Art Institute of Chicago – serie

A major exploration of the work of American architect Bruce Goff, including the paintings, objects, and ephemera often overshadowed by his architectural legacy Celebrated as one of the most innovative American architects of the twentieth century, Bruce Goff (1904–1982) practiced an unbounded modernism that was deeply embedded in the Midwest and Great Plains. He is best known for idiosyncratic single-family homes in suburban and rural areas across the United States that explode with color and texture—as well as cellophane, coal, goose feathers, and sequins. Dubbed the “Michelangelo of kitsch,” Goff rejected the minimalist aesthetics of his midcentury contemporaries and forged an architecture of fantastical, yet real, invention.Expanding out from his distinctive architectural drawings, this groundbreaking study presents new research on the full breadth of Goff’s creative practice, from his wide-ranging personal collections and work in mixed-media bricolage to his lifelong engagement with painting and music. Thematic essays by curators and scholars explore Goff’s diverse influences including Native American art, science fiction, queer modernism, and East and Southeast Asian art and music. This richly illustrated book features many previously unpublished works by Goff as well as a new portfolio of architectural photography by artist Janna Ireland. Distributed for the Art Institute of Chicago Exhibition Schedule: Art Institute of Chicago(December 20, 2025–March 29, 2026)

A diverse selection of contemporary ceramic work by Japanese women, featuring stunning pieces from virtuosic artists  Since World War II, women artists from Japan have made influential contributions to ceramics that have been inadequately acknowledged. This catalogue focuses on thirty-six ceramists who have produced original and technically innovative pieces over the past fifty years while working outside the male-dominated, traditional Japanese studio practice and its countermovements. Both established and emerging artists with diverse styles are presented together to showcase their collective achievements and impact. After embarking on their careers decades ago, Mishima Kimiyo (b. 1932), Tsuboi Asuka (b. 1932), and Ogawa Machiko (b. 1946) continue to produce groundbreaking sculpture that pushes the limits of the clay as a medium. Among the younger artists featured are Konno Tomoko (b. 1965) and Aoki Katsuyo (b. 1972), whose works explore themes ranging from bodily distortion to fantastical decoration. Many of these creators have resisted gendered expectations, whether by approaching traditionally “feminine” subjects like flowers in unconventional ways or by working in so-called masculine modes, including on large scales. All of the selected pieces are from the exemplary private collection of Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz, who have advocated strongly to bring these artists to global attention.  Distributed for the Art Institute of Chicago  Exhibition Schedule:  Art Institute of Chicago(December 16, 2023–June 3, 2024)John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, Florida(July 27, 2024–May 11, 2025)Ackland Art Museum, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill(June 13–August 31, 2025)Phoenix Museum of Art(September 24, 2025–August 9, 2026)Dallas Museum of Art(November 1, 2026–September 1, 2027)

An exploration of the captivating work and mystical outlook of the modern artist Remedios Varo, focusing on her years in Mexico CityWinner of the Gold Medal, Fine Art category, 2025 Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPYs)  This publication offers a definitive look at the artistic practice of Remedios Varo (1908–1963) following her emigration from Spain to Mexico City in 1941. Her work from 1955 to 1963 made a lasting contribution to modern art and the legacy of Surrealism. In Remedios Varo: Science Fictions, fresh historical and material findings establish the integral relationship between Varo’s layered interests—in alchemy, architecture, magic, mysticism, philosophy, and science—and her beguiling technical approach to art making. Essays detail specific works’ complex stories and spectacular surfaces. An illustrated taxonomy of Varo’s artistic techniques, including automatic mark making as well as careful manipulation of materials and media, offers new insights into the artist’s craft. An illustrated inventory of a major portion of Varo’s library—published here for the first time—reveals the artist’s engagement with a wide range of subjects. Stunning new photography of many of her artworks are presented within a dynamic geometric design inspired by the artist’s work. Situating Varo as a woman working in midcentury Mexico City and living among a tight-knit community of local and émigré artists, poets, and thinkers, the catalogue illuminates the complex worldview that shaped her search for individual and collective transcendence.  Distributed for the Art Institute of Chicago, in partnership with the Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City  Exhibition Schedule:  Art Institute of Chicago(July 29, 2023–November 27, 2023)

An expansive look at more than a century of Pan-Africanist art and the ways it embodies the movement’s principles and global ambitions  Since the term Pan-Africanism was coined around 1900, the movement’s promise has been to foster liberation and solidarity for Black peoples worldwide. Focusing on its cultural expression, this book presents a rich selection of the visual, sonic, and other creative forms that have emerged throughout Pan-Africanism’s evolution. Among the nearly two hundred artists represented from across the continent and the African diaspora are Beauford Delaney, Ibrahim El-Salahi, Hoyt William Fuller, Wifredo Lam, Simone Leigh, Ernest Mancoba, Zanele Muholi, Kawira Mwirichia, Cauleen Smith, Alma Thomas, and George Albert Yon.  Reflecting Pan-Africanism’s ideals of diversity and dialogue as well as its aspirations to egalitarianism, essays from more than a dozen scholars, artists, and practitioners speak to a range of themes and places, while discussing works in all media made or circulated outside the infrastructure of fine art, including LP albums, illustrated magazines, and manifestos.  Distributed for The Art Institute of Chicago  Exhibition Schedule:  The Art Institute of Chicago(December 15, 2024–March 30, 2025)  MACBA Museu d’Art Contemporani, Barcelona(November 6, 2025–April 6, 2026)Barbican Centre, London(June 10–September 6, 2026)  KANAL–Centre Pompidou, Brussels(Fall 2026–Winter 2027)

A stunning look at major Roman marble sculptures in the Torlonia Collection  Myth and Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture from the Torlonia Collection invites you to explore the storied Torlonia Collection, one of the largest and most important collections of ancient Roman sculptures in the world. It boasts portraits of individuals and the imperial family, sculptures of gods and heroes, and large-scale funerary monuments. This book presents stunning new images of dozens of these sculptures, most of them dating to the height of the Roman Empire, and nearly half of which have not been conserved, photographed, displayed, or published since the nineteenth century. Essays introduce readers to Roman sculpture and visual culture through these works and connect the cosmopolitanism of ancient Romans with our experiences of their art today, to provide an engaging and fresh introduction to the Torlonia Collection.  Distributed for the Art Institute of Chicago  Exhibition Schedule:  The Art Institute of Chicago(March 15–June 29, 2025)Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, TX(September 14, 2025–January 25, 2026)Montreal Museum of Fine Arts(March 14–July 19, 2026)