Light art, Olympic costume designer's work are at Fashion Outlets of Chicago

The multifaceted contemporary art program of Fashion Outlets of Chicago, THE COLLECTION: Where Art Meets Fashion, welcomed a permanent lighting installation by Derrick Adams and a rotating exhibition by 2018 Olympic costume designer Dr. Keysook Geum to the shopping center in February.

Adams' lighting installation is located outside Fashion Outlets of Chicago at its grand entrance, accompanying the artist's seven-story mural that was unveiled in October 2018. Keysook Geum's ornate sculptural forms will be on view in display cases located throughout Level Two of the shopping center through Sept. 6.

"Both Adams and Geum are presenting work that intersects visual art and fashion," said Senior Marketing Manager Katie Walsh. "We hope that the new works will enrich the experience Fashion Outlets provides its local, national and international visitors."

Adams' 22-piece lighting installation, titled "Fashion Accessories," joins the artist's existing seven-story, 4,082-square-foot mural titled "Fashion Show" to transform Fashion Outlets of Chicago's grand entrance.

The lighting installation and mural are both inspired by Adams' acclaimed Patrick Kelly series and the bold and colorful geometric forms that make-up the clothing designer's patterns.

The installation illuminates the canopy of the grand entrance walkway and leads Fashion Outlets of Chicago visitors from the porte-cochere to the entrance of the shopping center.

"It's so fitting to be able to extend the conversation surrounding legendary designer Patrick Kelly beyond the gallery walls to such a grand space that welcomes visitors to this center of fashion," said Derrick Adams.

"I'm thrilled that Fashion Outlets of Chicago commissioned this project, allowing me to pay tribute to this larger-than-life icon."

Keysook Geum's rotating exhibition features three life-size sculptural forms titled "Pink Brown Dress," "Nirvana in Red IV" and "Neon Dress." Keysook Geum is an author and professor of Textile Art and Fashion Design at Hong Ik University in Seoul, Korea, and recently served as the artistic director for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games in 2018, designing both the uniforms and dresses worn in the opening ceremony.

Keysook Geum's dramatic sculptures of elegantly posed forms embody the fusion of timeless Asian aesthetics and philosophy with contemporary air. They are constructed of paper-wrapped or enamel coated wires, gems, beads and silk. Starting with a central focal point, Keysook Geum works outwardly in a concentric manner reminiscent of a spider.

As the artist weaves, twists and bends wire two-dimensionally, intricate forms and unintentional patterns emerge. The natural tensions of interlacing wire push and pulls out until figurative shapes begin to take form.

THE COLLECTION: Where Art Meets Fashion is a multifaceted contemporary art program located within Macerich's Fashion Outlets of Chicago. Components of program include 19 permanent commissions and a rotating exhibition series located throughout the common area of the shopping center.

The public art program has invested in works by Daniel Arsham, Derrick Adams, Carlos Rolón Dzine, Jen Stark, Matthew Hoffman, and many more.

Its rotating exhibitions feature work by a variety of artists displayed in glass cases located throughout Level Two of the shopping center. For information, visit www.fashionoutletsofchicago.com/TheCollection.