1st Chicago Architecture Biennial

The State of the Art of Architecture

1 October 2015 – 3 January 2016

Co-Artistic Directors: Joseph Grima and Sarah Herda

Presenting the largest international survey of contemporary architecture in North America, the Chicago Architecture Biennial will be a nexus of ideas, and a global stage for debate and discourse. This inaugural event will explore the ambitions, challenges, and possibilities fueling architectural imagination and steering the future of the field.

The title The State of the Art of Architecture takes its name from a 1977 conference organized by architect Stanley Tigerman, which invited leading American designers to Chicago to present and discuss the current state of the field. The 2015 Chicago Architecture Biennial will expand the spirit and scope of this event, inviting an international and intergenerational architectural network to Chicago to explore how visionary design can take on the most pressing issues of today.

The Chicago Architecture Biennial is also pleased to announce its first commission, a photo essay on Chicago by world-renowned photographer Iwan Baan. Baan has transformed the practice of architectural photography, investigating architecture as a stage for everyday life. The first samples from this commission can be viewed on the Chicago Architecture Biennial website.

Image: Iwan Baan / Chicago, 2014. Courtesy Chicago Architecture Biennial