CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – An exhibition that explores the sometimes graceful, sometimes awkward pas de deux between artist and art critic will be on view April 24 through May 30 at I space, the Chicago gallery of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
“Response: Art and the Art of Criticism” pairs nine artists with nine critics. The exhibition features works by each contributing artist, juxtaposed with essays that provide insights on the art as well as the critics’ own musings about the process of writing criticism.
Artist-critic pairings: Adelheid Mers, Fred Camper; Silvia Malagrino, Janina Ciezadlo; Carrie Schneider, Alicia Eler; Carol Jackson, Jason Foumberg; Claire Prussian, Claire Wolf Krantz; Duncan MacKenzie and Christian Kuras, Corey Postiglione; Conrad Bakker, Lane Relyea; Christopher Meerdo, Polly Ullrich; Dianna Frid, Lori Waxman. Bakker is a U. of I. art and design professor.
The exchanges will be documented in a catalog and recorded on CDs, which exhibition visitors may listen to in the gallery. Visitors also will be encouraged to record their own critical responses to the exhibition – either in a notebook in the gallery or by way of e-mail. Those responses will be published online on the I space Web site.
An opening reception is planned from 5-7 p.m. on April 24 at the gallery, 230 W. Superior St., Chicago.
I space gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In conjunction with the exhibition, I space and the Chicago Art Critics Association will present a panel discussion on criticism at 1 p.m. on May 4 at Art Chicago. Art Chicago is in the Merchandise Mart Conference Center, 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza.
