ArtNet Reviews "A Proximity of Consciousness"

A Proximity of Consciousness, the exhibition featured at the Sullivan Galleries as part of the A Lived Practice series at SAIC this fall, opened on September 20. The exhibition features socially-engaged art by 10 artists and covers "a football field’s worth of floor space with what are mostly interactive, participatory works," reports artnet. A Proximity of Consciousness "incorporate(s) various kinds of social practice, some of which use different parts of the engagé toolbox to get their point across." The paper quoted Mary Jane Jacob, Executive Director of Exhibitions and Exhibition Studies at SAIC, "Social practice has been fundamental to the Chicago arts scene for more than 100 years," expanding upon the concept with examples such as Jane Addams’s pioneering social work at Hull House, John Dewey’s writing on school reform, and the lasting impact of Chicago’s labor movement. The exhibition continues through December 20.