Daniel Burnham’s 1909 Plan for Chicago laid the city out in grids with a few diagonal streets radiating from the civic center. Only one of these diagonal streets made it to the city’s present system. While most of the grid streets are from Burnham’s plan, most of the diagonal streets are left over from the days the American Indians dominated the Midwest. Milwaukee Avenue, one of the city’s main thoroughfares, was a trail that buffalo took to Lake Michigan. Today the Chicago grid is punctuated by blocks of paint where the city, and its residents have painted over graffiti. These pockets of graffiti blasting reflect the city’s plan, the residents and life of the city. The city government has an aggressive stance against graffiti, and over the years the layers of paint and blasting have created a unique aesthetic that is explored in this installation.

ABOUT MOBILE EXHIBITIONS

Mobile Exhibitions is produced by Ries Productions, created by John Song. It would not have been possible without generous support from the Chicago Artists Month, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Comet Way Inc., Mike Bancroft, DNMdesign, Michele Gambetta and RIDER Project, friends and family.