenue stream for the museum at 740 E. 56th Place through hosting private events such as weddings and corporate functions. – Via Curbed Chicago
Out With the Old, and in With La Biennale Paris
Global competition has brought some big changes to the latest edition of the venerable art fair La Biennale Paris.
Think of it as an old-school Citroën with a brand-new engine. – Via New York Times
Architecture Foundation moving to Wacker on the Chicago River
After more than 25 years at the Railway Exchange Building, the Chicago Architecture Foundation is moving to a new location in the heart of the city. The new Chicago Architecture Center will be at 111 East Wacker Drive, just above the dock for the Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise aboard Chicago’s First Lady Cruises. It will occupy 20,000 square feet, providing the foundation with expanded space for its growing program and education initiatives. The center will open in summer 2018. – Via Architecture.org
Top Image: Courtesy of Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune