As part of the annual Expo Chicago’s contemporary and modern art showcase, artist Brendan Fernandes’ sculptural installation, New Monuments | Chicago surrounds the General John Alexander Logan Monument in Chicago’s Grant Park. Made of scaffolding, this structure symbolically marks the statue as “in transition,” revisiting the complex history of its likeness, General Logan—a nineteenth-century figure who initially worked to prohibit Black people from settling in Illinois, but who later advocated for the abolishment of slavery and supported African American rights.
Fernandes will activate his temporary installation with a durational performance that includes light, sound, and a cast of dancers from Chicago’s BIPOC and Queer communities. Taking place after dark, the monument is illuminated to reveal the dancers’ bodies forming physical expressions of tableaux, incorporating elements of lifting, carrying, and contact improvisation. The performance aims to create a vibrant gathering space that expands narratives of hope for public sites to better reflect the communities they serve.
Audiences are asked to write down their visions for a monument that represents inclusivity on a custom tag. Tags will be available on site during public hours at Black Cube’s shipping container, and will be collected and displayed to illustrate the plurality of voices that make up the City of Chicago.
