Navy Pier and EXPO CHICAGO Welcome Ivan Navarro's 'This Land is Your Land'

Navy Pier, Chicago's iconic lakefront destination, has partnered with EXPO CHICAGO, the International Exposition of Modern & Contemporary Art (September 27 - 30, 2018), to present a free, temporary public art installation in Polk Bros Park. From Saturday, July 28, 2018 through April 30, 2019, guests will have the unique opportunity to view and interact with This Land is Your Land, a stunning three-piece installation resembling water towers, created by New York-based Chilean artist Iván Navarro and curated by Paul Kasmin Gallery.

Originally debuted at New York's Madison Square Park in 2014, the three sculptures - BED, Ladder and ME/WE - are composed of neon-lit interiors with infinite reflections of each structure's respective design. One tower consists of a limitless repetition of the word, "BED;" another features the boundless image of a ladder; and the third displays the words, "ME" and "WE" in redundancy. An internal arrangement of mirrors enables each word or image to repeat perpetually through a seemingly endless vertical space. Measuring at approximately seven feet in diameter and erected on roughly eight-foot-tall supports, each tower allows guests the ability to stand underneath the sculpture and gaze above for a truly unique viewing experience.

The title of the artwork - This Land is Your Land - is inspired by American folk singer Woody Guthrie's 1940 song, representing the vast expanse of the American landscape and a democratic society pursued by millions of people. As implied by the commonly-known lyric, "This land was made for you and me," Navarro's hope is for foreign-born individuals to gain and maintain access to this country. The water tower sculptures function as vessels for expressing the political and personal experience of immigration for the Chilean-born artist, who grew up under the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet. Over the course of the next nine months, This Land is Your Land will be on display at Navy Pier, situated right between the iconic city skyline and serene Lake Michigan, taking on a new meaning and life in Chicago - the installation's seventh exhibition site.

The installation is presented in collaboration with EXPO CHICAGO, and is a part of IN/SITU Outside, a citywide initiative that provides the opportunity for EXPO CHICAGO exhibitors to present temporary public art installations situated along the lakefront and throughout Chicago neighborhoods. In addition to Navy Pier, IN/SITU Outside partnerships include the Chicago Park District (CPD) and the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE).

Navarro's public art installation is part of Navy Pier's ongoing commitment to offer guests free, one-of-a-kind arts and cultural programming, designed to inspire, educate and connect communities across the city and globe. For more information, visit www.navypier.org or download the Navy Pier app on any Android or iOS device.

PHOTOS: This Land is Your Land by Iván Navarro | Credit: Courtesy of Iván Navarro and Paul Kasmin Gallery | Photo(s) by Elizabeth Bernstein / James Ewing (files identified by appropriate photographer)

About Paul Kasmin Gallery

Founded in SoHo in 1989, Paul Kasmin Gallery cultivates a program in which historic figures of Post-War and Modernism are in meaningful dialogue with the evolving practice of both emerging and established contemporary artists. With three spaces in Chelsea, New York, the gallery mounts ambitious concurrent exhibitions alongside participation in major art fairs worldwide. In fall 2018, the gallery will open its newest and largest space at 509 West 27th Street, which will expand the gallery's footprint and provide a platform to build upon our curatorial mission. The new building will also feature a planted roof purposefully designed for exhibiting monumental sculptures, which parallels the gallery's well-known engagement in international public art projects.

About EXPO CHICAGO

EXPO CHICAGO 2018, The International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art, is presented by Art Expositions, LLC at Navy Pier's Festival Hall, hosting more than 135 leading International exhibitors presented alongside one of the highest quality platforms for global contemporary art and culture. Entering its seventh year as a leading international art fair, EXPO CHICAGO offers diverse programming including /Dialogues, IN/SITU, IN/SITU Outside, EXPO VIDEO, the Curatorial Forum, the Art Critics Forum, EXPO Sound and OVERRIDE | A Billboard Project. In addition, EXPO CHICAGO continues to publish THE SEEN, Chicago's International Journal of Contemporary & Modern Art. Under the leadership of President and Director Tony Karman, EXPO CHICAGO draws upon the city's rich history as a vibrant international cultural destination, while highlighting the region's contemporary arts community and inspiring its collector base. The seventh edition will align with Art Design Chicago, and together with the Chicago Humanities Festival, Navy Pier and the Terra Foundation for American Art, will present the first-ever Hans Ulrich Obrist Marathon in the United States on Saturday, September 29. For more information on EXPO CHICAGO and EXPO ART WEEK(September 24-30, 2018) visit expochicago.com

About Navy Pier

Located on Lake Michigan, Navy Pier is one of the top-attended nonprofit destinations in the Midwest, stretching more than six city blocks and welcoming more than 9 million guests annually. Originally opened in 1916 as a shipping and recreation facility, this Chicago landmark showcases more than 50 acres of parks, restaurants, attractions, retail shops, sightseeing and dining cruise boats, exposition facilities and more. In 2018, Navy Pier continues to usher in its second century with ongoing pier-wide redevelopment efforts - including the Fifth Third Bank Family Pavilion, Peoples Energy Welcome Pavilion, 220-room hotel and more - in addition to free, year-round arts and cultural programming designed to inspire, educate and connect communities across the city and globe. For more information, visit www.navypier.org or download the free Navy Pier app for Android and iOS device users.

Photo by Elizabeth Bernstein

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