Art Top 5: October 2021

Stockyard Institute, 1995-2000. Gang-Proof Suit/Image courtesy Jim Duignan

1
Stockyard Institute: 25 Years of Art and Radical Pedagogy
(DePaul Art Museum)
Archival material, project ephemera and a full-scale working radio station are part of this transformative civic art practice’s retrospective.
Through February 13, 2022

2
If only this mountain between us could be ground to dust
(Art Institute of Chicago)
In their first exhibition in a major U.S. museum, Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme use video, installation and performance to counter the erasure of Palestinian experiences.
Through January 3, 2022

3
Moki Cherry
(Corbett vs. Dempsey)
Vibrant canvases and tapestries from the late, utopic Swedish artist and fashion designer are on display here, alongside a rarely seen soft sculpture.
Through October 9, 2021

4
Michiko Itatani: Personal Codes: Virtual Cube in the Kitchen
(4th Ward Project Space)
Long-held scientific questions are at the heart of this Chicago-based painter’s highly detailed, cosmic works.
Through October 10

5
Unyimeabasi Udoh: Title Case
(Tiger Strikes Asteroid Chicago)
This 2021 Breakout Artist ponders the visibility of absence in this solo exhibition, using hanging letter garlands and site-specific works.
Through October 16