After two decades operating in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood, Kavi Gupta is fulfilling our original vision for our gallery at 835 W. Washington Boulevard by expanding our operations to include our building’s large-scale, street-level exhibition space. We are thrilled to share this news in anticipation of the restoration of community gatherings following the difficulties of the past year.
In addition to the creation of a new, multi-purpose, museum-quality exhibition space, this expansion will allow us to host expanded programming and events, as well as a curated bookshop that extends our art publishing arm, Kavi Gupta Editions.
Kavi Gupta will continue to stage exhibitions in the second-floor gallery at our Washington Boulevard location, as well as in our two gallery spaces at 219 N. Elizabeth Street. The versatility and functionality of this expansion will allow us to further amplify the voices of diverse and underrepresented artists, and to continue our efforts to expand the canon of art history.
As we face the unknowns of the post-COVID age, we believe this evolution will enable us to take the lead in fostering new conversations about what it means to be part of an inclusive, dynamic, antiracist, international arts community.
Our inaugural exhibition in our new street-level space, opening May 22, 2021, is the gallery’s debut solo show with South African artist Mary Sibande. Based in Johannesburg, Sibande has exhibited internationally in leading museums, including the Met Breuer, New York; Musée d’art Contemporain de Lyon, France; and an acclaimed showing at the I:54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London. Sibande’s works are included in such prominent collections as the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Washington, DC; Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago; and Musée d’Art Contemporain du Val-de-Marne, France, among others.
The new body of work that Sibande created for this show is rooted in the process of transition and transformation. The artist describes it as “spiritually charged” and “cleansing”—themes perfectly timed for this moment. To accompany the exhibition, we will premiere a new short-form video documentary shot on location in Johannesburg, elucidating Sibande’s studio practice, methods, and concepts.
We hope you will be able to safely join us for this exciting exhibition, and that we will all soon be able to gather together in person in mutual appreciation of art and ideas.