Expo Chicago 2025/ French Connections
Art Fair
EXPO CHICAGO, 2023. Photo by Kyle Flubacker.
In April, Villa Albertine is excited to renew its partnership with EXPO CHICAGO : since 2012, EXPO CHICAGO showcases leading contemporary and modern art galleries each April at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, alongside a diverse and inventive program of talks, on-site installations, and public art initiatives.
Once again, Chicago reveals itself as a privileged cultural destination, judging by the rich contemporary art community that gathers there every year. Thanks to its annual curatorial exchange, EXPO CHICAGO remains one of the only art fairs in the country to have an initiative dedicated to funding global curatorial exchanges, which foster future collaborations between curators on a local, national and international level. This invitation-only program encourages critical dialogue on the Chicago and Midwest art scenes from an international perspective.
For the 2025 edition, 98 gallerists will be represented, including a large number of Paris-based gallery owners :
193 Gallery, Paris, Venice
Bogéna Galerie, Saint-Paul de Vence
Galerie Charlot, Paris, Tel Aviv
Les Enluminures, Chicago, New York, Paris
Galerie Richard, Paris
Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery, Dubai, Luxembourg, Paris
Through its annual Curatorial Exchange, EXPO CHICAGO remains one of the nation’s only art fairs with a dedicated initiative focused on funding global curatorial exchanges that foster future collaborations for curators on the local, national and international level. This invitation-only program fosters critical dialogue about the Chicago and Midwest art scenes from an international perspective.
In partnership with Villa Albertine Chicago, this year’s participant from France is:
Guillaume Désanges, Director, Palais de Tokyo in Paris
Guillaume Désanges is curator and art critic. In January 2022, he was named president of the Palais de Tokyo. He founded Work Method, a Paris based agency for curatorial projects. From 2013 to 2022, he was responsible for the artistic programme of La Verrière – Fondation d’entreprise Hermès in Brussels. From 2015 to 2019, he also curated the Méthode Room, an artist residency in Chicago.
Jean-Baptiste Delorme, Director of the Musée d’art contemporain de la Haute-Vienne – château de Rochechouart
Opened in 1995, this contemporary art museum is housed in a Renaissance castle in the heart of the French countryside. Previously, Jean-Baptiste Delorme served as a curator at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, the Centre National des Arts Plastiques in Paris, and the Musée National Marc Chagall in Nice.
In partnership with
Expo Chicago
EXPO CHICAGO, The International Exposition of Contemporary & Modern Art, features leading international galleries alongside the highest quality platform for contemporary art and culture. The city of Chicago has proudly hosted a global contemporary and modern art exposition for nearly forty years and serves as the site of the first international art fair in the Americas. Since its inception, EXPO CHICAGO has remained dedicated to supporting local, regional, and international arts communities, with strong regional support throughout the Greater Midwest, both US coasts, and maintained a growing international commitment from Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
For more information
21c Museum Hotels
21c Museum Hotels was founded by philanthropists and art collectors Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson. They launched 21c in 2006 with a vision to combine contemporary art, boutique hotels, and culinary experiences. Their goal was to support urban renewal and regional agriculture. 21c has expanded to multiple locations across the United States, each offering a unique blend of art, hospitality, and dining. The exhibition displayed at 21c Museum hotel in Chicago proposes 100 multi-media artworks by 60 artists from across the globe. The public is invited to browse the museum at its leisure and to enjoy regular cultural programming.
