18 of a Kind

18 of a Kind is a multi-faceted initiative that explores new roles that collective space can have in Chicago today. The inaugural project of the nonprofit organization The Available City, NFP (TAC), 18 of a Kind invites national and international architects to design eighteen objects and spaces for hosting events in each of the eighteen underserved South and West Side Chicago neighborhoods that have the highest quantities of city-owned vacant land and are home to primarily Black and Brown communities. In the summer and fall of 2026, 18 of a Kind will culminate in the construction of the design proposals along with performance-based events that will reflect commonalities and areas of distinction in each neighborhood.

Thematically, each design will draw upon the history, culture, interests, and needs of its respective neighborhood to celebrate their unique identities while also highlighting commonalities between them. TAC is commissioning eighteen portable objects (stands, chairs, small platforms, and small frames) that are easy to move to different locations for performances and community events. Additionally, TAC is organizing collaborations between invited architects and local community organizations to make fixed spaces (platforms, frames, canopies, and shells) in specific sites that reflect the interests and needs of those community organizations.

Through these activities, 18 of a Kind will introduce direct experiences of collective space broadly in order to develop relationships and partnerships with community organizations within each neighborhood that can lead to the creation of additional collective spaces in subsequent years. It thus contributes to TAC’s intention to work continuously with neighborhood organizations and architects to design and construct collective spaces that reflect the interests and needs of neighbors and contribute new resources and opportunities within their communities.

This exhibition serves as an introduction to 18 of a Kind and includes drawings by some of the invited designers, including Akima Brackeen, FLYHALF (Adam Maserow and Isabel Strauss), FRONTERA-NATION (César A. Lopez), Sheryl Tucker de Vasquez, and William Williams. The exhibition also includes the developing proposal for one of the collective spaces, and other work related to The Available City as a speculative urban design framework.

18 of a Kind is the first exhibition organized by the recently formed nonprofit organization, The Available City, NFP, which expands upon David Brown’s long term curatorial project exploring the potential of Chicago’s 10,000+ city-owned vacant lots. For over a decade, Brown has led iterations of the speculative design of The Available City, including at the 2012 Venice Biennale, the exhibition BOLD as part of the 2015 Chicago Architecture Biennial, and as Artistic Director of the 2021 Chicago Architecture Biennial, which had The Available City as its theme.

RELATED EVENTS

Thursday, August 7, 2025, 5PM
Reception with curator

Saturday, August 30, 2025, 3–5PM
Closing reception with curator

EXHIBITION CREDITS

Curator: David Brown
Artists: Akima Brackeen, FLYHALF (Adam Maserow and Isabel Strauss), FRONTERA-NATION (César Lopez), Sheryl Tucker de Vasquez, and William Williams
Mock-up Model and Collective Spaces: Zia George, Jazmin Morales, Jose Ortiz, and Aliya Perez
Boxville Model: Aliya Perez
Boxville Model ground: FLYHALF
Map of 18 of a Kind: Jonathan Alvarez, Jose Ortiz, and Bao Tran

Exhibition organized by The Available City and presented by MAS Context.