Chicago Galleries Feature Modernism and International Art

- The Wrightwood 659 gallery is a significant architectural destination itself, representing a gut renovation of a 1920s apartment building by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando, who is celebrated for his use of monolithic concrete and poetic integration of natural light. - To create the gallery's dramatic multi-story atrium and exhibition spaces, the original building's interior was entirely demolished and a new steel and concrete structure was built inside the original 1920s brick facade. - The gallery is a private, non-commercial initiative founded by philanthropist Fred Eychaner, inspired by Ando's art spaces on the Japanese island of Naoshima, with a mission to exhibit works of architecture and socially engaged art. - Kavi Gupta, established in the West Loop in 2000, has built an international reputation by participating in premier art fairs like Art Basel and The Armory Show and representing acclaimed artists such as Mickalene Thomas, Jeffrey Gibson, and the estate of Chicago Imagist Roger Brown. - The gallery has a strong academic focus, operating a publishing imprint called Kavi Gupta Editions that produces high-quality monographs and artist books in partnership with firms like Phaidon and Skira. - The noted interest of professional athletes in the Kavi Gupta show reflects a larger market trend where athletes are an emerging and influential class of collectors, often focusing on contemporary and underrepresented artists.