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Michele Rosenbaum

MCA Chicago in June

Updated: Oct 23

Last month, I visited Chicago really for the first time. I have driven through or had a layover at O'Hare Airport but this was the first time I spent time exploring the city. I really enjoyed the Museum of Contemporary Art. Nick Cave's "Forothermore" exhibition is gorgeous and amazing. His work transcends social tropes and inspires the senses.

I love artist Nick Cave's Soundsuits. They are visually decadent, and the layers of meaning and feeling are added when I listened to them. I was inspired reading about how he came up with one of his first Soundsuits in a mundane, everyday life moment of sitting in the grass at the park. The way he marries found objects with hand-crafted elements is stunning, and I love how his work challenges traditional notions of race, gender, and identity. After this, I spent time in the "Based on a True Story" exhibit. It really spoke to me as I continue to consider memory, time and identity in my work. Some believe that our memories are a factual recording of what happened at a point in time. It's interesting to think about how our memories might not be as accurate as we think they are. The PLoS ONE study found that some memory myths are so widespread that up to 83 percent of people believe them. I found this particularly fascinating because it challenges the notion that our memories are an accurate record of what happened. It makes me wonder if we can ever really know what happened in the past or if our memories will always be colored by our own biases and perspectives.

The exhibit features works by artists who use fiction to explore the ways history is told, both by individual memoirists and by institutions like museums. By staging complex urban landscapes or crafting provocative personal identities, these artists provoke us to question our own perception of the world. In doing so, they challenge the way the past is portrayed, both by historians and by the media. In a time when the line between fact and fiction is often blurred, this exhibit offers a unique opportunity to consider the role of art in shaping our understanding of reality.

In our world, there are many stories. Some are true, while others are fiction. But what happens when the lines between truth and fiction begin to blur? That is the question that "Based on a True Story..." invites visitors to explore. The exhibit features works of art that play with the idea of truth, inviting viewers to question how they see the world around them. By blurring the lines between fact and fiction, the exhibit allows us to imagine new realities and see the world in new ways. In a time when the definition of truth seems to be constantly changing, Based on a True Story . . . provides us with a much-needed opportunity to step back and reflect on the meaning of truth and its role in our lives.

Chicago is a beautiful city with a lot to offer. I was really impressed with the Museum of Contemporary Art. Nick Cave's "Forothermore" exhibition is stunning and very thought-provoking. His work goes beyond social norms and really speaks to the senses. I would highly recommend it to anyone who has the chance to see it. Chicago is definitely a city that I would like to visit again.




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