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Art Chicago 2004:
The Twelfth Annual Exposition of Galleries
from Around the World Featuring
Modern and Contemporary Art

May 7-10, 2004

Navy Pier Festival Hall
600 E. Grand Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
Tel: 312-587-3300
Hours: Fri-Sat, 12p-8p; Sun-Mon, 12p-6p
http://www.artchicago.com

When New Yorker art critic Peter Schjeldahl spoke on May 4th, 2004 at the Art Institute of Chicago, he did not, perhaps, guess the resonance with which his words would carry in relation to Chicago's oldest and largest international art fair, Art Chicago, which opened only three days later. Schjeldahl's lecture (an event independent of Art Chicago) touched on the fact that art has become big business, and further, that the flood of events, biennials, triennials, are resulting in a dilution of the quality of the art being shown -- that art's commercialization, in attempting to open up new markets with more opportunities and events, has attempted to draw on more artists to fill them, with a corresponding lowering of the bar. Walking the booths of Art Chicago 2004 was like seeing Schjeldahl's prophecies in the flesh. For over a decade, Art Chicago has been Chicago's major annual, international art destination for twentieth-century art, with participation by local, national, and international galleries. This year's Art Chicago featured 150 galleries and dealers, hosting over 2,000 exhibited artists. But overall, such abundance was a decrease from last year, a second such decrease in what seems to be a downward trend.

Compared to 2003, the blue-chip art had been stowed back in the vault, and although Picasso, the Cubists, and other Modern Masters made their appearance, it was hardly in the full-force in which they appeared the previous year. The willingness to show more 'living young artists' over the strongly blue-chip showings of 2003 seemed to indicate a more relaxed financial attitude on the part of the galleries, a willingness to put their stakes on building a name for lesser-known artists, or taking a chance with more experimental work. And yet throughout many of these artistic offerings, both national and international, there was a curious emptiness. The modern masters on exhibition in select galleries served as a standard to measure trends and qualities of new young artists, and the results were both good, and bad. The quality of what was shown varied widely; it was as if two camps were in evidence. To the good, the focus on living artists brought to the fore art as it is being made, the living forefront of creative endeavor where nearly all the interest and excitement resides. But much of what was on exhibition was 'art-school' art, showing more worship of the cutting edge than aesthetic presence.

A second year of partnership with the Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD) brought in solid photography, much more than in previous years; featuring both modern masters and contemporary practitioners, it was a strong anchoring force to the show. Powell's and other participating booksellers had a more definitive presence this year, bringing out a host of rare artist's books and limited editions, which seemed to indicate the expectation of a more serious clientele. With regard to participants, there were still a handsome number of international galleries, with Spain and Korea the most numerous. On the other hand, it was plain from the Art Chicago 2004 catalogue that fewer galleries overall had chosen to participate. That trend extended itself to Chicago galleries as well. Fewer local galleries chose to make a showing this year. And yet, as a positive sign, some of the strongest art of the exhibition was in them. In an event with national and international participation, that's saying a lot.

To take Art Chicago 2004 as a barometer of the art world would be inaccurate. It is, however, evidence of a change in the way art does business, and in how this affects the art that is promoted. In all of this, one senses that the real art, the art with staying power over and above the trend of the moment, is going on quietly about its business, and not, perhaps, at fairs such as this. As the art world grows into a more commercial, big-business mode of operation, it becomes vulnerable -- not only to the dilution of quality brough up by Scheldahl, but to the perils of big-business modes of operation as well. The Sun-Times noted that other "newer, flashier fairs in Miami, New York, London and Basel, Switzerland" are taking attention away from longtime events such as Art Chicago; such courting includes a host of perks including 'hotel shows' and other extras. If in the end the ability to attract interest and participants really does come down to the level of backstage passes and freebies, one can truly wonder: What about the art?

--Katherine R. Lieber

Katherine R. Lieber has edited ArtScope.net's Visual Arts reviews since 1998. Ms. Lieber is Editor and Associate Producer for ArtScope.net.

Editorial Note: The Chicago Sun-Times is quoted from "Chicago's top art fair struggles" by Kevin Nance, 8 May 2004: Metro: 16A.