News from Around the Art World: September 5, 2017
SAIC and University of Chicago will Co-Commission US Pavilion at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale
"The US Pavilion at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale will tackle an ambitious—and politically charged—question: What does it mean to be a citizen? The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) and the University of Chicago have been selected to co-commission next year’s pavilion, which opens May 26 (through November 25, 2018). Niall Atkinson, an associate professor of architectural history at the University of Chicago, Ann Lui, an assistant professor at SAIC, and the Los Angeles-based independent critic Mimi Zeiger will co-organize the exhibition, titled Dimensions of Citizenship. The announcement, made a few months later than usual, puts an end to months of speculation within the architectural community about who would earn the prestigous gig." –Artnet
Read SAIC's announcement here...
Architecture for fall 2017: Biennial casts the biggest shadow, but there's also the Apple store
"It's an architecture biennial year, so get ready for an explosion of provocative exhibits and new buildings that are the byproduct of Chicago's construction boom. The main event, the second Chicago Architecture Biennial, carries the aspirational title "Make New History" and is billed as North America's largest architecture and design exhibition." –Blair Kamin for Chicago Tribune
UNESCO Expands List of World Heritage Sites for 2017
"Unesco annually expands its list of World Heritage Sites, and this year’s class of inductees, announced in July, offers both stimulation for travelers, with a rich and varied group of intriguing sites, and a reminder, especially with its remote and more vulnerable picks, that the list itself is not about tourism." –New York Times
Museums in Houston reopen after Hurricane Harvey
"As aid workers and Texans begin to take stock of the destruction wrought by Hurricane Harvey, museums across Houston, the fourth biggest city in the country and one of the areas hardest hit by the storm, are starting to reopen. Gary Tinterow, the director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), announced Friday that the institution would partially reopen on Tuesday 5 September with free admission through Thursday, 7 September. He offered the museum “as a place for reflection and renewal.” –The Art Newspaper
Christie's Adds Extra Night of Auctions and Raises Buyer's Premium
"Christie’s will add an extra night of auctions to its autumn calendar, introducing an evening sale of design and photography for the first time during Frieze week. On Tuesday 3 October, the auction house will also hold a new sale called Up Close, featuring “masterpieces on a small scale”, followed by Masterpieces of Design and Photography. 'The strength of our October sales last year, totalling near £100m overall, and the strong sell-through rate, convinced us this was the right move to make,' says Christie’s chairman and head of post-war and contemporary art Francis Outred."–The Art Newspaper
More Changes Revealed for Chicago’s DuSable Museum
"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." –Curbed
Top Image: Dimensions of Citizenship graphic by Project Projects. Courtesy SAIC.