CHICAGO, IL.- The Art Institute of Chicago announced Critical Fabulation, on view now through January 4, 2026. This special collection rotation is organized by Chicago-born, internationally renowned contemporary artist Simone Leigh, in collaboration with Art Institute curators. Bringing together diverse works from the museum’s collections of African, American, and European art, Critical Fabulation explores the unexpected relationships these objects may have with one another.

The Art Institute typically displays its collections in galleries organized according to chronology, geography, and media. While this organization helps visitors navigate the movements and moments of global art history, it makes less apparent some of the overlapping and interconnected stories of objects in different areas of the museum. This special installation provides the opportunity to create new moments of convergence, specifically drawing from a broad array of African and African diasporic traditions from across decades and continents.

“It has been a privilege to work with Simone Leigh and together begin to consider the many ways we can complicate the stories we share with our audiences,” said Paulina Pobocha, chair and curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Art Institute of Chicago. “Bringing together works from across the museum in one presentation enables new, unconventional, or overlooked narratives to surface. The conversations between these objects, in turn, may spark conversations among visitors, encouraging renewed engagement with familiar artworks and altogether novel discoveries.”

Critical Fabulation comprises 34 objects from across the museum’s collections including 19th- and 20th-century paintings, sculptures, and videos by artists ranging from Constantin Brancusi and Pablo Picasso to Eva Hesse, Betye Saar, and Steve McQueen. Also included in the installation is Martinique, a beautifully intricate sculpture made by Leigh from stoneware and porcelain.

Critical Fabulation is curated by artist Simone Leigh in collaboration with Paulina Pobocha, chair and curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Art Institute of Chicago.