Critical Mass

April 25 – June 23, 2002

Critical Mass featured new commissions by Laurie Palmer, Robert Peters, Gregory Sholette, and Temporary Services (a four-member collective; Brett Bloom, Salem Collo-Julin, and Marc Fischer participated here). They represented several generations of Chicago-based artists who apply activist intentions, conceptual strategies, and experimental artistic approaches to complex social issues; they epitomize a larger "critical mass" of peers who have sustained and invigorated this kind of critical art practice in Chicago. This collaborative, experimental project included installations in and around the Smart Museum—many of which involved active audience participation—a resource area, a hotline visitors could use to reach participating artists and key Museum staff, and public programs. Brett Bloom and Gregory Sholette taught related courses at the University of Chicago and the School of the Art Institute, respectively, and their students helped plan and present public events.

Curator: Stephanie Smith, Smart Museum Assistant Curator, conceived the project and its components were developed and refined through ongoing discussions among the participating artists, Smith, and Education Director Jacqueline Terrassa.

This exhibition program was supported by the Division of the Humanities, a grant from UChicagoArts through the Arts Planning Council, and the Cultural Policy Center, University of Chicago.

Presented in the Richard and Mary L. Gray Special Exhibition Gallery.

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