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MADE IN CHICAGO

 

PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE BANK OF AMERICA MERRILL LYNCH COLLECTION
10 SEPTEMBER – 6 NOVEMBER 2010

 

Nathan Lerner, Light Volume 1937, Gelatin silver print, 28.9 x 40.3 cm © Kiyoko Lerner / Adagp, Paris 2010

 

 

PARIS – The Mona Bismarck Foundation is pleased to showcase Made in Chicago, an exhibition comprising rare and seminal photographs that have never before been displayed together in such scale outside the USA.

Deeply rooted in Chicago’s artistic and cultural heritage, the 90 works – on loan from the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Collection – will be presented in Paris from 10 September to 6 November 2010.

It is widely recognised that the most exciting Chicago artists of the last century were photographers and 49 of the greatest are represented in this exhibition: these include the legendary masters László Moholy- Nagy, Harry Callahan, Aaron Siskind, Arthur Siegel and Ray Metzker.

 

The works on display are some of the most captivating from the bank’s celebrated photography collection. This renowned group of images has been developed since 1967 when the great American curator, Beaumont Newhall, was hired to build a corporate photography collection. Newhall purchased 350 works, many of which were made by the esteemed photographers associated with Chicago’s New Bauhaus school, the Institute of Design (ID). This revolutionary school was one of the first to have a dedicated photography department which brought great photographers to the city and consequently put Chicago on the map as a centre of photography.

Over time, subsequent curators have continued to enrich the original collection with prints by both American and international artists who have been inspired to make images in Chicago, including the great European exponents, Robert Frank and Thomas Struth. As a result, the exhibition – with works ranging from 1930 to 2007 – illuminates both the history and current standing of Chicago as an important and influential center of photography.

 

 

Art Sinsabaugh, Chi. La. # 214, Gelatin silver print, 29,5 x 49,2 cm © Elisabeth Sinsabaugh de la Cova and Katherine Anne Sinsabaugh

 

Made in Chicago, which has completed a successful run at the Chicago Cultural Centre, helps celebrate the twinned status of Paris and Chicago and strengthens the ties between these two cultural centres. The show also firmly builds on the principles of the late Countess Mona Bismarck to strengthen Franco-American ties through arts and culture.

The exhibition follows recent popular shows from the Mona Bismarck Foundation that have helped to encour- age cross-cultural understanding. These include Made in France by Americans and Buttons – Artistic, Cultural and Historical Phenomena, both exhibited this year by the Foundation at the Paris Cultural Centre.

Made in Chicago has been loaned to the Mona Bismarck Foundation by Bank of America Merrill Lynch as part of its global Art in our Communities® programme. The aim of the programme is to turn the company’s art collection into a community resource by sharing complete exhibitions with communities, through loans to museums and galleries throughout the world.

 

 

“When I attended the opening of the University of Chicago’s Center in Paris, Mrs. Renée Johnson, long-time friend of the Mona Bismarck Foundation, spoke to me of a possible partnership with Bank of America Merrill Lynch to bring the exhibition Made in Chicago to the French public. The project struck me as the perfect event for demonstrating our Paris Cultural Center’s constant efforts to promote French-American friendship.”

Mr. Chandras Rajakaruna, President of the Mona Bismarck Foundation


“I truly believe that bringing this exhibition of influential images – owned by Bank of America Merrill Lynch – from Chicago to Paris, further strengthens the civic, economic and cultural ties between our two cities. I am very pleased to have been able to work with the Mona Bismarck Foundation, with Mr. Brett August, President of Paris-Chicago Committee on the Chicago side, and with Whitney Bradshaw, the curator of Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s photography collection, to bring this project to fruition.”


Ms. Renée Johnson, President of the Paris-Chicago Committee


“We believe that art plays an intrinsic role in creating a more culturally aware and cohesive society. We are therefore delighted to partner with the Mona Bismarck Foundation and to share our collection of stunning and influential photographs for the first time outside the USA. Visitors to the exhibition will learn how important these photographers are for our shared contemporary culture today.”

Pierre Colin, Country Executive for Bank of America Merrill Lynch in France.

 

Cecil McDonald Jr., Frances Before Dinner, 2005, inkjet print, 78.7 x 104.1 cm
© Cecil McDonald Jr. Courtesy Catherine Edelman Gallery

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An American foundation registered in New York State, the Mona Bismarck Foundation was created during the 1980s by the late American philanthropist Countess Mona Bismarck. Through its Paris Cultural Center, the Mona Bismarck Foundation offers the public an eclectic program of exhibitions, seminars, and lectures, with a special focus on Franco-American cultural and educational exchange. It also provides office and conference space for a number of non-profit Franco-American associations.

 

 

 

 

As a company doing business in more than 100 countries, and with almost 300,000 employees, Bank of America Merrill Lynch strives to promote greater cultural understanding worldwide in the firm belief that this will lead to improved economic opportunities. Built on a foundation of responsible business practices and good corporate citizenship, the company’s global commitment to the arts is demonstrated through its support of a broad range of programmes. These include sponsorship of travelling performances and special exhibitions, and turning the company’s art collection into a public resource through the Art in our Communities® programme, lending complete exhibitions to museums and galleries free of charge. In addition, the Bank of America Foundation provides philanthropic support to a range of arts organisations, from grass roots arts education programmes to world-class institutions that play a role in creating a more culturally-aware society.