CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Organizers on Wednesday officially kicked off the 2023 Chicago Architecture Biennial (CAB), which is expected to attract 500,000 design buffs, Chicago residents and tourists.
One mission of the international festival, called CAB 5, is to get children involved in the discussion about the future of architecture. Chairman Jack Guthman said they've worked with more than 37,000 students — from kindergarten to 12th grade — so far.
“We have in-house events here, we have curriculum that we make available to teachers and their classrooms, we have panel discussions that are age appropriate,” he said
Guthman added that CAB 5 will put a spotlight on issues related to architecture that go beyond its physical form.
Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford, co-director of Floating Museum, struck a similar tone. He hopes the festival is the beginning of long and meaningful partnerships between the architectural and arts communities.
“The biennial is not just an event, it is an ongoing dialogue, and we are rehearsing together,” he said.
“Rehearsal” is the key word at CAB 5. Director Rachel Kaplan said she hopes the festival can help pull back the curtain on how today’s architects are looking at global issues.
“Under the framework of rehearsal, thinking about process as a way to uncover how things are made, how things are designed and how we work together to create new opportunities and new ideas,” said Kaplan.
CAB 5 events will be held at the Chicago Cultural Center and the Thompson Center, as well as outdoor locations across the city through February 2024.
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