DECAHEDRON

An online exhibition celebrating the 10th anniversary of Artists on the Lam

2021 marks the 10th anniversary of Artists on the Lam. Celebrate with us!

It was on Monday, June 6, 2011, that Jenny Lam published her first post on what would later be voted “Best Arts Blog” in the Chicago Reader’s Best of Chicago issue.

As part of the celebration, Jenny has curated a massive international exhibition called DECAHEDRON.

Knowing from the start that this would be virtual, Jenny wanted to involve more artists than she would for any physical show, as a way to truly take advantage of having an online platform (when getting interviewed about 2020’s acclaimed SLAYSIAN, one point that kept coming up was the silver lining of being able to exhibit bonus pieces as digital exclusives), and to truly fit a milestone anniversary.

She invited all artists from past shows, invited other artists she admired but hadn’t exhibited yet (likening the process to an episodic TV series where you wander the land embarking on different adventures and meeting different characters, and then in the end you go back and revisit all your old friends and ask them to be part of your heist), and—in keeping with the nature of Artists on the Lam group shows—put out an open call for artists too. Past, present, and future are all intertwined.

The result? A show with 74 artists, with over 350 works of art across all media.

(For comparison, Artists on the Lam’s acclaimed 2016 interactive show LEXICON had 47 artists and spanned the entirety of the 10,000 sq. ft. 2nd floor of the renowned Zhou B Art Center.)

Hailing from all over Chicago, the country, and the world, DECAHEDRON’s participating artists include:

Adrienne L. Glover, Adrienne Powers, Agnieszka Ligendza, Alba Margarita, Alex Kostiw, Alix Anne Shaw, Allen Vandever, Angie Redmond, Brianna Lynn Hernández Baurichter, Bruce Riley, Caroline Walser, Carrie McGath, Céline Browning, Chad Kouri, Charlene Moy, CHema Skandal!, Chris Silva, Christine Nicklos, Claire Ashley, Clarisse Perrette, Corinne Halbert, Cristy Corso, Czr Prz, Dan Castranova, Danielle Pontarelli, Diane Ponder, Emily Calvo, English Prevo, Glenn Wexler, Hazel R. Magnolia, Heidi Jensen, InsomniaBird, James Gu, James Jankowiak, James Mosher, Juliann Wang, Julius Dizon-Cruz Bautista, Justin Suico, Karen I. Hirsch, Kathy Halper, KC Winter, Keelan McMorrow, Kristin Cass, Kurt Kreissl, Laura Catherwood, Lee Eun Young, Lisa Goesling, Mac Blackout, Mairin Hartt, Mark Pol, Mary Porterfield, Mazon, Megan M. Rivera, Melissa Wang, MelonJames, My Linh Mac, Nancy Bechtol, Nathan Stanton, Nik Burkhart, Olivia Shih, Patricia Biesen, Patrick Earl Hammie, Peyton Rack, Priscilla Huang, Ramiro Silva-Cortés, Rialin José, Richard Gessert, Robert Apolinar, Robin Monique Rios, Sam Riesmeyer, Stafford Hiroshi Smith, Tiffany Gholar, Toby zur Loye, Yuqing Zhu, and you.

Celebrating 10 years of:

interaction; collaboration; making art as accessible as possible; proving that art is for everyone; championing local artists while channeling global perspectives; shenanigans; worldwide adventures; saying things everyone thinks but doesn’t say out loud; making messes; winging it; figuring it out; the same pair of sneakers; irreverence; puns; so many puns; open calls; giving emerging artists their first ever shows; refusing to use artspeak; not taking ourselves too seriously; troublemaking; optimism / earnestness / hope; leaving pretension at the door; getting people to actually look at the art; getting people to have fun with art and with each other; getting people to see the world anew; building relationships between artists and viewers; building relationships; building community; bringing people joy; a breath of fresh air; being able to touch the art; people coming into a gallery and not feeling intimidated; teaching; assuring people that they do, in fact, “get” art; showing that there’s nothing to “get”; invoking childlike wonder; connection, and not the schmoozing kind; making sure everyone feels welcome; rejecting cliques; breaking the rules; breaking barriers; bridging the spaces between us; standing out; not paying attention to trends; making our own; substance over style; quality over popularity; quantity; cramming an entire biennial’s worth of artists into one room; cramming as many viewers as possible into one room; helping visitors “hone their art appreciation skills”; giving visitors the “opportunity to explore their own interests and gain a better understanding of the kind of art they enjoy and why”; being worth the wait; being down-to-earth; showing there’s an abundance of culture in the Midwest; every medium you can think of; every art form you can think of; artists spanning the widest range of backgrounds, ages, and experience levels; talent; the best people you’ve never heard of yet; exploring and showcasing the underground; “shaking things up” / “rocking the art world” / “making waves”; changing the game; truly new experiences; being truly independent; perhaps being too DIY [but]; knowing no one is an island; using word of mouth; being unconventional; play; passion; constant growth; and art.

Thank you, everyone, for being a part of this extraordinary journey.

Here’s to the next 10 years!

Leave a birthday message!

What is your favorite Artists on the Lam memory? Perhaps you had a moment of transcendence at one of our interactive shows, or shared a spontaneous experience with a fellow visitor, or simply had fun. Perhaps a particular blog post moved you. Perhaps you’ve been inspired in some way. Your story could be featured on the site as part of the virtual celebration!

If you’d also like to send a photo, a doodle, or any other supplemental material, email artists.on.the.lam {at} gmail {dot} com.