The Other Side of Expo Weekend

“you coming down for the other art fair?”

Despite a day spent nose-deep in Expo weekend articles, I initially replied "no” to the above invitation for an arts scene trip to Chicago. The idea felt overwhelming; my map was a saturated blob trying to pin the plethora of cross-city activations featuring friends, friends-of-friends, and collaborators. All in orbit of Expo Chicago, the city’s largest annual art fair. The invitation, however, was specifically for the other one. 

Taking place in five cities throughout the year, The Other Art Fair is an international series intended to deviate from the white-walled gallery experience to instead lead with experiential accessibility. My own experience is testimony! Personal memories of the fair include furred walls, tintype pop-ups, and a mesmerizing drag performance. At fresh-faced 21, the Other Art Fair popped the tag on my first sale as an art dealer. On the heels of Expo’s recent downsizes—including the dissolution of its Special Exhibitions section, the fair’s primary home to local and diverse artistry— the alignment of The Other Art Fair’s Chicago dates provided a timely (and cheaper) alternative to the narrowed presentation of contemporality at Navy Pier. 

An array of Black artists and practices filled the booth spaces upon first floor entry to the fair. I relished in witnessing and sparking conversation with these makers, asking about their chosen curation and the benefits of the weekend's regional draw. It thrilled me to come face-to-face with the raunchy and dynamic works of a Chicago based Arab-Filipnx artist, whose queer reclamations of Classical landscapes had become recognizable through the realm of social media. The duality of familiar and brand new was exactly what I associated with The Other Art Fair. 

James McArthur Cole

Anwar Madhi

The nostalgic excitement of years’ past wavered after this initial rush. Moving deeper into the venue, I was disheartened to find the space’s massive central area largely deactivated. What once bustled with artists booths and workshop spaces was now split with a minimalist coffee stand, even roped off in parts. There was a sense of deflation in layering long gone movement over the brighter, whiter space. Was a vibrant celebration of the local and experimental built to last in any form? 

As I maneuvered the remaining nooks of the space, I was reminded that the consistent and undeniable magic of The Other Art Fair lies in its approach to audience interaction. All passersby donned the role of maker as they contributed to a large-scale mural dominating this year’s AMFM booth. I chatted with another artist about her dog’s crucial role in her immigration and works, all the while her hands were busy with commission slots for spectator pet portraits.  

The locality of The Other Art Fair presents itself not just in the featured artists, but in the continued experience of the art itself. The variety of makers and pricing made accessible and exciting the process of art collection. I was delighted to see that artists—to whom my taste was inclined against—had pieces flying from their walls regardless. Artists and their assistants alike beamed in conversation at the success of red dots across their labels. The energy was contagious as I joined a line of ticket holders waiting to take home their newly acquired works. Not only were there traditional paintings and sculptures for sale, but ceramics, stained glass hangings, and even wooden book ends (a large-pupiled penguin now leans on my shelf.) Resonance with an artist did not demand singularly extravagant price tags; instead, it was invited through a myriad of options to bring both creator and collector closer together; a facet that critically initiated and upheld my own fondness for the fair. 

Amidst a weekend of highbrow art and higherbrow names, The Other Art Fair provides a refreshing way to experience the contemporary art world. Its success lies not only in its intention to uplift diverse approaches to practice and art, but to affirm the everyday spectator’s role in stewarding these works as well.