photo courtesy of Philip von Zweck; pictured: Marc Fischer's "Public Collectors" project
If you strolled into Philip von Zweck's Humboldt Park living room, it would seem ordinary at first. But the artwork hanging on the walls or propped up on the floor might belong to art star Tony Oursler or to a younger artist like Frank Pollard—not pieces you'd find in every Chicagoan's home. Von Zweck is a conceptual artist, who recently showed at the MCA's 12x12, and the owner of
Vonzweck gallery, which he runs out of his home. He also happens to be one of the most interesting folks in Chicago's contemporary art scene, and will be part of a show exploring artists' reactions to apocalyptic scenarios, which opens November 30 at
Green Lantern Gallery.
If I were to come to your neighborhood, Humboldt Park, where would you insist I visit?
Humboldt Park itself; it's really wonderful. There's an exercise facility, basketball courts, tennis courts and a lagoon with prairie-restoration. In the summer, some people swim in the lagoon and others go fishing. And they actually eat the fish! If I can insist on a place to avoid, it's 701 North Sacramento, the City of Chicago's Impound Lot.
What's your favorite hidden gem in Chicago?
Nothing's hidden, but I really like the Chicago Food Corp. It's a Korean grocery store on Kimball by the highway, just north of Belmont. There's a wide variety of rice, like black rice, the forbidden rice. There's also a better selection of tofu, and it's really cheap.
Tell me the best Chicago-related advice you've ever given or received.
Get lost. Chicago is a big diverse city, and if you only ride the train to work and back or only hang out in your neighborhood, you will miss it.
Which artists are you looking at?
I'm looking at Frank Pollard because his work is hanging in my living room. Harrell Fletcher is someone I've been looking at for awhile. He did a video called "Blot out the Sun" that I like a lot. I just saw his recent project, "The American War," in Atlanta, and it's pretty compelling as well. He does a lot of stuff involving participation and community.
What's one thing we should know about you and Vonzweck [gallery] that we don't?
I really like watching cooking shows. And about Vonzweck; it's very easy and inexpensive to do shows in your living room, especially if you work with people you like. There is no reason why everyone shouldn’t do it.
Tell me about your art practice and your gallery.
Projects come mostly from seeing how other people use the things around them in interesting and creative ways to resist or reconstruct their environs. I like people who look at the world or society not as a given, but as something to be used or molded.
[In my work,] I use things at hand, like distribution systems—mail, radio, etc.—to [reach outside of the] traditional art audience. To me, Vonzweck fits into this [philosophy]: I have a living room [where my] friends hang their work. And I get to live with [that work].
