This major retrospective honors Chicago artist and former SAIC Professor Barbara DeGenevieve (1947–2014) and is curated by her SAIC colleague Associate Professor Alan Labb with support from Professor Lisa Wainwright. The exhibition and symposium explore DeGenevieve’s artistic legacy as a provocateur, her unwavering dedication to teaching, and her profound influence on both peers and students. She is best known for her challenging work focused on the body that explored sexuality, gender, pornography, censorship, race, class, and representation. She knowingly worked at the edge of boundaries to systematically interrogate complex concerns and encourage herself, her students, and her audience to question the status quo. In Your Face showcases a diverse array of DeGenevieve’s surviving photography, videos, and installations.

Unless otherwise noted, all of the works in this exhibition are by Barbara DeGenevieve and courtesy of the Barbara DeGenevieve Archive, managed by Alan Labb and Susan Smith.

Public Programs

Visiting Artist Program: Samuel R. Delany, Zoom
Tuesday, September 10, 6:00–7:30 pm
View Here

Curator Tours with Alan Labb and Lisa Wainwright, SAIC Galleries
Saturday, October 19, 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 6, 4:30 p.m.

In Your Face Public Reception, SAIC Galleries
Friday, September 13, 5:00–7:00 p.m.

In Your Face: A Symposium on Transgressive Pleasure, SAIC Ballroom, 112 S. Michigan Ave.
Saturday, September 14, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Student Exhibition: Subversive Pleasures, Mapping the Problematic, Public Reception + Live Performances, SAIC Galleries
Saturday, November 9, 12:00–5:00 p.m.

SAIC Galleries Installation

Visitor Information

Admission 
SAIC Galleries is free and open to the public. Public visitors must present a state-issued ID at the security desk. 

Location
SAIC Galleries
33 E. Washington St. 
Chicago, IL 60602 

Hours 
Monday–Saturday when exhibitions are open. 
11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. 
* SAIC Galleries will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday from Wednesday, November 27 until Sunday, December 1. We will reopen on Monday, December 2.

Class Visits 
Please email exhibitions-saic@saic.edu to request a class tour or visit.