MCA and CHF | Thornton, Maddin, González, and Waller
The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago’s participation in the Chicago Humanities Festival (CHF) is part of a long-standing partnership between the organizations. MCA is proud to co-present two leaders in the art world and two acclaimed stage productions as part of this year’s festival, reflecting the theme of Journeys.
Teatro en el Blanco: La Reunión
Saturday, November 1, 7:30 pm; Sunday, November 2, 3 pm and 7:30 pm
Tickets $28; Students $10
Trinidad González wrote, directs, and performs in this imagined reunion between Queen Isabella and Christopher Columbus. The performance is set during the final hours of the Queen’s life, at the age of 53, on November 26, 1504. Columbus, who is imprisoned for abuse of power, begs for an audience with Queen Isabella to plead for absolution. La Reunión takes this historic event as a starting point on which to build a contemporary dialogue about power and the human condition. The audience bears witness to their psychological duel, in the intimacy of the Queen’s private chamber. Performed in Spanish with English subtitles and co-presented with the Chicago Humanities Festival.
MCA Talk: Sarah Thornton
Wednesday, November 5, 6 pm
Tickets $10, Students $6
Sarah Thornton’s bestselling book, Seven Days in the Art World (2008), explored the ecosystem of art dealers, collectors, curators, and critics. In her new book, 33 Artists in 3 Acts, Thornton addresses the question: What is an artist? Through interviews with artists from 14 countries on five continents, from a range of disciplines, Thornton explores what motivates artists, how they think about their work, and how they relate to the broader world. Presented in collaboration with the Chicago Humanities Festival as part of their Richard Gray Visual Art Series.
MCA Talk: Guy Maddin: His Winnipeg
Wednesday, November 5, 8 pm
Tickets $10, Students $6
Filmmaker Guy Maddin is the director of ten feature-length movies including My Winnipeg (2007) and The Saddest Music in the World (2003). He is joined by Alison Cuddy, Program Director of Chicago Humanities Festival, for a conversation about his work. Presented in collaboration with the Chicago Humanities Festival as part of their Richard Gray Visual Art Series.
Holcombe Waller: Wayfinders
Friday–Sunday, November 7-9, 7:30 pm
Tickets $28; Students $10
Composer and performer Holcombe Waller makes his MCA Stage and CHF debut with Wayfinders, a song cycle commissioned by the museum and developed in part through a residency at the MCA. Using video and theatrical staging, Wayfinders is rooted in themes of intimacy and the search for spiritual meaning, as Waller explores the simple yet fundamental question, ‘Where are we?’ Waller’s libretto is a poetic inquiry into patterns of navigation, ranging from early explorers’ ocean voyages to the short, GPS-guided trips that pervade contemporary life. Co-presented with the Chicago Humanities Festival.
Museum of Contemporary Art
220 E. Chicago
Chicago, IL 60611
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Museum Admission:
$12 suggested general admission, $7 students and seniors, free for MCA Members, children under 12, and members of the military; Tuesdays are free for Illinois residents