January 12, 2021 

Expo Chicago has announced that it is postponing its in-person art fair, planned for April, becoming the first international art fair to push back a 2021 IRL event. However, as the coronavirus’s second wave continues to restrict in-person gatherings throughout much of the United States, no new dates have been announced for the fair, originally scheduled to take place April 8–11 at the Windy City’s Navy Pier, but organizers have reportedly discussed various dates with the pier operators, including several sets in July, and September 23–26, which would have been its typical window prior to the advent of Covid-19.

Despite these setbacks, Tony Karman, the fair’s president and director, is bullish on art fairs’ long-term prospects. “I feel very optimistic that as vaccines are distributed and we get a greater handle on the pandemic, there will be a yearning from the art world to travel,” Karman says. “There’s no question that every fair in the world will benefit from an almost-likely energized audience.”

Expo Chicago will offer a digital experience in lieu of the April fair, the details of which are yet to be announced, and will host an online symposium, “Alternate Assembly: Environmental Impact in the Era of Pandemic,” on January 21–23, featuring artists Carolina Caycedo, Raqs Media Collective, Oscar Tuzaon, Sean Raspet, Hương Ngô, and Elizabth Elizabeth Hénaff, as well as Independent Curators International. The symposium will address art’s role in tackling climate change during a pandemic.

“Alternate Assembly reflects our internal thoughts, discussions, and reactions to many of the changes—environment impact, DEI issues, Black Lives Matter—that have been happening over the last few months,” Karman said.