EXPO Chicago has just announced a new program called the “French Pavilion,” a yearlong dialogue conceived of by curator and art critic Guillaume Désanges. Created in partnership with the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States, the Institut Français, and Theaster Gates’ Rebuild Foundation, the French Pavilion was conceptualized as part of a larger cultural exchange between Chicago-based curators Naomi Beckwith of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and Megha Ralapati of Hyde Park Art Center and French independent curators Désanges and Matthieu Poirier. Set to be located in Chicago’s South Side, the program will provide brief residencies for artists, curators, critics, architects, and more.
“It is an absolute pleasure for all of us at EXPO CHICAGO to see how this partnership we initiated with the French Embassy has grown, evolved and taken such a strong hold within the Chicago art scene,” said EXPO CHICAGO President and Director Tony Karman.
At the fair this year will be a keynote panel discussion on architecture and abstract art with Daniel Buren and Felice Varini. “I’m excited, both as fair director and also as a resident of Chicago, to see and experience all of the forthcoming projects that will roll out throughout the year, and I’m thrilled that this initiative will augment the lineup of programs and events we have slated for the 2015 edition of EXPO CHICAGO,” continued Karman.
