The Peninsula Chicago presented Seeing the World, a compelling contemporary art exhibition featuring a curated selection from the Bill and Christy Gautreaux Collection. Curated by Erin Dziedzic, this exhibition showcased a diverse range of works by artists from around the globe, offering an inspiring exploration of contemporary perspectives. Seeing the World was on view throughout the hotel’s public spaces from early-April 2025 — coinciding with the city’s premier art fair, EXPO CHICAGO (April 24 to 27)— through early-June 2025.
This thoughtfully assembled exhibition featured the work of 36 artists living and working in cities including Baltimore, Chicago, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New Delhi, New York, and Seattle. Seeing the World amplified the narratives, ideas, and creative visions of artists from diverse global perspectives. Notably, the exhibition highlighted artists who had established their studios in each of the three locations of The Peninsula Hotels in the Americas, further connecting the collection’s themes of place, culture, and artistic dialogue.
The exhibition offered a deeper look into the Gautreauxes’ commitment to collecting works by women, artists of color, and those historically underrepresented in the art world. Their forward-thinking approach was evident in their early acquisitions of pieces by Cuban artist Belkis Ayón, whose distinctive collographic prints had experienced a resurgence since the 1990s. The collection had long engaged with themes of the Black diaspora—its legacy and its future—through works by artists such as Nick Cave, Sam Gilliam, Tau Lewis, Steve Locke, Shinique Smith, Reginald Sylvester II, and others. Additionally, the Gautreauxes had been dedicated to supporting artists like Denzil Forrester, a Grenadian-British painter whose decades-long practice gained renewed recognition with his first institutional survey in 2023.
This selection of 46 works by emerging to established artists showcased a diverse range of styles, approaches, and themes—both deeply personal and universally resonant—across a dazzling array of media. Esteban Ramón Pérez drew from his skills in upholstery, fused fiber materials and found objects like boxing gloves to create works that engaged both the cultural and artistic sensibilities of his Chicano heritage while reflecting on the visual language of postcolonial history. Representing the United States at the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024, Jeffrey Gibson incorporated beads and text to make Indigenous identities visible on quintessential American icons, such as the punching bag, emphasizing the intersections of Indigenous and white American traditions. Throughout Seeing the World, artists sparked meaningful dialogues, their works intersected in unexpected ways to reveal compelling material and thematic connections.
The exhibition also explored the interplay between narrative, figuration, and abstraction through works by Diedrick Brackens, Leilah Babirye, Chitra Ganesh, LaToya Hobbs, Wendy Red Star, and others. Curator Erin Dziedzic’s vision was to offer a glimpse into the global scope of this multigenerational collection while highlighting shared thematic threads and the uniquely innovative material approaches of the featured artists. This perspective aligned with the Gautreauxes’ long-standing commitment to collecting, which was deeply rooted in their engagement with artists, their creative processes, and the subjects they explored.
“The artists helped me understand how complex the world is,” said Bill Gautreaux. “Art helped me navigate, changed the way I think, shifted the lens and focus, and put things in perspective. If you changed the way you think, you could change your world.”
Featured Artists:
Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, Belkis Ayón, Firelei Báez, Diedrick Brackens, Nick Cave, Monir Farmanfarmaian, Derek Fordjour, Denzil Forrester, Vibha Galhotra, Chitra Ganesh, Jeffrey Gibson, Sam Gilliam, Todd Gray, Matthew Angelo Harrison, Donté Hayes, LaToya Hobbs, Caroline Kent, Nate Lewis, Tau Lewis, Laura Lima, Steve Locke, Pepe Mar, Joiri Minaya, Ken Gun Min, Tomokazu Matsuyama, Raul de Nieves, Zohra Opoku, Esteban Ramón Pérez, Cheryl Pope, Wendy Red Star, David Shrobe, Rose B. Simpson, Shinique Smith, Chris Soal, Reginald Sylvester II, Summer Wheat.
Seven artists in the exhibition had Art21 documentary films of interviews and profiles created about their work, including Nick Cave, Jeffrey Gibson, Tau Lewis, Rose B. Simpson, Joiri Minaya, Raul de Nieves, and Firelei Báez. Bill Gautreaux served on the Board of Art21.
Art Programming during Seeing the World:
During EXPO CHICAGO on April 25 at 12:30 pm, there was an Art21 screening, “Artists & the Unknown.” Artist Rose B. Simpson was included in this screening. Also on April 25, at 3:15 pm, another screening was scheduled, “Screening: Art21 and Collaborative Practice,” which featured artist Nick Cave.
This exhibition included installation-related tours as well as other activations. Programs were announced as they were confirmed.
About Bill and Christy Gautreaux:
Collectors Bill and Christy Gautreaux live in Kansas City, Missouri. Bill Gautreaux is a managing partner of MLP Holdings LLC and was formerly the co-founder and President of Inergy LP. He serves on the Boards of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Art21, and the Whitney National Committee, as well as other civic and educational institutions. They are collectors of contemporary art with a focus on emerging and mid-career artists in underrepresented sectors. The collection is extensively loaned in support of artists and exhibitions worldwide. The Gautreauxes recently founded the Uncrated Art Foundation.
Erin Dziedzic 