Almost Ergonomic, curated by Third Object, at Studio 424 (Chicago)

Although brilliantly executed as a whole, Alex Chitty’s immensely detailed display units stood out from this exhibition, which explored the possible ergonomic functions of a work of art rather than that of a designed object. The elements of Chitty’s shelves are displayed as if they were atop the hearth of a Midwestern home, fictitiously prized items arranged and curated in a mysterious order. The handmade objects are slightly tweaked versions of objects both mass-produced and found, ranging from a wooden Rubik’s Cube to a slight drawing on a Styrofoam cup. Another favorite was Jeff Prokash’s lazy cement works, sculptures that fought their inherent materiality by drooping and leaning against the walls and beams of the open exhibition space.