On the occasion of its 40th anniversary, Rhona Hoffman Gallery is thrilled to present three exhibitions highlighting its robust history, the first of which presents the gallery’s foundation in Minimal / Conceptual art. When Young Hoffman opened in 1976, becoming Rhona Hoffman Gallery seven years later, the gallery earned its reputation by bringing artists like Donald Judd, Sol LeWitt, Robert and Sylvia Mangold, Allan McCollum, Robert Ryman, Fred Sandback, and others to Chicago. 

“40 Years: Part 1” features significant Minimal and Conceptual works like Incomplete Open Cube by Sol LeWitt; a Fred Sandback yarn sculpture; Measurement: Wall (1969) by Mel Bochner; a conceptual ruler drawing and a painting by Sylvia Plimack Mangold; Dan Flavin’s neon light piece; Wolfgang Laib’s Rice House, and two 1960s prints by Donald Judd. Works by Portuguese artist Pedro Cabrita Reis, whom Hoffman first exhibited in the United States, and Barbara Kruger, who executed her first floor text piece in the gallery, are a testament to Rhona Hoffman’s commitment to pushing the boundaries with new ideas. Spencer Finch’s light work Goldberg Variations, new paintings by Art & Language, Michael Rakowitz’s What Dust Will Rise project from Documenta, a hanging sculpture by Richard Rezac, and other recent works buttress the exhibition’s historical pieces. 

Always committed to Chicago, Rhona Hoffman has helped to build the city’s world-renowned private and institutional contemporary collections. With the freedom afforded by being outside of New York, she fostered the growth of her artists and gave them unparalleled support. The resulting gallery program is as far-reaching as Rhona Hoffman’s own intellectual curiosity, yet united by her eye, the caliber of the artists, and a shared intellect.