EXPO CHICAGO AND THE MAGNIFICENT MILE® ASSOCIATION, WITH KAVI GUPTA GALLERY, TO PRESENT THIRD ITERATION OF SKIN + MASKS, CURATED BY ACCLAIMED ARTIST VIC MENS

SKIN + MAKS, which focuses on work by emerging Chicago-based contemporary artists, will be on view through April 2023 at 535 North Michigan Ave.

Chicago, IL, Dec. 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EXPO CHICAGO, the international exposition of contemporary and modern art, and The Magnificent Mile® Association, with Kavi Gupta Gallery, announce the presentation of the third iteration of SKIN + MASKS, curated by Vic Mensa and Chanelle Lacy. The group show will feature a variety of emerging and established Chicago-based contemporary artists and will be on view through April 2023 at 535 N Michigan Avenue on Chicago’s iconic Magnificent Mile.

As part of a continued effort to bring invigorating visual art to Michigan Avenue that included Nick Cave and Bob Faust’s Rapt on the Mile installation last Fall, The Magnificent Mile Association has again partnered with EXPO CHICAGO to expand art offerings for residents and consumers in a new collaboration brought to life with Kavi Gupta Gallery.

Vic Mensa’s curatorial debut features a pivotal text by Frantz Fanon, Antilles-born author. 1925 — d. 1961) as a foundation for a group art exhibition aimed at decolonizing art beyond the politics of visibility. Fanon’s 1952 book Black Skin, White Masks presented a psychoanalytical tour de force, which exposed colonization as an agent for alienation and imposed an existential divide. SKIN + MASKS showcases work from a range Chicago-based contemporary artists. These artists, like Fanon seek to understand and express the meanings of identity from the perspective that is individual realities rather than from White gaze.

Mensa is a Grammy nominee for rap, author, singer and visual artist. She was also nominated for NAACP Image Awards. SaveMoneySaveLife is a Chicago-based philanthropic nonprofit that operates at the intersections of art, entertainment, sustainable social change, and art.

“SKIN + MASKS is a cultural conversation spanning bandwidth of race, identity and art, created in collaboration with Kavi Gupta Gallery,” said Vic Mensa. “Since its launch in July, it has seen multiple different iterations, and we are ecstatic to expand it into its next existence as a limited engagement installation on Michigan Avenue. With this new moment in SKIN+MASKS’s life, we will continue to build the show’s conceptual framework and spotlight even more amazing work by some of the same, but different, Chicago creators.

“SKIN + MASKS was founded in July and has been a community-centered platform for radical performance and expansive conversation. Chanelle Lacy stated that the gallery is proud to showcase diverse voices. Partnering with Vic Mensa for this show has not only increased the number of seats at the table but also broadened the audience.” “I couldn’t be happier to join the co-curator for this next iteration SKIN + MASKS to continue our support of our mission of providing elevated platforms such as The Magnificent Mile for diverse communities of emerging and established artists that are often overlooked, or marginalized.”

“We are proud to be collaborating with the Magnificent Mile Association, Kavi Gupta Gallery and the curators, Vic Mensa and Chanelle Lacy, to present this groundbreaking contemporary art exhibition,” said Tony Karman, President | Director, EXPO CHICAGO. “This limited engagement installation on Michigan Avenue is a wonderful addition to Chicago’s great Magnificent Mile, showcasing to the world the work of emerging Chicago-based artists and the rich artistic talent that is active in our great city today.”

“Art, architecture, and engaging experiences contribute to the magic that is created daily on The Magnificent Mile,” said Kimberly Bares, President and CEO of The Magnificent Mile Association. “We are thrilled that this group art exhibition will be on display for Chicago residents and visitors to enjoy, and that the works are available for people to add to their own collections.”

The show will feature acclaimed established and emerging artists such as Gerald Williams (AFRICOBRA co-founder), Nikko Wash, Mia Lee and Thelonious Stokes. Lola Ayisha Ogbara is also featured.

The exhibition will run through the tenth anniversary edition of EXPO CHICAGO (April 13 – 16) and present programming during EXPO ART WEEK to engage artists featured in SKIN + MASKS. The exposition’s tenth anniversary edition will celebrate a decade of bringing leading modern and contemporary art from around the world to Chicago, solidifying the city’s place as an international art hub and a convener for global perspectives and creativity. The 2023 edition of the fair will feature more than 140 exhibitors, in addition to bringing more than 80 curators and countless artists, collectors and creatives from around the world to Navy Pier’s Festival Hall.

EXPO CHICAGO and The Magnificent Mile Association in collaboration with Kavi Gupta Gallery made SKIN+MASKS possible. We are grateful to the City of Chicago, for their sponsorship. American Rescue Plan is also sponsoring this program. Click here for more information about SKIN + MASKS

EXPO CHICAGO EXPO CHICAGO – The international exposition of contemporary, modern and contemporary art features top international galleries along with a leading platform to present contemporary art and cultural programming. The 10th anniversary edition of EXPO CHICAGO will take place within Navy Pier’s historic Festival Hall April 13 – 16, 2023. EXPO CHICAGO will present a varied and innovative program. It includes /Dialogues (presented with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago), and Exchange By Northern Trust: An Interactive Talk Around the Art of Collecting. These programs are unrivaled for public and VIP audiences. In/SITU is a dynamic, on-site installation that highlights large-scale sculpture, film and site-specific work. There are also major public art initiatives such as IN/SITU outside, where works were installed in the digital billboards.| A Billboard Project, a curated selection of work by international artists displayed throughout the city’s digital billboard network. The EXPO CHICAGO program also features an unprecedented commitment to host curatorial initiatives during the exposition, including the Curatorial Forum in partnership with Independent Curators International (ICI), and the Curatorial Exchange, which partners with foreign agencies and consulates to expand the exposition’s global reach; and the Directors Summit, which brings together emerging art museum leaders for a three-day program addressing the shifting dynamics of museum leadership today.

Art Expositions, LLC is presenting EXPO CHICAGO. Under the leadership of President and Director Tony Karman, EXPO CHICAGO draws upon the city’s rich history as a vibrant international cultural destination, while highlighting the region’s contemporary arts community and inspiring its collector base. Visit expochicago.com for more information about EXPO CHICAGO.

About The Magnificent Mile® Association

The Magnificent Mile® Association was founded in 1912 and is a private, nonprofit membership organization with a mission of preserving, promoting, and enhancing one of Chicago’s most unique, multi-use neighborhoods. The Association serves its members through international marketing and popular consumer activations programming all year. It also provides district planning, beautification, and unparalleled networking opportunities. The Association has members that include residential and institutional properties, as well as retail shops, hotels and restaurants, as well entertainment establishments and professional services.

About Kavi Gopta Gallery

Kavi Gupta, a prominent contemporary art gallery located in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood, is home to over 2,000 artists. Kavi Gupta Editions is a publishing imprint that also operates several exhibition spaces. Along with hosting over a dozen major exhibitions per year and participating in international art fairs such Frieze New York, Frieze Masters and Art Basel Miami Beach. Art Basel Hong Kong and EXPO CHICAGO each year, the gallery also hosts artist talks and facilitates ambitious special programming in aid of philanthropic cause. The gallery fosters intellectual discussion by regularly bringing together artists, curators and collectors with academics and experts from the contemporary art field. Kavi Gupta’s involvement in the global arts community is anchored by their mission to amplify the voices of diverse artists to expand the canonical art history. They encourage international dialogue about art and ideas through their innovative and ambitious exhibitions, rich multimedia programming and rigorous publications.

CONTACT: Denise Chudy The Magnificent Mile Association 312-375-5448 [email protected] Matthew Bryant Carol Fox and Associates 217-504-1905 [email protected] Ramsey Hoey Kavi Gupta 312-432-0708 [email protected]
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