33 Reasons Why EXPO CHICAGO Rocks

Carol Bove, Tra la la, 2017. Courtesy Maccarone

By PAUL LASTER, Sept. 2017 

Now in its sixth edition, EXPO CHICAGO has acquired the polish that the late Art Chicago had back in the day, when the Midwestern fair was one of the premiere art events in the world.

Founded by Tony Karman, who has brilliantly guided EXPO CHICAGO through a demanding art world filled with strong art fair competition, the exposition has proved itself a worthy destination for both buyers and sellers of contemporary art and design. 

This year’s fair, which runs through September 17 at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall in Chicago, offers 135 leading galleries representing 25 countries and 58 cities from around the globe.

New works fresh from the artists’ studios include Carol Bove’s dynamic sculpture Tra la la at Maccarone, Nicolás Guagnini ceramic He Said (Dorian) that slyly simulates a painting at Bortolami and Sheree Hovsepian’s photo-based assemblage Outside In at moniquemeloche, while notable vintage works are Robert Indiana’s 1962 Pop art gem The Rebecca at Galerie Gmurzynska, Robert Cottingham’s 1975 photorealist drawing Star at Forum Gallery and Man Ray’s 1919 dadaist sculpture Abat-jour, which was issued as an edition in 1959, at Maruani Mercier Gallery.

Highlights from the realm of modern and contemporary design are Oscar Niemeyer 2001 chaise lounge Rio at R & Company, Atelier Van Lieshout’s 2017 corten steel lamp that riffs on Constantin Brancusi’s modernist sculpture The Kiss at Carpenters Workshop Gallery and Hans Olsen’s Fried Egg Chair, from 1956, at Peter Blake Gallery.

Scroll through to see more of our curated picks from the fair. WM
 

 John Giorno, YOU GOT TO BURN TO SHINE, 2017. Courtesy Cahiers d'Art
 

Hans Olsen, "Fried Egg" Chair, ca. 1956. Courtesy Peter Blake Gallery
 

Sebastiaan Bremer, Clematic Hybrid Prins Hendrik , 2015. Courtesy Edwynn Houk Gallery
 

Amanda Ross-Ho, Untitled Apparatus (DARKROOM), 2016. Courtesy Praz-Delavallade
 

Frank Lobdell, 27 October 1949, 1949. Courtesy Hackett Mill
 

Jan Fabre, The Speed Of The Petrified Brain, 2012. Courtesy Mario Mauroner Contemporary Art
 

 Mira Dancy, Face to Glass, 2017. Courtesy Night Gallery
 

Robert Cottingham, Star, 1975. Courtesy Forum Gallery
 

Ken Lum, Pamela Gloggins is Candi Sweet, 1989. Courtesy Royale Projects
 

Dannielle Tegeder, Escapement Mechanisms for Subsequent Motion, 2017. Courtesy Carrie Secrist Gallery
 

Robert Indiana, The Rebecca, 1962. Courtesy Galerie Gmurzynska
 

Nicolás Guagnini, He Said (Dorian), 2017. Courtesy Bortolami
 

Sari Dienes, 7-UP, ca. 1950. Courtesy Pavel Zoubok Gallery
 

Ellen Berkenblit, Little Red Corvette, 2016. Courtesy Anton Kern Gallery
 

Thomas Demand, SPÜLE / SINK, 1997. Courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery
 

Mark Ryden, Slivovitz, 2016. Courtesy Paul Kasmin Gallery
 

Thaddeus Wolfe, Unique Assemblage Vessel , 2017. Courtesy R & Company

Pat Steir, Untitled, 2004. Courtesy Lévy Gorvy
 

Oscar Niemeyer, Rio, 2001. Courtesy R & Company
 

Sheree Hovsepian, Outside In, 2017. Courtesy moniquemeloche
 

Laurie Simmons, Alles Liebe (Chocolate), 1990. Courtesy Salon 94
 

Bethany Collins, April 16, 1963 (3), 2017. Courtesy Patron
 

Isa Genzken, Untitled, 2016. Courtesy David Zwirner

John Baldessari, Studio, 1988. Courtesy Sims Reed Gallery
 

Liat Elbling, Untitled, 2015. Courtesy Catherine Edelman Gallery
 

Carlos Rolón/Dzine, WE THE PEOPLE, 2017. Courtesy Art+Culture Projects

Wendy White, Serena (red), 2017. Courtesy Andrew Rafacz 

 José León Cerrillo, de an perse and 17, 2007. Courtesy joségarcía ,mx


Atelier Van Lieshout, The Kiss, 2017. Courtesy Carpenters Workshop Gallery

 Michael Wolf, Architecture of Density #1, 2005. Courtesy Flowers
 

Sandro Chia, Hippolyta, 2017. Courtesy Marc Straus
 

Man Ray, Abat-jour, 1919-1959. Courtesy Maruani Mercier Gallery