February 5, 2019

Mayor Emanuel and the Chicago Architecture Biennial Announce Title And Curatorial Focus Of 2019 Edition

…and other such stories will bring together diverse perspectives on architecture under the artistic direction of Yesomi Umolu

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Mayor Rahm Emanuel today joined the Chicago Architecture Biennial to announce the 2019 edition, titled …and other such stories, will focus on the field of architecture and the built environment globally. The third Chicago Architecture Biennial will run from September 19, 2019 - January 5, 2020.

“The third edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial will bring residents and visitors together to celebrate, explore, and understand the legacy and impact of architecture,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Architecture is part of Chicago’s cultural fabric, and we look forward to hosting people from around the world to consider art and architecture in new ways.”

The Chicago Architecture Biennial will be centrally located at the Chicago Cultural Center, with commissions, residencies, partner projects, and public programs hosted throughout the City.

“For each bi-annual edition, the Chicago Architecture Biennial’s artistic direction lays out a unique vision that frames issues at the leading edge of the field,” said Biennial Executive Director Todd Palmer. “We are thrilled that this year’s curatorial focus will open up the architectural conversation on key socio-political and environmental issues that shape our present reality and introduce new voices and perspectives. Through the dialogue they catalyze, we expect this Biennial to inform a collectively imagined future.”

and other such stories will explore societies and environments using four themes: landscapes of belonging and sovereignty; sites of memory; rights and advocacy; and civic participation. The 2019 edition will engage a wide range of participants to explore the implications of architecture and the built environment as they relate to land, memory, rights, and civic participation.

“Our approach to this edition of the biennial has evolved through conversations with architects, spatial practitioners, and everyday people in Chicago and other global locations, including through partnerships fostered in our research initiatives in the cities of Sao Paulo, Johannesburg, and Vancouver,” said Artistic Director Yesomi Umolu. “Through these engagements, we have drawn out a myriad of stories about how daily experiences across global communities, cities, territories, and ecologies resonate with architectural and space-making practices.”

The 2019 Biennial team includes Artistic Director Yesomi Umolu, a contemporary art curator, and co-curators Sepake Angiama, a curator whose work centers on education, and Paulo Tavares, a Brazil-based architect and academic.

The third edition of the biennial is inspired by Chicago, moving beyond the grand narratives of the city’s architectural heritage to explore the history and conditions that have and continue to shape its urban development. This approach has inspired a broader view on the field of architecture to embrace practices that span building, design, planning, visual art, policymaking, education, and activism.

The Biennial is the largest architecture and design exhibition in North America. It is designed to deepen and expand the dialogue on architecture and the built environment, envisioning and sparking a future of architecture that is, first and foremost, shared, inclusive, diverse, sustainable and equitable.

“The 2019 Biennial will truly engage with thought leaders from around the globe, while also providing the framework for learning initiatives locally,” said Chairman of the Board Jack Guthman. “Taking these discussions into neighborhood schools and communities for continued study is integral to the Biennial’s mission.”

Concurrent with the announcement of this year’s focus, the Biennial has unveiled the new

graphic identity for the edition, designed by ELLA. The Los Angeles-based design studio will design the visual identity, citywide campaign, exhibition graphics, and accompanying catalogue for the 2019 edition.

The Biennial, which is free and open to the public across all citywide locations, will return September 19, 2019 and run through January 5, 2020. Press and professional previews will take place September 17–18, 2019. Founding sponsor BP will renew its support in 2019 as a lead sponsor alongside the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, providing a strong foundation for the event’s return. The main site of the Biennial will once again be the Chicago Cultural Center and the opening of the 2019 edition will align with EXPO CHICAGO, the International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art.

The 2017 Chicago Architecture Biennial welcomed more than 550,000 residents and visitors from the U.S. and around the world. A platform for groundbreaking architecture and design projects, the 2017 edition of this global event featured 140 architects and designers, from 20 countries, selected by the Artistic Directors Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee of the LA-based firm Johnston Marklee.

About Chicago Architecture Biennial

The Chicago Architecture Biennial provides a platform for groundbreaking architectural projects and spatial experiments that demonstrate how creativity and innovation can radically transform our lived experience. Through its constellation of exhibitions, full-scale installations, and programming, the Biennial invites the public to engage with and think about architecture in new and unexpected ways, and to take part in a global discussion on the future of the field.

The Biennial is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to creating an international forum on architecture and urbanism. The inaugural 2015 Chicago Architecture Biennial — presented in partnership with the City of Chicago and the Graham Foundation, and through the support of BP — was the manifestation of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s vision for a major international architectural event and an outcome of the comprehensive cultural plan developed by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events under the leadership of Michelle T. Boone.

The 2015 and 2017 editions of the biennial, curated by Joseph Grima and Sarah Herda (2015) and Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee (2017), collectively engaged over 250 leaders in architecture and art from more than 60 cities spanning 38 nations. For more information, visit chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org.

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