SKIN + MASKS |||, Curated by Vic Mensa & Chanelle Lacy: Magnificent Mile Association, 535 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL

18 July 2022 - 15 April 2023

Overview

Kavi Gupta announces the third iteration of SKIN + MASKS, a group exhibition aimed at decolonizing Black art beyond the politics of visibility. Co-curated by gallery director Chanelle Lacy and rapper, activist, and philanthropist Vic Mensa, the exhibition brings together works by an inter-generational group of Chicago-based contemporary artists, and is presented in collaboration with EXPO CHICAGO, the international exposition of contemporary and modern art, and The Magnificent Mile® Association.

SKIN + MASKS takes its title from the work of Antilles-born author Frantz Fanon (b. 1925 — d. 1961), whose seminal text Black Skin, White Masks examined how barriers of race impede our ability to experience humanity. The exhibition’s first two iterations fostered dynamic conversations about what it means for visual art to incite cultural evolutions “beyond the politics of visibility.” This third iteration further examines that theme, looking deeper into Fanon’s statement that, “Before it can adopt a positive voice, freedom requires an effort at disalienation.”

The curators bring together artists working with ideas related to magical realism, esotericism, and metaphysics, spotlighting works that address connections between myths, memories, mysticism, materials, and methods. The exhibition offers further insights into how perspectives on visibility and belonging develop over time within a single community.

"SKIN + MASKS is a cultural conversation spanning bandwidth of race, identity and art, created in collaboration with Kavi Gupta Gallery and Chanelle Lacy,” said Mensa. “Since its launch in July, it has seen multiple different iterations, and we are ecstatic to expand it into its next existence as a limited engagement installation on Michigan Avenue. With this new moment in the life of SKIN + MASKS, we look to develop the show's conceptual framework while spotlighting even more brilliant work from some of the same, and some different, Chicago creators.”

"SKIN + MASKS has served as a community centered incubator of expansive conversation and radical performance since its debut this summer. The gallery prides itself on amplifying diverse voices and partnering with Vic Mensa on this show has not only brought more seats to the table, but broadened the table itself. I could not be more thrilled to join as co-curator of this next iteration of SKIN + MASKS in ongoing support of our mission to provide an elevated platform to artists both emerging and established that are often overlooked or marginalized."

–Chanelle Lacy

“We are proud to be collaborating with the Magnificent Mile Association, Kavi Gupta Gallery and the curators, Vic Mensa and Chanelle Lacy, to present this groundbreaking contemporary art exhibition,” said Tony Karman, President | Director, EXPO CHICAGO. “This limited engagement installation on Michigan Avenue is a wonderful addition to Chicago’s great Magnificent Mile, showcasing to the world the work of emerging Chicago-based artists and the rich artistic talent that is active in our great city today.” “Art, architecture, and engaging experiences contribute to the magic that is created daily on The Magnificent Mile,” said Kimberly Bares, President and CEO of The Magnificent Mile Association. “We are thrilled that this group art exhibition will be on display for Chicago residents and visitors to enjoy, and that the works are available for people to add to their own collections.”

As with the previous iterations of SKIN + MASKS, Kavi Gupta will donate all proceeds from SKIN MASKS III to Vic Mensa’s philanthropic non-profit SaveMoneySaveLife for use in creating infrastructure and providing resources for young artists in Accra, Ghana.

The exhibition will run through the tenth anniversary edition of EXPO CHICAGO (April 13 – 16) and present programming during EXPO ART WEEK to engage artists featured in SKIN + MASKS III. The exposition’s tenth anniversary edition will celebrate a decade of bringing leading modern and contemporary art from around the world to Chicago, solidifying the city’s place as an international art hub and a convener for global perspectives and creativity. The 2023 edition of the fair will feature more than 140 exhibitors, in addition to bringing more than 80 curators and countless artists, collectors and creatives from around the world to Navy Pier’s Festival Hall. SKIN + MASKS III is made possible through the collaboration by EXPO CHICAGO and The Magnificent Mile Association with Kavi Gupta Gallery. Special thanks to the City of Chicago for sponsorship. This program is also sponsored by the American Rescue Plan.

About EXPO CHICAGO:
EXPO CHICAGO, the international exposition of contemporary and modern art, features leading international galleries alongside a leading platform for contemporary art and cultural programming. The 10th anniversary edition of EXPO CHICAGO will take place within Navy Pier’s historic Festival Hall April 13 - 16, 2023. EXPO CHICAGO presents a diverse and inventive program, including /Dialogues (presented in partnership with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago) and Exchange by Northern Trust: An Interactive Conversation Around the Art of Collecting, unrivaled programs for both public and VIP audiences; IN/SITU, dynamic on-site installations highlighting large-scale sculpture, film, and site-specific work; and major public art initiatives, including IN/SITU Outside, with works installed throughout Chicago Park District locations, and OVERRIDE | A Billboard Project, a curated selection of work by international artists displayed throughout the city’s digital billboard network. The EXPO CHICAGO program also features an unprecedented commitment to host curatorial initiatives during the exposition, including the Curatorial Forum in partnership with Independent Curators International (ICI), and the Curatorial Exchange, which partners with foreign agencies and consulates to expand the exposition’s global reach; and the Directors Summit, which brings together emerging art museum leaders for a three-day program addressing the shifting dynamics of museum leadership today. EXPO CHICAGO is presented by Art Expositions, LLC. Under the leadership of President and Director Tony Karman, EXPO CHICAGO draws upon the city’s rich history as a vibrant international cultural destination, while highlighting the region’s contemporary arts community and inspiring its collector base.

About The Magnificent Mile Association:
The Magnificent Mile Association was founded in 1912 and is a private, nonprofit membership organization with a mission of preserving, promoting, and enhancing one of Chicago’s most unique, multi-use neighborhoods. In addition to international marketing and planning popular consumer activations programming year-round, The Association also serves its members with district planning and beautification and incomparable networking opportunities. Members include real estate properties, retail shops, hotels, restaurants, entertainment establishments, institutional and residential properties, and various professional services.