Chicago art lovers have a wonderful reason to celebrate this fall: two of the city’s most beloved art institutions are presenting the work of Karimah Ashadu at the same time. The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago is showing Tendered, a solo exhibition by the British-born Nigerian artist and filmmaker, through November 1, 2026, while the Art Institute of Chicago presents her acclaimed video Machine Boys just a few miles away.
The heart of Tendered is the U.S. debut of MUSCLE, a joyful and powerful new moving-image installation that follows bodybuilders training in the heart of Lagos, Nigeria. Ashadu turns their daily discipline into a celebration of strength, ambition and self-fashioning, and the film is accompanied by new sculptural works that draw directly from the world on screen. The exhibition was co-commissioned by the Renaissance Society, Fondazione In Between Art Film and Camden Art Centre.
Over at the Art Institute, Machine Boys (2024) rides along with Lagos’s okada motorcycle taxi drivers, portraying their energy, ingenuity and strong sense of community. Together, the two shows offer Chicago audiences a rich, uplifting portrait of creativity and determination.
Ashadu received the Silver Lion at the 2024 Venice Biennale, and her films have been shown at Tate Modern and the Museum of Modern Art. Best of all, the Renaissance Society is always free and open to the public, making this double celebration of contemporary art easy for everyone to enjoy.
Photo: Karimah Ashadu, courtesy of The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago
