In 2013, despite significant protest, the City of Chicago closed 50 public schools (CPS), displacing 12,000 children, predominantly in the city’s south and west side neighborhoods. For Infinite Games, based on the title of the book by theologian James Carse, Preus invited 50 artists and designers to engage with the warehouse of materials Preus collected from the 50 closed schools. In conjunction with Rhona Hoffman gallery, the 3 floors of Open House Contemporary, an artist-run apartment gallery in Chicago were dedicated to objects and installations produced using the school materials. In addition to the exhibition, a publication was produced by the Invisible Institute featuring text from David Knight. and Preus
Participating artists created installations, objects, wall pieces, functional work, interventions, and off- site projects for a 6-month exhibition at (OHC), opened concurrently with EXPO Chicago and the Chicago Architecture Biennial. Located at 740 N Ogden, OHC is a gallery and award-winning AirBnb. Local artists made work, with fabrication and collaboration as needed from Preus’s studio, while international participants will send designs for prototyping or adaptation to the CPS materials.
Memorial (Phoenix), 2017
Ink jet print in custom made frame by John Preus
18 x 21 inches
Mark Baker
Smoke, 50 Units), 2017
Earthenware, pit-fired with discarded CPS furniture
Dimensions variable
You love me too, 2017
CPS Chair, crayons, spray paint, beeswax
Jeremy Boyle.
@astheysaytheysay
Unbordered, 2017 Oak table legs
Educated, 2017
Chrome plated steel, silicon, paperbacks
Untitled, 2017
Mixed media
Tadd Cowen
Legs that go all the way up, 2017
16 hairpin legs, two oak tops, 33 bolts, 33 nuts
Lily Dietrich
Untitled, 2017
Repurposed Chicago public school desks,
chewing gum
Portable Fast Pitch, 2017
Found Chicago public school drawing
board, tape, and drawing
Untitled (ca-hhm-luv), 2015 MDF/Epoxy
Public School, Public Place, Public Chair, Public Perch, Public School, Public Pinnacle, 2016 First Chair:
Public School, Public Place,
Public Chair, Public Perch,
Public School, Public Pinnacle, 2016 Chicago
Public School Chair, Number 18, Construction
Date 1961, Chicago Board of ED; Black Bamboo (Phyllostachys Negro) Chimes; Nylon Cord,
Bamboo and Aluminum Rod Chime; Aluminum Plate Gong; Deer Skin Chair Drum; Plywood
Cajon; Steel Couch Legs Bells; Piano Wire, Eyelet Screw and Guitar Tuning Machine (Chair Berimbau/ Monochord), Steel Nuts and Bolts, and
a Pentatonically Tuned Aluminum Rod Chimes
Simple Support (low table), 2017 CPS furniture
Peter Fleps. @wedgeprojects
Baggage: “I won’t go!… I can’t stay!”, 2017 CPS desk, steel, felt
Kelsey Harrison
Plywood, 2017 CPS Desk Chair
Scales, 2017
Non functioning keyboards, acrylic
The Loner, 2017
Wood, stained glass, mixed-media 66 x 30 x 16 inches
Matthew Kellen
@_mk_ultra
Inequitable Distribution, 2017 Mirror, lights, desks
38 x 50 inches
Nature/Nurture, 2017
Salvaged cabinets, salvaged desk
Colony (Bat House), 2017
Reclaimed wood from furniture from closed Chicago Public Schools
48 x 18 x 5.75 inches
Ndege ni Wahalifu (the birds are criminals), 2017
wood, metal
A Thousand Points of Light, 2017 Perforated child’s desk chair, plastic chrome-plated steel
Desk, modified and powder coated student school desk, 2017
Rahm Emanuel, 4228 N. Hermitage Ave, Chicago, IL 60613, 2017
Materials from recently closed Chicago Public Schools
CPS Mess, 2017
Kool Aid, recycled wood and plastic chairs 12 x 16 x 2 inches
Spot, 2017
Telescope and altered chair
Ink, 2017
Carbon black ink, collected from burnt CPS chair, carbon ink-jet print
Doorstops, 2017
Dear me to you, 2017
Metal, plastic, foam, paper laser prints
Bryan Saner and Teresa Pankratz
The Writing Table: Here, Like A Star, Recycled wood tables from closed Chicago Public Schools. 2017
Dan Peterman
40′ Shipping Containers (Intermodal), pieces of school furniture cut to scale of shipping containers, 2017
Erik Peterson
I Love You Always. phrase found on school chair fabricated in neon, 2017
Colleen Plumb
When I was Nine, HD Video Projection, sound, desktops in grid with hand-drawn text, 2017
Cheryl Pope
14 Year Old Melvin James, Black cloth chalk, 2017
John Preus
Prussian Blue, CPS blueprint, LED lights, salvaged leather, wood, dye, 2017
Karen Reimer
Untitled (seat cushions) embroidered markings found on school furniture.
Kevin Reiswig
Floor Lamp, CPS desk and chair, 2017
Daniel Sullivan and Edra Soto
Untitled 1 – 5, Repurposed furniture, ceramic cognac bottles, 2017
Marvin Tate
Record Player, school pencils, furniture, glue, 2017
Norman Teague
Chair, CPS chair repaired and painted, 2017
Lauren Valley
Dan Wang
Bars In Search Of A Flag: The End Tables, Reclaimed school desk, letterpress, 2017
Fo Wilson
Titus Wonsey
I Was Folklore, school materials, soap, towels, 2017
JOHN PREUS 