Chicago City Wire

The Art Institute of Chicago is set to unveil the newly designed Eloise W. Martin Galleries for the Applied Arts of Europe on July 11, 2025. The revamped space will showcase over 300 objects from the institute's collection, including furniture, silver, ceramics, and glass crafted between 1600 and 1900. This expansion allows for a 40% increase in displayed items compared to previous installations.

Spanning 4,500 square feet, the gallery follows a chronological narrative that explores design, craftsmanship, and commerce amidst historical changes such as geopolitical shifts and colonialism. Visitors will see iconic works alongside new acquisitions and select loans from private collections. Interpretive materials highlight European makers' ingenuity in an increasingly global market.

“We hope that this ambitious reinstallation allows visitors to consider the daring innovations of European designers during this vibrant period,” said Ellenor Alcorn, chair and Eloise W. Martin Curator of Applied Arts of Europe. “We are thrilled to present these objects in a space that invites close looking, deep reflection, and renewed appreciation for the craftsmanship and global influence that shaped design from the 17th through the 19th centuries.”

Featured pieces include a chair crafted by Indian artisans for a European merchant in Madras in the late 1600s, Chinese porcelain vases imported to Paris in the mid-1700s with gilded bronze mounts, and an English neo-Gothic sideboard by William Burges from the mid-1800s. A new room dedicated to European ceramics will also be part of the exhibition.

The galleries have been designed by Barcelona-based architects Barozzi Veiga, integrating contemporary casework and lighting to enhance the display of creativity and innovation that characterized European design during this era.

The reinstallation was curated by Ellenor Alcorn; Christopher Maxwell; Jonathan Tavares; with assistance from Mairead Horton.