Volume Gallery
Volume Gallery is small but mighty.
This one-room gallery packs a serious punch when it comes to Contemporary art and design. That’s right, AND design.
Not only does Volume Gallery show work ranging from futuristic furniture to hand-drawn optical illusions, they’re also putting respect on the “crafts” part of “arts and crafts*.” They believe in craft’s ongoing value as a facet of Contemporary artwork, representing artists working in media and manners that invoke crafting traditions — like weaving or braiding. Volume Gallery shows unexpected work from creatives working in a wide, boundary-crossing range of what Contemporary art can look like.
Work from Tanya Aguiñiga’s current exhibition, Swallowing Dirt.
Photos courtesy of Volume Gallery
About the art/ists
Volume Gallery focuses on Contemporary, materially-based* work. They represent artists from all around the world, but they have a slight bias towards Chicago artists. That’s not true, they love all their artists equally, but nearly a third of their artists are Chicago-based. Seeing Contemporary work from local artists is like driving by a celebrity’s house: You’re not even seeing the actual celebrity, but just knowing they’re nearby is kind of exhilarating.
Volume’s artists and designers are masters of their craft. Their emerging art, architecture, design, and craft stars include Thaddeus Wolfe, Krueck & Sexton, and Sam Stewart. These artists’ innovative forms indicate Volume Gallery’s appreciation of design and material practices.
Untitled, Thaddeus Wolfe
Chicago Club, Krueck & Sexton
Photos courtesy of Volume Gallery
It’s not like other galleries
Volume Gallery’s “unabashed love for design” is rare in the Chicago gallery circuit. It’s not that other galleries wish our city was a design-devoid brutalist wasteland, it’s just that designers often fall to the wayside when it comes to gallery representation and exhibitions.
Expanding what gallery art can look like makes Volume a great place to find work that you haven’t seen anywhere else. They hope everyone can find something to appreciate, whether it’s work that relates to their life experience, objects that surprise them, or an artist they are excited by.
Volume Gallery understands the importance of acknowledging the broad scope of what art is and can be, as well as highlighting work by the artists living in our communities.
*What does “materiality” mean?
When someone mentions “materiality” in an art context, they’re talking about the materials used to construct a piece and how those materials influence the work. For example, in Sam Stewart’s Privacy Screen, the materiality of the piece is the chains used to make it. In discussions of materiality, it is not the object or image itself, but the material used to create it that is of interest.
*What is the difference between art and craft?
Craft, when distinguished from art, refers to practices based on learned skills and techniques, rather than strictly open-ended making processes. Although art and craft can and do overlap, craft prioritizes material skill and tangible outcomes while art needs not implicate a physical object.
Inside the walls
Volume Gallery is a little room that doesn’t shy away from big ideas. It’s at the top of the stairs, slightly to the right. Once inside, look to your right for a table with information about the exhibition, or knock on the glass door at the back of the space to chat with the staff, who are happy to answer any questions.
Volume had some of the best informational materials I’ve seen, with a full binder dedicated to the work of the artist on view. They made it easy to learn about the current show and the artist’s previous works, which helped me understand the work on the walls better and made the show that much more exciting. (You totally don’t have to understand artwork to like it, though.)
Volume always has something interesting to look at, with a new show every six weeks.
While you’re there, be sure to take advantage of the four other galleries on the second floor, DOCUMENT, Paris London Hong Kong, Western Exhibitions, and David Salkin Creative. Rhona Hoffman Gallery is directly below Volume Gallery, on the ground floor.
Photos courtesy of Volume Gallery
Sam Stewart, Daisy Chain
Extended Release
Privacy screen
Lefty #000-12
To enter Volume Gallery, guests must dial their building code on the keypad outside the door. (There are instructions on how to find their code next to the keypad.) Once inside, you’ll be able to visit the four other galleries on the second floor: DOCUMENT, Paris London Hong Kong, Western Exhibitions, and David Salkin Creative.
New shows open every six weeks.
Visit Volume Gallery
1709 W Chicago Ave, 2nd Floor, Chicago, IL 60622
Hours
Tuesday-Saturday
11 am–6 pm
How to get there:
Train & Bus
Take the Metra to Ashland & Cortland. Then, catch the southbound 9 Bus to Ashland & Chicago.