Chicago [art museums]

I’ve been to Chicago many times for work, and I have visited some of the iconic locations. But I have never had a week to play in the city. For a big city, Chicago is remarkably accessible, both on foot and by car. Of course the El also works well, but like any public transport, it takes more time and more planning. Today I concentrated on destinations within walking distance of my hotel. The heat dome is, unfortunately, still sitting over the midwest, so I got out early, with the intention to be back in my air-conditioned room by mid-afternoon.

I first walked over to Daley Plaza. I have been at this location numerous times for work, but was never aware that the large stature in the Plaza was a commissioned Picasso . Apparently he never named it.

I then headed over to Millennium Park, where I have also visited many times over the years. I was looking forward to photographing the Cloud Gate (better known as “the bean”) as it is an iconic Chicago photo-op. Unfortunately the area around it is undergoing renovations and it was visible, but surrounded by a construction fence, so not accessible. I did my best to try to get some photos given the limitations, but I was only partially successful. I tried climbing up on a low cement wall, but was ordered down by the security guard. Honestly, it was only about two and half feet high and surface was probably four feet wide. He insisted it was dangerous and would result in a lawsuit if I fell. Ah well.

I continued on to the Museum of Contemporary Art . A weekly farmers market was set up on the terrace just outside the museum, which provided some interesting material. On the top floor of the museum was an exhibition by Gary Simmons, an artist from Los Angeles. I continued on to the Public Enemy explores questions of race, class, and gender identity. A main technique that he uses across various media is to create the art, then partially erase it by smearing with a glove. It creates some interesting effects. I found his work relevant and provocative. The third floor was devoted to projects, mostly video, by Mona Hatoum . I have less patience for video and it was the sort of thing that just did not resonate with me. The second floor housed an exhibit called “Endless ,” with contributions by four different artists, Etel Adnan, Charles Gaines, David Lamelas and Hiroshi Sugimoto. Most intriguing were the series of simple sea horizons by Sugimoto.

I grabbed a coffee at the museum cafe and decided to walk out to the Navy Pier . This is an area repurposed as retail and restaurant space. There is also an amusement park area with rides. It does provide some of the better city skyline views. After walking all the way down the pier, I decided to grab some lunch at Offshore Rooftop. The food was good, but the promised views were visible only through a glass barrier.

Fortified, I walked back to the Museum of Contemporary Photography, located on the Columbia College Campus, a block away from my hotel. They have a very interesting collection of eclectic and edgy images from a variety of artists. The theme is entitled LOVE: Still Not the Lesser , and it is interpreted by twelve international artists. I immediately recognized the work of Jess T. Dugan, which I had seen in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C.

I then decided it was time to get out of the heat. In addition to downloading, processing and writing the blog, I also had a work-related paper that I wanted to read, so it was a good opportunity. As well I had to plan the rest of my week, not an easy task as there is far more to see and do in this city than can be accomplished in four days.

Tomorrow, I will take my car and visit some museums that are not within convenient walking distance. It will still be quite hot, so I will save more walking for Thursday and Friday, which are predicted to be a bit cooler.