Theaster Gates has transformed the Smart Museum of Art into a personal sanctuary for his first major solo institutional exhibition in Chicago, titled "Unto Thee." The immersive installation features vast archives from Gates's personal collections, including African artifacts, funerary objects, and a significant vinyl record collection that provides a continuous sonic backdrop to the space. Key works on display include the monumental "Black Still Life #3" and the ongoing series "Walking Prayer," which consists of black books embossed with golden phrases that explore the complexities of Black identity and collective memory.
This exhibition is a significant milestone for Gates, marking his first solo museum show in his home city of Chicago. By placing his personal archives and curated objects within the institutional framework of the Smart Museum, Gates challenges traditional museum hierarchies and explores the intersections of ancestral labor, institutional power, and the preservation of Black culture. The show serves as both a research site and a space for contemplation, reflecting Gates's broader practice of social practice and urban transformation through the lens of material history.