OVERRIDE | A Billboard Project is a citywide public art initiative, presented by EXPO CHICAGO and the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), displayed throughout Chicago’s City Digital Network (CDN), the citywide exhibition ran to align with the eighth annual exposition. Placing artwork within this public context and the broader presentation of billboard advertising, OVERRIDE takes its name from industry terminology referring to the continuation of an outdoor advertising program beyond a contracted period. Fully integrated into the language of advertising and local familiar signage, each of the works included within the OVERRIDE program present the opportunity for artists to intercept and push the boundaries of how visual culture is disseminated in our increasingly image-based environment. As a special feature of OVERRIDE 2019, the single vertically oriented screen at 515 W Congress Parkway presented a self-contained exhibition of the works of Jessica Campbell, Zakkiyyah Najeebah, Summer Wheat, alongside pioneering feminist artist Betty Tompkins.

Building upon the City of Chicago and DCASE’s longstanding commitment to public art, OVERRIDE provides EXPO CHICAGO a key opportunity beyond Navy Pier to showcase works by leading international artists in neighborhoods throughout the city. See the Full List of Billboard Locations here.

Participating Artists

Charles Atlas | Luhring Augustine, New York, Brooklyn
Jessica Campbell | Western Exhibitions, Chicago and Sapar Contemporary, New York
Shezad Dawood | Timothy Taylor, New York, London
Stine Deja | ANNKA KULTYS GALLERY, London
Todd Gray | David Lewis, NewYork
Ayana V. Jackson | Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, Chicago
Farrah Karapetian | Diane Rosenstein Gallery, Los Angeles
Hayv Kahraman | Vielmetter Los Angeles, Los Angeles
Tony Lewis | Courtesy of the Artist
Zakkiyyah Najeebah | Courtesy of the Artist
Chris Pappan | Courtesy of the Artist
Kay Rosen | RENÉ SCHMITT, Berlin, WOL
Betty Tompkins | Gavlak, Palm Beach, Los Angeles and P.P.O.W, New York
Chris Ware | Courtesy of the Artist
Summer Wheat | Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles

Artworks Presented at 515 W Congress Parkway Billboard

Jessica Campbell

Strangled by Growth, 2018
Courtesy of Western Exhibitions, Chicago and Sapar Contemporary, New York

Jessica Campbell

Dried Flower Still Life, 2019
Courtesy of Western Exhibitions, Chicago and Sapar Contemporary, New York

Jessica Campbell

Untitled, 2019
Courtesy of Western Exhibitions, Chicago and Sapar Contemporary, New York

Zakkiyyah Najeebah

Ruth and KT, 2018
Courtesy of the Artist

Zakkiyyah Najeebah

Chelsea, 2018
Courtesy of the Artist

Zakkiyyah Najeebah

Lace, 2018
Courtesy of the Artist

Betty Tompkins

Apologia (Mary Shepard Greene Blumenschein), 2018
Courtesy of Gavlak, Palm Beach, Los Angeles and P.P.O.W, New York

Betty Tompkins

Apologia (Tina Modotti #1), 2018
Courtesy of Gavlak, Palm Beach, Los Angeles and P.P.O.W, New York

Betty Tompkins

Apologia (Frances Benjamin Johnston #1), 2018
Courtesy of Gavlak, Palm Beach, Los Angeles and P.P.O.W, New York

Summer Wheat

Fish Tears, 2018
Courtesy of Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles

Summer Wheat

Fisher, 2018
Courtesy of Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles

Summer Wheat

Breadwinner with Baby, 2018
Courtesy of Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles

Artworks Presented at All Billboard Locations

Charles Atlas

Mrs. Peanut Visits New York, 1992-1999
Courtesy of Luhring Augustine

Shezad Dawood

Towards the Possible Film, 2014
Courtesy of Timothy Taylor, New York, London

Stine Deja

Suspended Vision, 2019
Courtesy of the Artist and ANNKA KULTYS GALLERY, London

Todd Gray

Love & Happiness (Chicago), 2019
Courtesy of the artist and David Lewis, New York

Ayana V. Jackson

Sea Lion, 2019
Courtesy of Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, Chicago

Farrah Karapetian

The Gesture of Wishing, 2019
Courtesy of Diane Rosenstein Gallery, Los Angeles

Tony Lewis

Untitled (I Need To Do Some Thinking), 2019
Courtesy of the Artist

Chris Pappan

Ghosts of Route 66, 2019
Courtesy of the Artist

Kay Rosen

LOL, 2013
Courtesy of the Artist and RENÉ SCHMITT, Berlin, WOL

Chris Ware

Comic Strip exerpt: SnowNight, 2019
Courtesy of the Artist