Functionalism, post-modernism and the avant-garde come together at the 11th Annual International Exposition of Sculpture Objects & Functional Art: SOFA CHICAGO 2004, Nov. 5-7 at historic Navy Pier.
Ninety international galleries and dealers present a wide range of cultural expressions, materials and perceptions of art—from the tribal to the contemporary, from such diverse countries as Japan, Scandinavia, the Czech Republic, Israeli, Argentina and Australia—similar aesthetics from completely different worlds, side by side, in an affirming contradiction.
To date 32 international galleries from 10 countries are exhibiting, including five from Denmark with its strong Scandinavian design aesthetic; two from Italy with its ancient Muranese glass traditions; nine from the United Kingdom, where the Arts and Craft Movement originated and studio ceramics was born in the West; five from France with its rich history of ornament; and six from Australia, with its vibrantly diverse culture and landscape.
The SOFA CHICAGO 2004 Opening Night Preview, Thursday, Nov. 4, has undergone a creative re-visioning. Following the lead of key art fairs around the world to open their previews first to important collectors, and later to a broader public, this year there will be two entrance times: First Choice Preview from 5-7 p.m., by gallery invitation only; and Public Preview from 7-10 p.m., open to the general public. Tickets for the Public Preview will be available from SOFA in advance or at the door for $25. More than 200 artists represented by SOFA CHICAGO galleries and Special Exhibits attend the Preview.
There are also 34 Lecture Series presentations and five Special Exhibits being organized in collaboration with key world arts organizations, including British Crafts Council; Danish Crafts and The Danish Trade Council; Visual Arts and Crafts Board (VACB) of the Australia Council; and Association of Israel's Decorative Arts (AIDA), in cooperation with Eretz Israel Museum.
The Hot Glass Roadshow of The Corning Museum of Glass returns to SOFA. The world's premier mobile glassblowing studio and SOFA will team up for the third year to present internationally renowned glass artists creating signature vessels and sculpture from molten glass.
Collectors of Wood Art present a new Special Event at SOFA CHICAGO 2004—live sculptural and turned wood presentations by renowned artists represented by SOFA galleries and dealers, featuring lathe work, carving, piercing and sanding.
See www.sofaexpo.com .