Performed in the Present Tense
This series of videos presents extraordinary performances inspired by the 2016 exhibition A Feast of Astonishments: Charlotte Moorman and the Avant-Garde, 1960s-1980s.
The Block from Home
Explore highlights from The Block Museum of Art from home or from the digital classroom.
Video Highlights
Take a break from streaming services and check out some video collections featuring full-length programs and unforgettable moments The Block.
Art + Engineering Interviews
The Block and the McCormick School of Engineering share an ongoing partnership welcoming artists whose work lies at the intersection of artistic and engineering disciplines.
Opening Day Conversations
A collection of opening day conversations that kicked off some of The Block's most compelling exhibitions.
Artist Talks
The Block brings artists from around the globe to share their research and practice.
Interdisciplinary Dialogues
The Block convenes conversations across disciplines that take visual culture as the starting point to understand our world.
Visual Vanguard
The Block’s “Visual Vanguard” series presented conversations with innovative arts leaders working internationally who are transforming the way we experience and think about art today.
Best of The Block
Only have time for the highlights? Catch up on our work with these short exhibition trailers.
Caravans of Gold
Journey to a medieval world with Africa at its center with this series of videos related to our groundbreaking 2019 exhibition Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time.
Audio Highlights
Dive into The Block's programs on our SoundCloud with recordings of lectures, conversation, and post-screening discussions.
Block Cinema
Post-screening discussions with a filmmaker or scholar, are a staple of our Block Cinema program. Listen in to some of the best of these dialogues in this playlist,
Love and Then Some
It was a time of love…and then some. In conjunction with the 2017 exhibition, William Blake and the Age of Aquarius scholars from a range of disciplines came together to focus on the complex 1960's.
Art, Publics, Politics: Legacies of the Wall of Respect
Scholars and artists tackled the complex history of Chicago’s public art in this two-day symposium held in April 2017.
Lucid Figurations: Iranian Movie Poster & Film Art
In 2016, renowned international scholars and artists convened at The Block to discuss the art of movie poster design, the art and industry of film, and the unique culture of cinephilia in Iran.
Block Museum Campus Art Walk
Take an audio tour of the sixteen sculptures that constitute The Block's Campus Art Walk.
Black Arts Initiative: Ritual and Revolution
The 2017 BAI conference “Temporalities and Territories” presented a panel of scholars considering Carrie Mae Weems’s Ritual and Revolution.
Good Reads
We are happy to offer free essays and publications offering deeper insight into The Block's projects and programs.
Collection Spotlight Series
This blog series invites a closer look at objects in The Block permanent collection from students, staff, faculty, and museum audiences
Kader Attia: Reflecting Memory
Download the digital companion publication to our 2017 exhibition Kader Attia: Reflecting Memory.
Present Tense Pamphlets
During The Block's 2016 symposium “Performed in the Present Tense” artists Mashinka Firunts and Danny Snelson, shared a call for artist performance scores- the resulting publication includes 31 titles.
Caravans of Gold - Book Introduction
Read the introductory chapter of the award-winning exhibition publication Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time (2019, Princeton University Press), written by curator Kathleen Bickford Berzock.
From The Studio to the Classroom: Ed Paschke
In conjunction with 2018's Break a Rule: Ed Paschke’s Art and Teaching, Jason Nargis, Special Collections Librarian, Northwestern University Libraries offers a companion essay.
Three to See: Quarantine Staff Picks
The Block Staff reflect on the current moment by offering selections from our collections and archives on social media. Check out the archive of these thoughtful picks here.