“Curiouser and curiouser,” exclaims Alice, as she arrives in Lewis Carroll’s surreal world of the nonsensical, the absurd, and the beautiful. This year, in 2020, from August-October, The Night Gallery will screen three works in three locations in Chicago’s south and west sides: North Lawndale, Hyde Park, and Bridgeport. We are seeking film, video, animation and other works to be exhibited on the topic of Wonderland. Wonderland seeks works which re-imagine existing cultural, sociological, or personal environments through the lens of wonder—foregrounding the mystical, the weird, and the divine. Projects may, for example, reframe systemically racist narratives of “urban blight” in favor of the complex ecologies of city dreams. In a world where oppressive systems seek to produce a single hegemonic reality which foreclose on alternate futures, Wonderland features works by architects, designers, filmmakers, and other creatives which use cinematic techniques to elude monolithic understandings of the world we live in.
The Night Gallery will present the 2020 exhibitions in partnership with Principle Barbers (North Lawndale) and The Silver Room (Hyde Park), two businesses which also serve as creative event spaces by night. This expansion of The Night Gallery beyond Bridgeport builds on a network of city-wide BIPOC-owned businesses which support community programming.
For selected works, participants are compensated with a $500 honorarium and invited to discuss their work via video call or in person. Event openings in storefronts across Chicago’s south and west sides will be organized to maintain social distancing through scheduled ticketing, designated viewing spots, and digital engagement strategies.
