Art Institute of Chicago opens Body and Being on 2 November

The Art Institute of Chicago will open Body and Being in African Art on 2 November 2026 in Chicago, presenting a new rotation of its Arts of Africa collection. The museum's announcement on 15 October 2026 describes the exhibition as a presentation of 53 objects from across the African continent.

Body and Being in African Art opens on 2 November

The exhibition will remain on view until 1 March 2028. Its objects range from masks and headdresses to jewellery and instruments, bringing together works connected with different African cultures and communities.

Eleven of the 53 objects have never previously been exhibited at the museum. The presentation is curated by Constantine Petridis, the Rita Knox Chair and Curator of Arts of Africa, as stated in the museum's exhibition announcement.

The new display connects African art with the museum's history

Body and Being in African Art focuses on the cultural significance of the body as a centre of artistic creation. The works were produced and used in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and relate to moments including birth, death, transitions into adulthood and communication with the otherworld.

That focus gives the new display a direct connection with the museum's wider history of presenting art across cultures. Founded in 1879, the institution moved to its permanent home at Michigan Avenue and Adams Street in 1893. The building was constructed jointly with the city for the World's Columbian Exposition, and its entrance remains flanked by two bronze lions.

The museum officially opened that building on 8 December 1893. Its latest major addition, the Modern Wing, opened in 2009 and was designed by Renzo Piano, extending the complex towards Millennium Park.

What the African art rotation means for a Chicago visit

The November opening places a collection rotation inside the museum's long-running programme of changing displays. Rather than presenting only a single artist, it brings together objects associated with varied forms of adornment, identity and community life across the continent.

For visitors, the clearest new subject is the relationship between outward appearance and inner being. That theme links the objects to the exhibition title while keeping the emphasis on the cultures and communities that created and used them.

Visiting Art Institute of Chicago: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Body and Being in African Art opens on 2 November 2026 and remains on view through 1 March 2028 at the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago.
• The presentation is an exhibition within the museum's Arts of Africa collection, with 53 objects and 11 first-time exhibits identified in the announcement.
• The museum's permanent home stands at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Adams Street, with the main entrance marked by two bronze lions.
• The site combines the 1893 Beaux-Arts building with later additions, including the Modern Wing facing Millennium Park.

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Frequently asked questions about Art Institute of Chicago

When does Body and Being in African Art take place at the Art Institute of Chicago?

The exhibition opens on 2 November 2026 and remains on view until 1 March 2028.

What is Body and Being in African Art?

It is an Arts of Africa collection rotation with 53 objects, including masks, headdresses, jewellery and instruments from across the continent.

Where is the Art Institute of Chicago and how do you get there?

The museum is at Michigan Avenue and Adams Street in Chicago. Its historic entrance is marked by two bronze lions.