Chicago Architecture Biennial 2017
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THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF THE VISUAL ARTS Volume 32 No. 1 September/October 2017 CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE BIENNIAL 2017 INSIDE Architecture Biennial Returns to Chicago • Biennial’s Co-Artistic Director Shares His Views Local Architects Pick Chicago’s Best Buildings • Graphic Novel Channels Daniel Burnham’s Plan Amanda Williams: Architecture’s Sharp Social Critic • Report from Kassel on this year’s documenta 14 NEW ART EXAMINER New Art Examiner STATEMENT OF PURPOSE The New Art Examiner is a publication whose purpose The New Art Examiner is published by Art Message International. The name “New Art Examiner” and is to examine the definition and transmission of culture the logo are trademarks of Art Message Internation- in our society; the decision-making processes within al. Copyright 2017 by Art Message International; all museums and schools and the agencies of patronage rights reserved. Authors retain the copyright to their which determine the manner in which culture shall be essays. transmitted; the value systems which presently influence Editor in Chief—Michel Ségard the making of art as well as its study in exhibitions and books; and, in particular, the interaction of these factors Senior Editor—Tom Mullaney with the visual art milieu. Social Media Editor—Thomas Feldhacker Copy Editor—Anne Ségard Design and Layout—Michel Ségard EDITORIAL POLICY Contributing Editors: Bruce Thorn As the New Art Examiner has consistently raised Web Site: the issues of conflict of interest and censorship, www.newartexaminer.org we think it appropriate that we make clear to our Cover Design: readers the editorial policy we have evolved since Michel Ségard our inception: 1. No writer may review an exhibition originated The New Art Examiner is indexed in: or curated by a fellow faculty member or another Art Bibliographies Modern, Art Full Text & employee, or any past or present student, from Art Index Retrospective and Zetoc the institution in which they are currently Office: employed. The New Art Examiner welcomes 5542 N. Paulina St., Chicago, IL 60640. USA. enthusiastic and sincere representation, so the Inquiries: editor can assign such an exhibition to other [email protected] writers without the burden of conflict of interest. All Letters to the editor are printed. Send to: 2. There shall be no editorial favor in response [email protected] to the puchase of advertisements. 3. The New Art Examiner welcomes all letters to the Editor and guarantees publishing. 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II NEW ART EXAMINER COVER IMAGE: James Welling, 8183, 2016 from Chicago, 1987/2017, Courtesy CONTENTS the Artist and David Zwirner, New York and London.. 2 CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE BIENNIAL 2017 3 Chicago Architecture Biennial Wants to “Make New History” TOM MULLANEY presents an overview of what is in store for this year’s Biennial 7 Behind the Biennial Curtain: A Conversation with Mark Lee, the Co-Artistic Director Mark Lee shares revealing insights about architecture and the upcoming biennial 11 “No Small Plans” Revisited NATHAN WORCESTER finds much to like in the graphic novel updating Burnham’s Plan 13 Exploring the Second City’s Underrated Spaces Local Biennial participants identify nine often overlooked, noteworthy Chicago buildings 18 Amanda Williams’ Dual Architectural Critiques ANIKO BERMAN reviews Amanda Williams’ transgressive work in exhibits at the Museum of Contemporary Art and The Arts Club. 20 Mining the Immersive at documenta 14 EVAN CARTER reports from Kassel, Germany on this year’s documenta 14 24 REVIEWS 24 With Anxiety and Justice for All Rashid Johnson: Hail We Now Sing Joy at Milwaukee Art Museum by NICHOLAS FRANK 26 Soils, Seeds, and Sprouts: Tropical and Temperate Artwork by Sharon Bladholm at Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum by BRUCE THORN 28 Slug Body Poesis Manal Kara at Boyfriends at Boyfriends Chicago by STEVIE HANLEY 30 Robert Pioch: Portraits at Sidewinder Gallery, Chicago by MICHEL SÉGARD 31 Weegee, New York’s Johnny-on-the-Spot Photog by TOM MULLANEY 1 CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE BIENNIAL CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE BIENNIAL Art may have its capitals in New York, London and Paris but, in Chicago, architecture is king. For 125 years, starting with Daniel Burnham’s plans for the Columbian Exposition, Chicago has enjoyed being the leader of the building art. It has given America the first skyscraper and such icons of architecture as the Monadnock and Auditorium build- ings, Robie House, Crown Hall, Inland Steel and Sears Tower. This month, Chicago plays host again to a gath- ering of international architects, the Chicago Architecture Biennial, that will “take the tem- perature” of the field, as one participant put it. In this special issue, the New Art Examiner brings its art-based perspective to a sister art form.We have assembled five features and re- views that offer a Biennial overview, record the views of one of its artistic directors, looks at underrated Chicago architecture, reviews a graphic novel and exhibit by an architect/ artist. Happy reading! “Vanderbilt Tower” architectural collage by Marshall Brown. 2 NEW ART EXAMINER Chicago Architecture Biennial Wants to “Make New History” by Tom Mullaney he Chicago Cultural Center, normally home to Stewart Hicks, of “Design with Company,” which, the magnificent Tiffany Dome, the Story Corps in 2015, showed a tongue-in-cheek “late submission” to Tbooth, impressive art exhibits, tours for domes- the 1925 Chicago Tribune competition believes that the tic and foreign visitors and everyday Chicagoans taking original curators did a good job of “setting a tone and a break in the day, will be transformed starting on Sep- then setting a table upon which other biennials could tember 16th into a large Lego stage for architects. build from.” More than 141 architects and firms from over 20 The first biennial had its moments of controversy. countries will be descending on Chicago for the sec- Chicago firms were upset at the small number of local ond architecture biennial. They will explore the show’s entrants and the exclusion of the city’s renowned cor- overall theme, “Making New History,” through models porate firms. As a result, large numbers of architects of buildings, drawn from their imaginations but rep- said that they did not visit the expo. resentations of themes around the concepts of image, materials, and civic histories. Chicagoans and fellow architects who attend the Biennial will be confronted by new strategies for tack- ling current challenges of housing, environmental change, social and economic inequality, urbanization Todd Palmer, CAB and public space to name some of the most salient. executive director. While architecture can’t, by itself, cure the full range Photo by Zachary of social ills, it can focus attention on such matters. Johnson. “Part of our mission is to take on the future,” says Mar- Marshall Brown, a new entrant who teaches at IIT tin Felsen, head of Urban Lab in Chicago. and exhibited at the 2016 Venice Biennale, works on making the new, incorporating elements of architec- tural history (particularly collage), quite in keeping with this year’s overall theme of making new history. He is not sympathetic to the corporate firms’ com- plaint. “I don’t care if large corporate firms are upset that they are not in the Biennial. If they want to trade their multi-million dollar commissions for my spot on the wall at the Cultural Center, have them call me.” Biennial executive director, Todd Palmer, thinks this year’s event will be less fractious, even though cor- porate firms are still not represented. He noted that the Biennial’s intent is to bring the thinking of world archi- tects to Chicago rather than to showcase local talent. Talking with several local architects, I gathered Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee. more a sense of excitement than friction about the Two architectural curators are overseeing this prospect for a successful show that will enjoy great- grand enterprise: Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee. They er impact. They mentioned the longer lead time that head their own practice, Johnston Marklee, in Los this year’s directors have to come up with an overar- Angeles and assume the mantle that Graham Founda- ching theme, unlike the initial expo which was hastily tion director, Sarah Herda and curator Joseph Grima assembled and gave a more wide-open view of archi- wore for the first biennial in 2015. tecture at that moment. 3 CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE BINNIAL Morning Cleaning, Mies van der Rohe Foundation, Barcelona. Jeff Wall, 1999 transparency in lightbox 187.0 x 351.0 cm. Courtesy of the artist. Jack Guthman, a prominent land-use lawyer in Chi- Hicks referenced their philosophy and practice cago who was involved last time, is the chairman for in this way: “Sharon and Mark are great architects this edition and echoes an optimistic tone.