Chicago's 'Slacker' Artists Challenge Productivity in New Exhibition
The exhibition "IT'S ABOUT TIME: Counterproductive Conceptualisms in Chicago," curated by the collective D.R.A.W, will run at Gray in Chicago from July 10 to August 22. Featuring artists such as Alex Chitty, Shir Ende, Max Guy, and Miao Wang, the display challenges traditional notions of productivity. Notable works include Chitty's "The time it takes," where jars of preserved lemons are raffled, and Ende's performance "Constructions for GRAY," which emphasizes perception through waiting. The exhibition asserts that Chicago is a hub for more thoughtful, leisurely art, with a review set to appear in ArtReview's September 2026 issue.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'IT'S ABOUT TIME: Counterproductive Conceptualisms in Chicago' at Gray, Chicago, 10 July – 22 August.
- Curated by collective 'D.R.A.W'.
- Features works by Alex Chitty, Shir Ende, Max Guy, Jinn Bronwen Lee, Dave Lloyd, Devin T. Mays, Nick Raffel, and Miao Wang.
- Artists influenced by Pope.L and Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle.
- Includes unopened 'gifts' addressed to late Pope.L and Manglano-Ovalle's 'Chair for poet' (2025).
- Chitty's 'The time it takes' (2026) consists of nine jars of preserved lemons raffled as they cure.
- Guy's 'Matrix #2 (to Every House Has a Door)' (2026) features balancing steel sawhorses with Epson scanners.
- Ende's opening-night performance 'Constructions for GRAY' (2026) required waiting to become perceptible.
- Lloyd presents a prefab kitchen with three large abstract paintings.
- Wang's monochrome diptychs are made with watercolour and defrosted breast milk.
- Raffel's 'Floor fan' (2026) is wood-carved.
- Curators assert Chicago is the place for 'better, more thoughtful i.e., leisurely art'.
- Review published in ArtReview's September 2026 issue.
Entities
Artists
- Alex Chitty
- Shir Ende
- Max Guy
- Jinn Bronwen Lee
- Dave Lloyd
- Devin T. Mays
- Nick Raffel
- Miao Wang
- Pope.L
- Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle
- Josh Kline
- Dieter Roelstraete
- Abigail Winograd
Institutions
- Gray
- ArtReview
- D.R.A.W
- Gray Chicago
- DRAW
Locations
- Chicago
- United States