Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century 

July 24–October 3, 2010

Overview: Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908–2004) is one of the most original, accomplished, and influential figures in the history of photography. His celebrated work of the early 1930s helped to define the artistic potential of modern photography; a decade later, after surviving three years as a prisoner of war, Cartier-Bresson emerged from World War II determined to document a world in the midst of profound change. He did so in 1947 when he joined Robert Capa and others to found the Magnum photo agency, an organization that allowed photojournalists to reach broad audiences through such publications as Life and Paris Match, while still retaining independence and control over their work.

This exhibition of more than 300 images is the first full retrospective devoted to Cartier-Bresson in three decades. It includes both his formally groundbreaking early images and his historically significant postwar work—in India and Indonesia during struggles for independence, in China during the revolution, in the Soviet Union following Stalin’s death—that redefined the field of photojournalism.

Following an exquisite presentation of the best of the early work, the exhibition is organized as a series of distinct sections. Several of these sections are devoted to his work in countries such as the United States, the Soviet Union, and France. Other sections present the themes that preoccupied Cartier-Bresson throughout his career: portraiture, the persistence of ancient customs and patterns of life, the transformation of these patterns by modern industry and commerce, the poetry of human encounters on the street, and the psychology of the crowd.

The retrospective, organized by the Museum of Modern Art, shows the rich interplay between Cartier-Bresson the artist, gifted at capturing the flux of life, and Cartier-Bresson the photojournalist whose lens shaped our understanding of seismic political and cultural changes across the second half of the 20th century. This retrospective is the first to draw upon the extraordinary resources and cooperation of the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris. It will premiere at the Museum of Modern Art in February 2010 and after its Chicago showing, travels to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Catalogue: The retrospective will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue that includes a critical essay by exhibition curator Peter Galassi, chief curator of photography at the Museum of Modern Art, and an extensive chronology of Cartier-Bresson’s travels and publications.

Dates: July 24–October 3, 2010
Monday 10:30–5:00
Tuesday 10:30–5:00
Wednesday 10:30–5:00
Thursday 10:30–8:00 (Free General Admission 5:00–8:00)
Friday 10:30–5:00
Saturday 10:00–5:00
Sunday 10:00–5:00

Admission: Adults: $18.00
Chicago residents: $2.00 discount with proof of residency
Students and seniors: $12.00
Children under 14: Free
Members: Free
Thursday Night 5-8:00 pm FREE

Location: The Art Institute of Chicago
111 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois, 60603

Website: For more information, please visit www.artic.edu

Chicago SummerDance 



The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs is excited to once again present Chicago SummerDance this summer as the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park blossoms into an urban dance space each Thursday through Sunday from June 17 to August 29. Forty-two different live bands swing, waltz, salsa, cha-cha, and more for locals and visitors. Last year over 100,000 people enjoyed the Chicago SummerDance festival, making it the largest festival of its kind in the United States.

Each night of the eleven-week festival offers an introductory one-hour dance lesson by professional instructors followed by two hours of music and dancing on a 4,600 square-foot, open-air dance floor designed by artist Dan Peterman out of 100% recycled materials. The dance floor is located in the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park, at 601 S. Michigan Avenue. Chicago SummerDance events occur every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening, from 6 to 9:30 pm and on each Sunday afternoon from 4 to 7 pm, weather permitting.

Updates and announcements will be available at the SummerDance Hotline at 312.742.4007, on ChicagoSummerDance.org, on Facebook at Chicago SummerDance, or on Twitter at SummerDance2010. 

Dates: June 17 - August 29
Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, 6-9:30pm
Sunday afternoon, 4-7pm

Admission: FREE

Location: Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
601 S. Michigan Ave.

Website: For more information please visit www.ChicagoSummerDance.org