Inaugurated on September 21st, 2023, The Chicago Architecture Biennial is a city-wide festival that will continue until the end of the year. Titled “This is a Rehearsal,” the event is set up as a love letter to Chicago, activating ongoing dialogue around and in the city. One month after the biennial started, events are still ongoing, with open houses, theater performances, and virtual conferences happening throughout this week.
CAB5 was curated by the collective Floating Museum, a group of artists, designers, poets, and educators focused on building connections between art, community, architecture, infrastructure, and public institutions. “This is a Rehearsal” is centered around the practice of architecture as a time-based and iterative exploration. The various exhibitions are currently on view at the Chicago Cultural Center, the Graham Foundation, the James R. Thompson Center, and the Chicago Architecture Center. Additionally, CAB 5 boasts installations at different sites in the urban fabric, using the city as the Biennial site. These venues include the Chicago Tool Library, 5401 S Prairie, Joffrey Ballet, DuSable Park, and the Floating Museum Studio.
Last Friday, December 9th, the infamous James R. Thompson Center hosted a holiday pop-up featuring performances by the Chicago Sinfonietta. Extending through the weekend, there was also an Opera House: Family Edition performance. Created in collaboration with the Department of Cultural Affairs, the program caters to all ages and activates different venues. The weekend also featured a Theater For One production, live performances by Uniting Voices Chicago, Changing Worlds, and Chicago Inclusive Dance Festival.
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The Reconstruction of Notre Dame’s Spire Nears CompletionTomorrow, Wednesday, December 13th, CAB 5 is presenting “Encounters with Architecture,” in collaboration with the Association of Architecture Organizations, featuring Maya Bird-Murphy. The conference will involve an exploration of innovative education programs in architecture. Additionally, the Biennial is offering an opportunity to view the Chartier Dalix Systems exhibition and explore the Chicago Architecture Center until December’s end.
The Chicago Architecture Biennial has been ongoing since September 21st, and a city-wide celebration was hosted on November 1st. The exhibition program is ongoing until the end of the year. On display as part of CAB 5, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) presented an eco-friendly alternative to traditional concrete. Named the “Bio-Block Spiral,” the installation is at The Mews in Fulton Market in Chicago. The fifth edition of the Biennial features architects and artists presenting significant new works, offering perspectives on the architecture industry. The complete participant list includes interdisciplinary interventions and collaborations investigating all facets of the built environment.
