Past Exhibitions
Goshka Macuga: Of what is, that it is; of what is not, that it is not, 2
December 13, 2012 – January 13, 2013
In collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Smart Museum of Art presents a vast tapestry by London-based Polish artist Goshka Macuga.
Valerie Snobeck: American Standard Movement
October 8, 2012 – August 19, 2013
In her new site-specific work commissioned for the Smart’s courtyard, Valerie Snobeck re-uses construction material to open up broad questions about aesthetics, value, and the built environment.
Awash in Color: French and Japanese Prints
October 4, 2012 – January 20, 2013
Awash in Color explores the roles, functions, and technology of color in French and Japanese prints.
Renewal and Revision: Japanese Prints of the 1950s and 60s
September 4 – December 9, 2012
This intimate exhibition examines the resurgence and reassessment of Japanese printmaking in the first two decades after World War II.
From the Land of the Morning Calm: Traditions of Korean Art
July 5 – September 9, 2012
Showcasing the Smart's diverse collection of Korean art, this exhibition explores Korea's complex history of cross-cultural exchange and assimilation.
Drawing Inward: German Surrealist Richard Oelze
June 19 – August 26, 2012
Richard Oelze (1900–1980) was a self-proclaimed Surrealist has fallen into relative obscurity on both sides of the Atlantic.
Feast: Radical Hospitality in Contemporary Art
February 16 – June 10, 2012
Feast surveys the history of the artist-orchestrated meal, presenting the work of more than thirty artists and artist groups who have transformed the shared meal into a compelling artistic medium.
Chris Vorhees and SIMPARCH: Uppers and Downers
January 10 - December 1, 2012
The collaborative team of Chris Vorhees and SIMPARCH transform the Smart Museum’s lobby with a forty foot rainbow made out of custom kitchen cabinets and an overflowing sink that doubles as a fountain.
Vision and Communism
September 29, 2011 – January 22, 2012
The Soviet artist and designer Viktor Koretsky (1909–1998) created aggressive, emotionally charged images that articulated a Communist vision of the world utterly unlike that of conventional propaganda.
Matthew Metzger: Ghost
September 22, 2011 - October 7, 2012
A site-specific painting by Matthew Metzger (University of Chicago MFA 2009).