CHICAGO — The Art of Brick is the world’s largest display of Lego art and it’s at the Museum of Science and Industry.
“This is the first time this exhibition has been in Chicago, “says Jeff Buonomo, senior manager feature experiences at the Museum of Science and Industry. “It’s the Art of the Brick by Nathan Sawaya with over 100 amazing art sculptures made by the artist.”
Each piece has anywhere from 4,000 to 80.000 Lego bricks.
Sawaya was a corporate lawyer who would play with Legos to release his stress and then realized he was so good at it, and receiving commissions, that in 2004 he quit his job and became a Lego certified artist.
“The museum has been working on this for a little over a year, “says Sawaya. “Installation took about 2 weeks prior to opening. The exhibition itself has been on the road for many years, and has been to actually 80 cities, every continent but Antarctica.”
But even then, the exhibit is Chicago specific with unique localized pieces.
“We have the National Gallery’s portrait of Michelle Obama and Hebrew Brantley’s Fly Boy is with us as well, says Buonomo.”
The collection also includes Sawaya’s original sculptures as well as re-imagined versions of famous masterpieces like Michelangelo’s David, Van gogh’s “Starry Night” and Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa”.
Throughout the exhibit you’ll also find activities where guests can build their own Lego sculptures.
“We just hope the exhibition inspires guests to be creative and to think a little differ and to see art a little differently when lego art is the medium,” says Buonomo.
The Art of Brick runs through September 5, 2022. Entry to the exhibit is not included in Museum Entry and requires a separate, timed-entry ticket.
