Art Chicago is pleased to announce programs organized in coordination with the International Sculpture Center, Museum of Contemporary Art, ArtTable and Our Literal Speed, a global art and theory conference running concurrently to Art Chicago.

Working together to engage contemporary artists including Pedro Reyes, Catherine Sullivan, Chakaia Booker, Oliver Herring and Tania Bruguera, in addition to curators including Dominic Molon and Julie Rodrigues Widholm of the Museum of Contemporary Art, David McFadden of the Museum of Art and Design, and Aimee Chang of the Hammer Museum, programs will address sculpture and performance; new and innovative approaches to artist residencies and the institution; and positive ways to navigate the challenging economy.  Tania Bruguera will host a performance with notable activists William Ayers and Bernardine Dorn. 

Click here for more information on Art Chicago Speaks

A Night at the Opera: Performance and Process in Contemporary Sculpture
Presented by the International Sculpture Center
In the last decade, performance has become an important aspect of the work of many contemporary sculptures, not only in their use of video and the incorporation of theatrical venues into the presentation of their work, but also in the importance for the artists of performative aspects of the creation of their work. These four artists look at art, performance, and process through their varied use of media and materials, time and space.  Panelists include Anne Wilson, Chakaia Booker, Oliver Herring and Jun Kaneko; Moderated by David McFadden, Curator, the Museum of Arts and Design (New York).
Location: Merchandise Mart Conference Center,
Friday, May 1: 11:30-1:00pm:

Artists as Catalysts for New Ways of Working
Presented in coordination with the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
Chicago-based artist Catherine Sullivan, Mexican artist Pedro Reyes, Hammer Museum Director of Residency Programs Aimee Chang, and the MCA's Pamela Alper Associate Curator Julie Rodrigues Widholm discuss the many ways artist residencies-at institutions ranging from museums and universities to nonprofit spaces and private foundations-expand the role of the artist to include more collaborative methods of art-making that benefit both the artist and the institution. 
Location: Merchandise Mart Conference Center
Friday, May 1: 2-3:30pm

Tania Bruguera, The Weather Underground in Conversation 
Presented in coordination with Our Literal Speed (www.ourliteralspeed.com)
A performance by Tania Bruguera, artist, University of Chicago, with William Ayers, educator/activist, University of Illinois at Chicago, and Bernardine Dohrn, educator/activist, Northwestern University.  Presented for Art Chicago Speaks in coordination with Our Literal Speed, a global art and theory conference held in Chicago, 30 April - 2 May, 2009.  
Location: Merchandise Mart Conference Center
Friday, May 1: 6-7pm

Art and the New Economy
Presented by ArtTable
Join Paul Morris, Vice President of the MMPI Art Group, for a discussion about art and the changing economy.  Focusing on positive and effective ways to navigate challenging times, this discussion will explore funding, collecting and the market.  Panelists include Sarah Herda, executive director of the Graham Foundation, Rhona Hoffman, Rhona Hoffman Gallery, and Dominic Molon, MCA Chicago.   
Location: Merchandise Mart Conference Center
Sunday, May 3: 11-12:30pm