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The Chicago Architecture Biennial will host an exhibition titled "Melting Solids" at the Stony Island Arts Bank from September 19 through November 30, 2025. The exhibit aims to encourage visitors to reconsider traditional concepts of architecture by exploring themes such as ephemerality, impermanence, and lightness. It features works from five architects and artists who highlight how architecture can be both lasting and temporary.
According to the organizers, "This collection of works from five architects and artists that explore ephemerality, impermanence, and lightness. They remind us that architecture can be both enduring and fleeting, and encourage us to imagine architectures that are not fixed monuments, but living practices - able to adapt, transform, and sustain new forms of community and care."
A special event called "Loudreading Your Story with WAI Architecture Think Tank" is scheduled for Thursday, October 16 at the exhibit. WAI Architecture Think Tank's installation draws inspiration from a Caribbean tradition known as loudreading—where texts were read aloud to factory workers during their shifts. The event will also feature artists from Free Street Theater with their Story Station initiative.
The statement from the organizers describes the event: "Join WAI Architecture Think Tank, participants in the 2025 Chicago Architecture Biennial, for an evening of art, storytelling, and resistance. Part library, part classroom, and part stage, WAI Think Tank's immersive installation is inspired by a Caribbean tradition called loudreading—where texts were read out loud to factory workers throughout the workday. The space invites audiences to read, listen, and talk together about history, power, and freedom. Artists from Free Street Theater will be on hand with their Story Station, helping you to express your own stories and ideas. Come imagine a future beyond colonialism - one where learning is loud, active, and shared by all."
Admission to "Melting Solids" is free for all visitors. The Stony Island Arts Bank is located at 6760 S. Stony Island Avenue.
