The many art expositions that have taken place in Chicago during the last 20 years have amply indicated that the art community is seldom as alive as when the city plays host to a large contingent of international visitors.
This premise again will be tested on Sept. 22 when more than 1,000 artists, educators, scientists and public-policy planners will convene at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for a five-day symposium on electronic art, that is, all forms of art employing electronic technology.
It’s the eighth installment of an event held in a different locale each year, and the fact that it is in the United States for only the second time — recent hosts have been Holland, Canada and Finland — was perhaps already enough to rouse the Chicago art community.
But then came a happy coincidence in timing, for once the focus of the electronic arts finally had shifted from technical matters to issues of more general artistic interest, it ensured that ISEA97, as this year’s installment is called, would be larger and broader in appeal than any other.
Apart from the academic sessions, at which papers are read and issues discussed, ISEA97 is actually a citywide festival of exhibitions and performances that will feature the work of more than 170 artists from 22 countries.
The School of the Art Institute is the hub, presenting three large exhibitions in its Columbus Drive and West Jackson Boulevard locations. But nearly 20 subsidiary shows in commercial and not-for-profit spaces also fan out across the city, complemented by four evenings (Sept. 24-27) of live performance art and music.
In a quarter-century, Chicago has offered no interdisciplinary artistic project as extensive.
“The electronic arts have really come of age,” says Shawn Decker, chairman of both ISEA97 and the department of art and technology at the School of the Art Institute.
“By now a large group of artists have grown up with electronic technology and developed personal relationships with it. That’s a very subtle thing. It’s difficult to do and takes a lot of time.
“The result is that we’ve begun to see work that has less shock value than before. People aren’t particularly impressed with the flashiness of electronic technology. That’s ending. You see it in so many different ways every day that you no longer care about it.”
All of the work in “Reinventing the Box,” the show Decker co-curated with Ingrid Bachmann at the School’s Betty Rymer Gallery (280 S. Columbus Dr.), is interactive, employing a robotic camera, CD-ROM, even a bar-code reader. Some pieces involve body movement. Others reprogram or reconfigure existing technologies. Most show the kind of personal relationship to media that makes the theme of this year’s symposium — content — more challenging.
Both here and among the pieces at the primary exhibition site (847 W. Jackson Blvd., third floor) there also is a new attitude toward technology.
“A lot of work questions technology at its base,” Decker says. “Before, we used to automatically assume it was a good thing. But now that’s changing. There’s a skepticism that we didn’t see just a few years ago.”
The electronic visual arts are, of course, much younger than electronic music, which began in the early 1950s and by now has built up a respectable catalog of masterpieces. Yet, oddly enough, concerts and live performances have not figured strongly in previous symposia.
“They are the biggest headache to organize,” says Peter Gena, chairman of the ISEA97 exhibitions program and professor in the department of art and technology at the school. “But we have a tradition of computer music in Chicago that began with Lejaren Hiller at the University of Illinois to spread across the country.”
In honor of that tradition — and in hopes of seeing it continue — ISEA97 will offer a listening room at Harold Washington Library for eight taped compositions plus two concerts at the Museum of Contemporary Art (Sept. 25 and 26) featuring live performances juxtaposed with taped sound or manipulated by computer on the spot.
Virtually all the exhibitions and programs will be free. For a schedule, call the ISEA97 hotline at 312-345-3602. The address for the symposium Web site, which also has information on speakers, registration, educational and career advancement opportunities, is www.artic.idu/(tilde)isea97.
Best bets
Full-scale exhibitions for well-known figures dominate the new season’s “best bets” in visual art; the calendar is so full of them that a different selection equal in number could easily be added.
In order of appearance, the nominees are:
– “Renoir’s Portraits: Impressions of an Age.” Art Institute of Chicago, Oct. 21-Jan. 4. Like any new film by Jim Carrey, the show will draw record crowds no matter what reviewers say about it. So you may as well give in to its brainless delight, partaking of the confectionery.
– “Hall of Mirrors: Art and Film Since 1945.” Museum of Contemporary Art, Oct. 11-Jan. 25. A fascinating survey organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. Let’s hope it survives its Chicago editors.
– “Irving Penn, A Career in Photography.” Art Institute, Nov. 22-Feb. 1, 1998. The institute acquired the Penn archive some seasons ago; this is the exhibition that celebrates a veteran who has been equally at home in fashion, ethnography and abstraction.
– “Archibald Knox (1864-1933), Liberty of London Designer and Master of British Art Nouveau.” David and Alfred Smart Museum, Feb. 12-April 19. Some of the most beautiful examples of decorative arts from the turn of the century; several never before exhibited.
– “Songs on Stone: The Lithographs of James McNeill Whistler.” Art Institute, May 16-Aug. 1. The great American expatriate has had so many exhibitions in recent years that it seems inconceivable this should be the first comprehensive exhibition of his lithographs, but there it is. Their first complete catalog also is to be published by the institute.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Since coming to national prominence a few years ago, painter and filmmaker Kerry James Marshall has exhibited more elsewhere than in his adopted home of Chicago. That makes the show scheduled to open May 6, 1998, at the Renaissance Society, 5811 S. Ellis Ave., an event of some importance, especially as it will introduce a new body of work — paintings plus a short video. For many, this will be the first chance to see a substantial group of pieces by one of the hottest African-American artists of the ’90s. 773-702-8670.
Events
Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave. 312-443-3600
“In Their Own Right: Images of African Americans.” Portraiture in a variety of media explores issues of African-American identity. Sept. 27-Jan. 11, 1998.
“Brassai and Company.” Photographs of the 1930s by the artist known as “the eye of Paris” and his colleagues. Oct. 18-Jan. 8.
“Renoir’s Portraits: Impressions of an Age.” More than 60 paintings by Pierre Auguste Renoir that examine his role as a portraitist. Oct. 21-Jan. 4.
“Irving Penn: A Career in Photography.” A retrospective of 150 images, including celebrity portraits, fashion treatments and ethnographic studies. Nov. 22-Feb. 1.
“Twenty Years of Textile Society Collecting (1978-1998).” An all-inclusive exhibition devoted to acquisitions of the important museum-support group. Dec. 20-March 22.
“Constant Troyon’s `The Marsh’: Precursor to Impressionism.” An exhibition celebrating the recent acquisition of a painting by an influential member of the French Baribizon School. Jan. 24-May 17.
“Baule: African Art/Western Eyes.” The first museum exhibition devoted to 125 works from the West African culture. Feb. 14-May 10.
“Italian Baroque Terracotta from the Collection of the State Hermitage.” The North American showing of 35 pieces that for centuries were unseen at their museum home in St. Petersburg, Russia. Feb. 28-May 3.
“Songs on Stone: The Lithographs of James McNeill Whistler.” The first comprehensive exhibition to explore the interrelationship of the 19th Century artist’s lithographs, oils, pastels, watercolors and etchings. May 16-Aug. 1.
“On the Road to Italy: Early Paintings by Dutch Renaissance Master Jan van Scorel.” Recent discoveries in the career of the most important Renaissance painter in Holland. May 30-Sept. 30.
Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave. 312-280-2660
“Miroslaw Rogala: Divided We Speak.” The Chicago-based video artist presents an “interactive media laboratory” that is part of a developing performance piece. Through Nov. 9.
“Envisioning the Contemporary: Selections from the Permanent Collection.” About 125 works trace major historical developments in art from 1945 to the present. Through April 5, 1998.
“Toshio Shibata.” The Tokyo-based photographer’s first series on the American landscape, made during a residency sponsored by the museum. Oct. 11-Jan. 4.
“Hall of Mirrors: Art and Film Since 1945.” The first museum exhibition in the United States to focus of the relationship between cinema and the other visual arts. Oct. 11-Jan. 25.
“Jasper Johns, `In Memory of My Feelings — Frank O’Hara.’ ” A small exhibition built around a painting recently acquired by the museum. Oct. 18-Feb. 1.
“Joe Scanlan.” Sculpture by the former Chicago artist that takes the form of hand-crafted functional domestic items. Jan. 17-March 29.
“California Scheming.” Works from the permanent collection that display a fascination with Hollywood culture. Feb. 14-May 24.
“Cindy Sherman: Retrospective.” A mid-career survey of 150 photoworks from each of the artist’s major series. Feb. 28-May 31.
“Abigail Lane.” The young British artist creates a new installation for her first solo museum exhibition in the United States. April 11-July 5.
“Chuck Close.” Nearly 100 paintings, drawings, prints and photographs from the more than 30-year career of the American artist. June 20-Sept. 13.
Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. 312-744-6630
“Asian Traditions/Modern Expressions: Asian American Artists and Abstraction, 1945-1970.” Paintings, sculptures and works on paper by 50 artists who worked to develop a blend of Eastern and Western styles. Through Nov. 2.
“Art F(x): An Interactive Digital Art Exhibition.” Local artists who use digital technology to create installations, interactive sculpture and virtual reality. Sept. 20-Nov. 9.
“Art Paul: Drawings.” Series that present variations on the themes of the urban portrait and self portrait. Nov. 15-Jan. 18.
“Neil Goodman: Sculpture.” A mid-career survey of a decade of works by the Chicago-based artist. Nov. 22-Jan. 25.
“Heroic Painting.” Seven American artists infuse 18th and 19th Century history painting with a contemporary sensibility. Jan. 17-March 15.
“Miquel Navarro/Carmen Calvo.” Two Spanish artists present sculptures, paintings, assemblages and installations that examine the place of the artist in structuring civilization. Jan. 24-March 22.
“Henry Darger: The Unreality of Being.” The traveling retrospective for the self-taught Chicago artist returns home to mark the 25th anniversary of his death. April 4-May 31.
“Reality Bites: Contemporary Approaches to Representational Sculpture.” Ten local and national artists explore ideas of “the real” in American art. April 18-June 21.
“Mexico Ahora: Punto de Partida/Mexico Now: Point of Departure.” Thirteen young artists examine contemporary Mexican culture from within. June 20-Aug. 23.
“Ray Yoshida: A Retrospective, 1968-1997.” About 50 works trace the career of the Chicago painter and collagist. July 25-Aug. 30.
Illinois Art Gallery, 100 W. Randolph St., Suite 2-100. 312-814-5322
“Electronic Immersions: Four Generations of Illinois Artists.” Part of the citywide celebration of electronic arts, with a tribute to pioneer Dan Sandin. Through Oct. 24.
“An Illinois Portfolio.” Paintings, prints and poems inspired by the prairie landscape. Through Oct. 24.
“The W.P.A. Collection of the Illinois State Museum.” Paintings, prints and posters from the 1930s and early 1940s. Nov. 7-Jan. 9.
“Nurturing Visions: Ed Paschke, Antonia Contro, and Michael Oruch.” A prominent Chicago artist as mentor, with works by two of his students. Jan. 23-March 29.
“Growing Forward: Richard Hunt.” A retrospective for the distinguished Chicago-based sculptor. April 3-May 29.
“Fire & Ice: Contemporary Glass by Bill Carlson and Jose Chardiet.” June 12-Aug. 14.
Terra Museum of American Art, 666 N. Michigan Ave. 312-664-3939
“N.C. Wyeth and His Grandson: A Legacy.” Paintings and drawings that show a kinship between illustration and fine art. Through Oct. 26.
“Singular Impressions: The Monotype in America.” The first comprehensive exhibition of this form of unique print in the United States. Through Nov. 9.
“American Artists and the Paris Experience, 1880-1910.” Works from the permanent collections of the Terra Museum and its sister institution, the Museum of American Art in Giverny, France. Nov. 22-March 8.
David and Alfred Smart Museum, 5850 S. Greenwood Ave. 773-702-0200
“Post-Pop, Post-Pictures.” Works by 11 young abstract painters from Chicago, New York and Texas. Through Sept. 21.
“Still More Distant Journeys: The Artistic Emigrations of Lasar Segall.” The odyssey of a Lithuanian expressionist painter whose works were denounced as “degenerate” by the Nazis. Oct. 16-Jan. 4.
“Archibald Knox (1864-1933), Liberty of London Designer and Master of British Art Nouveau.” Seldom-seen works by the most advanced designer in England between 1897 and 1912. Feb. 12-April 19.
“The Sublime and the Fantastic: African Art from the Faletti Family Collection.” Sub-Saharan African art from the 16th to the early 20th centuries. May 14-June 28.
The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago, 5811 S. Ellis Ave. 773-702-8670
“Cristina Iglesias.” Work by a Spanish sculptor who explores the need for intimacy within the built environment. Oct. 5-Dec. 21.
“Arturo Herrera.” Collages, photographs, sculptures and site-specific murals by the Chicago-based artist from Venezuela. Jan. 11-Feb. 22.
“Shahzia Sikander.” Unorthodox self-portraits dominate the first Midwest museum show for the Pakistani artist. March 8-April 19.
“Kerry James Marshall.” New paintings and a video by the Chicago-based artist. May 6-June 28.
Mary and Leigh Block Gallery at Northwestern University, 1967 South Campus Dr. 847-491-4000
“Henry Simon, 1901-1995.” Mural designs, drawings, paintings, prints and photographs by one of the most prolific artists in Chicago during the 1920s and 1930s. Sept. 19-Dec. 7.
“Narrative and Abstraction in 20th Century Photography: Works by W. Eugene Smith and Alan Cohen.” Photographic essays by one of the giants of the form and a contemporary Chicago-based practitioner. Jan. 8-March 1.
“The Living Tradition in Africa and the Americas: The Photographs of Melville J. and Frances S. Herskovits.” A multimedia exhibition by the prominent husband-and-wife team of anthropologists. April 2-Aug. 31.
Arts Club of Chicago, 201 E. Ontario St. 312-787-3997
“Louise Bourgeois: Surrogates and Sleepless Nights.” Recent works by the renowned sculptor. Nov. 12-Jan. 3.
Museum of Contemporary Photography, 600 S. Michigan Ave. 312-663-5554
“Family and Friends.” A group show of images of the people who are closest to us. Through Nov. 1.
“Portraits by Nancy Burson.” Portraits of subjects who have been facially disfigured. Through Nov. 1.
Melissa Pinney; Laura Letinsky; Jed Fielding. Chicago photographers who explore, respectively, domestic spaces, male-female relations and the streets of Naples, Italy. Nov. 15-Jan. 10.
“Jim Goldberg: Raised by Wolves.” Photographs and text on runaway and homeless teens in California. Jan 31-March 21.
Korean Photography. A group exhibition of emerging and established artists. April 4-May 30.
“Lynne Davis.” Recent black-and-white portraits. April 4-May 30.
“David Plowden: Imprints.” Part of a continuing exploration of American landscapes and industrial sites. June 13-Aug. 1.
Columbia College, 600 S. Michigan Ave. 312-663-5554
“Corey Postiglione: Labyrinths.” Drawings and paintings by the Chicago artist that use the labyrinth as a metaphor. Dec.8-Jan. 31.
“African Body Arts.” How a full range of the body arts — scarification to adornments and coiffure — affect the wearer’s identity in Africa. Feb. 14-April 11.
Evanston Art Center, 2603 Sheridan Rd., Evanston. 847-475-5300
“The Book Transformed.” Works by 15 contemporary artists who use books in a range of styles and structures. Jan. 11-March 4.
“Tom Skomski: An Installation.” A new work created especially for the center by the Chicago-based sculptor. Jan. 11-March 4.
“Carol Dolan: Recent Paintings.” A new multi-paneled installation created for the center. Jan. 11-March 4.
“Sculptural Viewpoints.” Works by several contemporary artists including M.W. Burns and D’nell Larson. March 15-May 21.
“Sculpture on the Grounds: Patrick Dougherty.” A North Carolina sculptor creates a site-specific temporary installation on the lakefront property of the center. May-October, 1998.
DuSable Museum of African-American History, 740 E. 56th Pl. 773-947-0600
“Kral Country and Town.” The first exhibition in nearly 50 years of photographs by Leon Levson documenting black South African life. Through May 1, 1998.
Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum, 1852 W. 19th St. 312-738-9740
“On the Edge of Time: Mariana Yampolsky.” Photographs by a former Chicagoan who moved to Mexico City a half-century ago. Oct. 17-Jan. 11.
“Miracles on the Border.” More than 50 votive pieces created in the 20th Century by Mexican immigrants or their relatives. Jan. 16-April 12.
“Surcando la cultura.” Works by four artisan families from the Linares, Aguilar, Castillo and Orta regions of Mexico. Jan. 16-May 24.
Spertus Museum,618 S. Michigan Ave. 312-922-6406
“Adam Siegel: Works on Words.” New works by a Chicago artist who incorporates pages from archival letters and books dating from as early as the 18th Century. Thursday-Jan. 4.
” `And I Shall Dwell Among Them . . .’ Synagogues of the World.” Traditional and exotic synagogues photographed by Neil Folberg, a former student of Ansel Adams. March 15-June 28.
“Jews/America/A Representation.” Frederic Brenner’s photographs documenting Jewish life in 32 states. April 2-Aug. 15.
Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St. 312-943-9090
“Exploration ’97: The Annual Chicago Calligraphy Collective Juried Exhibition.” Contemporary American calligraphy plus works from the 15th through the 20th centuries drawn from Newberry collection. Sept. 20-Oct. 18.
