2019 Edition Program Highlights to the Chicago Architecture Biennial

The Chicago Architecture Biennial announced last week that more than 100 programs will take place at upwards of 50 venues over the course of the Biennial from September 19, 2019 through January 5, 2020.

These range from events, lectures, panels, workshops, and performances organized by the Biennial to partner programs that respond to the Biennial’s themes at cultural organizations around the city, bringing the Biennial’s exploration of space, community, and architecture to Chicagoans of all ages, interests, and backgrounds, as well as visitors from around the world.

The 2019 edition, titled …and other such stories, will form an expansive and multi-faceted exploration of the field of architecture and the built environment globally — as such, programming is central to ensuring that the conversation is inclusive, diverse, and ever-changing through the course of the Biennial

“Chicago is at its best when a diverse range of communities, organizations, and individuals come together to learn from one another, collaborate, and explore our shared histories and hopes for the future. The comprehensive range of programming taking place during the Biennial is an exciting example of the exchange that makes our city so dynamic,” said Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot.

The opening weekend of the biennial kicks off Thursday September 19-21 with performances by CAMP, Alexandra Pirici and Jimmy Robert alongside conversations on architecture and advocacy with Forensic Architecture & Invisible Institute, Maurice Cox, and Maria Gaspar, among others at the Chicago Cultural Center. Offsite curatorial projects will be animated through public workshops and community events.

“Foregrounding the idea of Common Ground, the curatorial team has devised spaces and programs that ensure that this edition of the biennial supports inclusive and diverse explorations of the built environment today,” noted Yesomi Umolu, Graham Foundation Artistic Director, Chicago Architecture Biennial. “By deeply engaging the public and various communities in our contributor projects and curatorial ideas, we are excited to extend the exchange we have fostered during our research phase into the biennial experience at the Chicago Cultural Center and at our various offsite venues.”

Within the Chicago Cultural Center, these will largely be hosted in the purpose-built gathering space designed by Biennial contributor ConstructLab. In addition, the Biennial will host regular programs at the Chicago Cultural Center in coordination with partners and collaborators to further explore the works on view and related concerns:

• Tuesday series: Each Tuesday, the Biennial will host a lecture at the Chicago Cultural Center’s Claudia Cassidy Theater (or, occasionally, at a partner venue), bringing together cultural leadership from around the world. Always free and open to the public, these programs are produced in coordination with key partners and supporters of the Biennial, including the Chicago-based Terra Foundation.
• Film series: The Biennial will screen a series of films chosen by the curatorial team to expand on emergent issues and concerns across the field of architecture. Also free and open to the public and made possible by a partnership with the Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF), these films will be on view in the Claudia Cassidy Theater, and will be announced in forthcoming Biennial communications.

A full calendar of programming will be accessible on the Biennial’s website later this month.