ORWELLIAN OFFSPRING

The Chicago Artists Coalition is pleased to present ORWELLIAN OFFSPRING, a group exhibition featuring works by Marie Baldwin, Mitsu Salmon, and Jacqueline Surdell.

In recent years, stories about dystopian futures have become mass media obsessions, such as Black Mirror, The Hunger Games, and The Handmaid’s Tale. Although the genre is not new, a recent New Yorker article states that we are living through "A Golden Age for Dystopian Fiction." Is it possible that its current prevalence speaks to more than just a passing trend?

While oppressive systems in the U.S. continue to be exposed, people en masse are turning to dystopian narratives for answers and the ability to play out mounting fears. As a means of unpacking their own inheritance of oppressive systems, the artists in this show mine their personal histories, dealing with labor, body, memory, and ancestral ties across time and place. Together, the artworks create an avenue where reality and fiction converge--illuminating an opportunity for critical reflection on the current socio-political moment and perhaps even action.

ORWELLIAN OFFSPRING is curated by Courtney Cintron.