Through its constellation of exhibitions, full-scale installations, and program of events, the Chicago Architecture Biennial will invite 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 title of the 2015 edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial will be The State of the Art of Architecture.
Over 60 studios – representing more than 30 countries, across 5 continents – were selected. The participants of the inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial will present their unique architectural work as part of the Biennial exhibition, which will occupy the Chicago Cultural Center, as well as additional sites across the city: Millennium Park, City Gallery in the Historic Water Tower, 72 E. Randolph, and the Stony Island Arts Bank, the latest initiative of acclaimed Chicago artist Theaster Gates.
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.
For centuries, Chicago has been at the forefront of architectural innovation. From the great Columbian Exposition that gave the city so many landmark institutions to the small multilevel buildings that presaged skyscrapers, from the neighborhood homes of the 1950s to the signature innovations of Skidmore Owings & Merrill, among others, Chicago has long been a force in determining where and how we live.
The Chicago Architecture Biennial (CAB) will continue that daring conversion. Designed as a multiplatform event, CAB will facilitate radical new thought about what the built environment should be in the 21st century, continuing the city’s proud history as a landmark incubator of architectural significance. As North America’s largest international survey of contemporary architecture, it will launch in October 2015, aligning with Venice, Italy; São Paulo, Brazil; and other great cities that are invested in the conversation concerning what the world should look like.
The inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial, titled The State of the Art of Architecture, will take stock of the extraordinary ways in which architects, artists, designers, planners, activists, and policy makers from around the world are tackling the most pressing issues of today. By shining a light on realized architectural projects, projects in formation, spatial experiments made visible, and public gatherings, the Biennial seeks to generate thinking about architecture and its implications for our times. It explores how creativity and imagination can radically transform lived experience as we negotiate urban, suburban, and rural contexts, as well as other places that have not yet been anticipated. Through a constellation of exhibitions, full-scale installations, and programs of events, 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 about the future of the built environment.
This Biennial, which brings to life Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s vision of a major international architectural event, is an outcome of the comprehensive cultural plan developed by Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events as part of the city’s efforts to redefine itself, most notably in the creative sector. CAB is presented through the support of BP, and in partnership with the City of Chicago and the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts.
Chicago Architecture Biennial, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation charged with executing the inaugural 2015 Biennial and subsequent biennials. Dedicated to creating an international forum on architecture and urbanism through the production of exhibitions and public programs, Chicago Architecture Biennial, Inc., seeks to convene the world’s leading practitioners, theorists, and commentators in the field of architecture and urbanism to explore, debate, and demonstrate the significance of architecture to contemporary society.
