Expo Chicago has unveiled its exhibitor list for the 2026 edition, revealing a significantly leaner fair, per artnews.com. Scheduled for April 9–12 at Navy Pier, the event will host over 130 exhibitors, a nearly 25 per cent reduction in size compared to 2025.
Newly appointed Director Kate Sierzputowski noted that the smaller floor plan is an intentional move to foster deeper engagement. “Our priority has been to refocus the fair on rigorous curation and civic collaboration,” Sierzputowski stated.
Despite the overall reduction in scale, West African contemporary art maintains a strong foothold. Four prominent Lagos-based galleries including Adegbola Gallery, Affinity Gallery, Soto Gallery and Yenwa Gallery,
have been selected for the Profile section:
The fair also sees a continued, though scaled-back, partnership with the Galleries Association of Korea (GAoK), featuring 12 Korean participants.
A major highlight for 2026 is a debut partnership with the Obama Presidential Center (OPC). Louise Bernard, director of the OPC’s museum, will curate two dedicated sections; Embodiment – featuring heavyweights like Gray, Sean Kelly and Anton Kern as well as Evolution – a curated exhibition of archival materials and art commissions from the Center.
Following the naming conventions of other Frieze-led fairs, the Exposure section has been renamed Focus. Curated by Katie A. Pfohl of the Detroit Institute of Arts, the section, titled “Gathering of Waters,” will highlight galleries active for 12 years or fewer, including 56 Henry and Magenta Plains.
•Featured image: Expo Chicago 2025/Casey Kelbaugh/CKA
