Leopold Procession

Leopold Procession
Performance Event
Tuesday, September 22, 4:00–6:00 p.m.
Start: MCA Plaza, 220 E. Chicago Ave.
End: SAIC Galleries, 33 E. Washington St.

In conjunction with the exhibition Style is the Body Thinking, on view at SAIC Galleries from August 31 to December 5, 2026, artists from the Poor Farm Experiment will lead a public procession from the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) to SAIC Galleries, carrying objects, props, and garments from their project Leopold Benches: A P(o)or(t)ch Theater. The procession will pause briefly at three locations along the route to perform in the equinoctial glow of Chicagohenge and arrive at SAIC Galleries for a closing gesture. The public is invited to accompany the procession. 

Leopold Benches: A P(o)or(t)ch Theater blends the retro technology of stereoscopic photography with live performance-based image-making and explores the porch as an emblem of generosity and social porousness at a moment of increasing isolation and division. Inspired by the writings of 20th-century conservationist Aldo Leopold, the work centers on a pair of benches designed to support attentive observation of the natural world. With a set of 12 original stereoscopic photographs guiding a two-hour score, the performance investigates how slight differences in perception can produce either heightened depth or clashing understandings of reality. The work was first performed at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition at the USA Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2025, and the Midwest Redux version will be presented as part of Chicago Performs at the MCA on September 18, 19, and 20. 

Poor Farm Experiment members include Mark Jeffery, Kelly Kaczynski, Judd Morrissey, Kristin Mariani, Brad Killam, and Michelle Grabner. 

For more information on the project: https://mcachicago.org/whats-on/events/the-poor-farm-a-poortch-theater-midwest-redux/.