This is the way to Fountain Art Fair (all photos by the author for Hyperallergic unless otherwise noted)
CHICAGO — The Fountain Art Fair is located at the edge a heavily industrial area of the Pilsen neighborhood where many local artists live and work. Compared to Expo Chicago, it is a welcome free-for-all DIY art oasis at the edge of an art community, and housing another one (artists rent the studio spaces in this building, which is also home to Mana Contemporary). Taking its inspiration from Duchamp — using a readymade-esque urinal as its logo — the Fountain Art Fair arrived in Chicago as the first satellite art fair of Expo Chicago.
Eighteen galleries, artists or project spaces took up temporary residence at Fountain. Outside of the warehouse space, a swing-set attached to an array of percussive instruments invited viewers to fly back-and-forth, erupting a cacophony of sounds. This harmonious human-operated machine added a playful element to the art fair mentality.
“I think that because EXPO Chicago succeeded in its first year with a fair at a new location, a fair from outside of Chicago, like Fountain, felt comfortable and open to the idea of coming to Chicago,” Anna Cerniglia, a Supporting Partner of Fountain Art Fair and the director of Chicago art space Johalla Projects, told Hyperallergic.
read the full story on Hyperallergic: http://hyperallergic.com/85353/in-its-chicago-debut-fountain-art-fair-spouts-drips-and-splashes/
