A Story that Needs to be Told (All of Mankind photo and Chicago map) by Haerim Lee
Myth of the Organic City
September 22, 2024 to February 23, 2025 at 6018 N Kenmore Ave
Open Hours
Saturdays and Sundays from 1-5 PM
Sustainable Soup
Sundays at 2 PM – Shared soup and discussions about Sustainability!
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.
The Fountain of Second Delights by Viet Phan (foreground) and Memorial to an Unbuilt Monument and/or A Litany of Reduction by Emilio Rojas (background)
We are honored to present the work of Alexandra Antoine, Rebecca Beachy with Nina Barnett and Christine Wallers, Deborah Boardman, Jennifer Buyck, Carbon Register, Julie Carpenter with Jane Norling, Eugenia Cheng, Carl Fudner and Shane DuBay, Jane Georges, Iker Gil, Brian Holmes and Jeremy Bolen, Candace Hunter, Matthew Kaplan, Jenny Kendler and Giovanni Aloi, Nance Klehm, Haerim Lee, JeeYeun Lee, Jin Lee, Nathan Lewis, Norman W. Long, Luftwerk, Bmejwen Kyle Malott, Jenny McBride, Meida Teresa McNeal, Sherwin Ovid, Viet Phan, Melissa Potter, Emilio Rojas, Eleanor Ross, Pierre-Alexandre Savriacouty, Tria Smith and Katrin Schnabl, Deborah Stratman, Stephen Lowell Swanberg, Jan Tichy, Aleksandra Walaszek, Rhonda Wheatley, Amanda Williams, JI Yang, Sangwoo Yoo, and others.
Still from Artes in Horto–Seven Gardens for Chicago by Jan Tichy – image of Henry Darger
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.
Extraction by Luftwerk, 2024 – photo by Ji Yang.
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.
The handmade exhibition catalogue cover by Nathan Lewis, Out of Step Press
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 funded by the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Still from The Illinois Parables by Deborah Stratman.
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.
Past Events
Myth of the Organic City’s Working Studios at 6018North began on July 22 with Rag Cutting and Discussion with Nathan Lewis of Out of Step Press and Melissa H. Potter. On July 25, Pierre-Alexandre Savriacouty presented Variations on P-3 building work for the exhibition with the public. July 27, we joined Field Day at Navy Pier with the Design Museum of Chicago. On July 29, Out of Step Press returned for Catalog Cover Printing. On Monday, August 19 Sangwoo Yoo led Christmas Tree Harvesting to gather needles and other materials for the new work their are creating for the exhibition. The opening celebration on September 22 featured a culinary performance At Ease? by Pruthvish Dangat. On September 29, Water Music on the Beach moved to the prairie at 6018North. On October 12, there was a screening of Fifth City Revisited with Meida Teresa McNeal at First Church of the Brethren. On October 26, we went photo walking with Stephen Lowell Swanberg in Edgewater. On November 18, Melissa Potter led a book-binding workshop with handmade paper.
Press
Newcity “Design Top 5: November 2024,” November 1, 2024 by Vasia Rigou (pdf)
Newcity “Unearthing Chicago’s Histories and Imagining New Futures,” October 11, 2024 by Annette LePique (pdf)
Newcity “Design Top 5: September 2024,” August 23, 2024 by Vasia Rigou (pdf)
A map of Indigenous trails and villages of Chicago, Illinois, and of Cook, DuPage and Will Counties, Illinois, in 1804 by Albert F. Scharf (1900-01). Villages highlighted in green; principal trails in red; and waterways in blue.