Exhibition - Myth of the Organic City

Myth of the Organic City presents a historical and contemporary overview of Chicago’s design and land use, from its indigenous roots through 20th century infrastructure projects to present-day developments. The exhibition includes maps, landscape designs, installations, wall drawings, sculptures, and multimedia works by more than 25 artists.

The exhibition features artwork by Alexandra Antoine, Rebecca Beachy with Nina Barnett and Christine Wallers, Jennifer Buyck, Julie Carpenter with Jane Norling, Eugenia Cheng, Carl Fudner and Shane DuBay, Iker Gil, Brian Holmes and Jeremy Bolen, Candace Hunter, Matthew Kaplan, Stephen Lowell Swanberg, Jenny Kendler and Giovanni Aloi, Nance Klehm, Haerim Lee, JeeYeun Lee, Jin Lee, Nathan Lewis, Stephen Lowell Swanberg, Luftwerk, Jenny McBride, Meida Teresa McNeal, Sherwin Ovid, Viet Phan, Melissa Potter, Emilio Rojas, Pierre-Alexandre Savracouty, Tria Smith and Katrin Schnabl, Deborah Stratman, Jan Tichy, Aleksandra Walaszek, Rhonda Wheatley, Amanda Williams, JI Yang, Sangwoo Yoo, and others.

Myth of the Organic City draws from Chicago’s seal which proclaims “Urbs In Horto" or “City in a Garden” as a projection of environmental custodianship. However, Chicago has been designed and constructed in often inequitable and unsustainable ways, with cycles of dispossession and dislocation of nature and people. The exhibition pairs a broad historical overview with contemporary artworks that reimagine our complicated relationship with the City and nature.

The exhibition’s first floor - Land Usage: From Sediment to Settlement to Steel - presents a historical overview of pre-settlement indigenous land use to contemporary land usage. Works in the basement show historic changes throughout the city. The staircase highlights transportation, and its accompanying pollution. The second floor - Waterways and Land Mess - visualizes changes in Chicago, from reversing the Chicago River, to disparities of pollution and accumulated detritus. The third floor - Regeneration - offers hope through individuals and groups developing strategies of reuse and regeneration. While the exhibition cannot offer a silver bullet for our looming climate crisis, it points to an arc from negative to positive change.

Myth of the Organic City is part of Art Design Chicago, a citywide collaboration initiated by the Terra Foundation for American Art that highlights the city’s artistic heritage and creative communities.

Myth of the Organic City is generously funded by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency through an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. This program is partially supported by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events. 6018North projects are partially supported by an anonymous donor advised fund at The Chicago Community Foundation, a CityArts Innovation Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, a Gen Ops Plus Grant from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Field Foundation of Illinois, Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, IL Humanities, Illinois Arts Council Agency Youth Employment Grants, Joyce Foundation, The MacArthur Funds for Culture, Equity, and the Arts at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Terra Foundation for American Art, and individual donations.

6018North is an artist-centered, sustainable, non-profit platform and sustainable venue for innovative art and culture in Chicago. We challenge what art is, whom it’s for, and where and how it’s created. 6018North champions the creation of adventurous work that connects multiple disciplines and audiences while promoting artistic excellence. We support emerging and established local and international artists to create innovative, multidisciplinary work that connects artists and audiences in transformative ways. As a nimble lab for incubating, modeling, and experimenting, we leverage new ways of connecting artists and audiences to advance and sustain artists and Illinois’ creative ecosystem. For more info visit us at 6018North.org.