Theaster Gates’s newest project, the Stony Island Arts Bank, a 17,000-square-foot building he purchased from the city for $1, which opens to the public this Saturday, October 3, will do something many of Gates’s Rebuild Foundation projects have not—exist with normal operating hours for true public access.
The building’s first exhibition is an installation by Portuguese artist Carlos Bunga. His cardboard-based structures act as faux columns in the bank’s first-floor gallery space and, oddly, blend into the nearly century-old architecture. Rebuild Foundation’s CEO Ken Stewart anticipates that the Arts Bank will host three exhibitions a year, with a focus on existing work and site-specific installations. The building will also be a cornerstone of the upcoming Chicago Architectural Biennial, serving as one of the official sites along with the Cultural Center and Millennium Park. v
6760 S. Stony Island 312-857-5561foundation.org Free
