Arts & Entertainment
Expo Chicago Director Talks Art and Economy in 2025
Expo Chicago. (Evan Jenkins)
Expo Chicago returns to Navy Pier this weekend, bringing art from around the globe and amplifying the city’s status as a destination for artists, gallerists and collectors.
There is much to see — 170 galleries from 93 cities and 36 countries.
In other words, pace yourself. It’s a scene and it can be overwhelming, but it’s loaded with fascinating artwork from Chicago, the U.S. and overseas. Added bonus: It’s arguably the best people-watching event in town.
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This year marks the 12th version of Expo Chicago. Despite changes in name and ownership, giant art fairs have been an annual civic tradition since 1980.
The biggest recent development came in 2023 when Expo Chicago was acquired by Frieze, an international group of art fairs that platforms modern and contemporary art.
Even with all of the change, the quality of the fair has been carefully cultivated, and one thing remains constant: the presence of Tony Karman. Karman is the president and director of Expo Chicago and its most passionate booster.
WTTW News spoke with Karman 48 hours before the opening.
Tony Karman. (Provided)
WTTW News: You’re in the eye of the storm. What has your day been like?
Tony Karman: Quite good! Today is the day when the dealers first arrived, so this is the time when the artwork is put on walls and there’s a lot of people to greet and everyone’s getting ready and excited.
There’s something like 50 galleries new to the fair this year, including a strong sampling from Korea.
Karman: It’s a great addition. The parent company, Frieze, has a fair called Frieze Seoul, and we partnered with the Galleries Association of Korea to showcase 20 galleries from Korea, so this year you are really going to see the best in contemporary art coming from that country.
As usual there’s lots of Chicago representation, including some assists from cultural sites like the MCA and the soon-to-reopen Intuit Art Museum.
Karman: We partner with our leading institutions, museums and nonprofits. The galleries, whether they’re doing the fair or not, band together and showcase the cultural community in our city. Obviously Expo Chicago at Navy Pier is the centerpiece, but we feel strongly that, especially for individuals traveling to Chicago, that they see it’s a vibrant city with an amazing cultural scene.
How do you give visitors — and potential collectors — what they expect and still challenge them with something new?
Karman: That’s part of the growth of an art fair, introducing individuals to the fact that they can begin collecting. All of the art shown at the fair is for sale. It’s an amazing experience, like a museum, but the work is acquirable. We want to build new audiences, too, so we innovate with new programs, like the Korean galleries or our new section called Contrast [spotlighting artists who explore contrasts in culture, identity and experience]. These are ways to engage new audiences and also invigorate our usual audience.
You’ve been planning this since long before the election. Have you had to make any adjustments or change tack?
Karman: Any event has to be mindful of world events, but there has been an art fair in Chicago since 1980. Art fairs persist. The art world has to be mindful of many different changes in the world, but we adjust through many challenges.
Are you sensing any hesitancy from international folks?
Karman: No, I think the art economy continues to reflect a bit of resilience and will always evolve. The global art market, like many industries, has faced dynamic shifts and different trends, but the enduring commitment to creativity, cultural dialogue and human connection and collecting — that always seems to prevail. This is our chance to welcome the world to Chicago to see these incredible works. We just have to be mindful that there’s lots of change in the world right now.
Will tariffs affect the economy of the art world?
Karman: Many galleries, not just for Expo Chicago and other fairs, are concerned about tariffs — both what the U.S. may impose or what other countries may impose. But right now artworks are exempt from the tariffs, so we hope that that’s maintained.
Expo Chicago. (Evan Jenkins)
Do you expect the art world to weather the changes?
Karman: Art is a common denominator in many ways — for both provocation and beauty, and the beautiful thing is that the cultural community prevails. What you’ll see when you’re out here is a beautifully diverse audience with diverse interests and a connection to the creativity of an artist. I think that will always prevail.
I’ve read that galleries at fairs are offering more affordable work via prints or multiples.
Karman: I’ve read those articles, too. The galleries are preparing for different price points and different ways to engage collectors. You’ll see works on paper here and editions, but unique works are always sought after, too. Prints and multiples allow for an individual to acquire art at a price point that may be favorable to them. That’s both in an economy that’s booming and an economy that might be a little bit cautious, so I’m glad to see that prints and multiples have done well, but they’ve pretty much always done well.
How do you measure the success of the fair?
Karman: Success is always measured by the success of the dealers that are participating. We want all of our dealers to do well and meet collectors and curators to further their artistic program. So one level of success is always a happy participant, there’s no question about that.
Another level of success is to do what an art fair does best and that’s convene the world of arts professionals, enthusiasts and curators in our great city and have an incredible experience, and when one leaves Sunday or Monday of next week our success is seeing our city well-received and the fair well-received and the experience as top-notch. We work hard year-round to do this event and there’s lots of moving parts, but everyone involved in this fair is committed. We strive to hit every positive note.
For more information, visit expochicago.com.
Marc Vitali is the JCS Fund of the DuPage Foundation Arts Correspondent.