Hugh Edwards Memorial Lecture
The annual Hugh Edwards Lecture in Photography honors the memory of Hugh Edwards, curator of photography from 1959–70. A tribute to Edwards’ tremendous dedication and achievements during his time at the Art Institute, this annual lecture has been established to bring internationally renowned practitioners in photography to as broad an audience as possible. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Gerhard Steidl
Gerhard Steidl speaks at the third annual Hugh Edwards Lecture in Photography. Steidl is the mastermind behind the Steidl publishing and printing company, known internationally for their high quality, elegantly designed photographers’ books.
The exhibition Robert Frank: Photos Books Films opens with a special pop-up presentation conceived by Steidl. The two-week-only display includes 29 photographs by Frank, drawn from the museum’s latest acquisition of the artist’s work, his 2014 book, Partida. A compact “full-career” retrospective surrounds it, featuring reproductions on newsprint banners tacked to the wall, films shown on portable video “beamers”, and books hung in midair across the gallery. Steidl himself is traveling from Germany to install the pop-up exhibition May 11–12. Visitors are encouraged to observe this process as it occurs and to return for the deinstallation May 26.
A public reception in Pritzker Garden immediately follows the Hugh Edwards Lecture. Guests are invited to view the pop-up presentation in Gallery 188 through May 25.
