Untitled Fire Painting – Yves Klein, 1961

The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA) is featuring an exhibition of paintings that demonstrate one of the major developments in modern abstract art. Destroy the Picture: Painting the Void, 1949-1962 is a collection where destruction of the actual art is used to respond to the destruction inflicted worldwide during World War II.

Showing through June 2nd, the exhibition features art made by artists ripping, cutting, burning, or otherwise damaging the canvas. This style has become a major part of abstract art as a whole, and the MCA is giving Chicago an opportunity to see where it all began. The pieces in this collection have been taken from all over the globe, showing the universal sensibility of artistic design  in response to the devastation of war and the crisis of existence that rose from the creation of the atomic bomb.

MCA admission is $7 for students with their ID, and the museum offers free admission for Illinois residents on Tuesdays. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to see some truly innovative art and garner a greater understanding of abstract art in history. For more information about the exhibit and other collections at MCA, click here.

Discovered by chance in 1940 by four teenagers, the Lascaux caves in southern France have inspired and awed anthropologists, pre-historians, scientists, and artists all around the world ever since. Beautifully simplistic paintings and engravings of animals line the deep cave walls to bring about the sophisticated artwork created at the hands of our early ancestors nearly 20,000 years ago. In an effort to preserve their fragile existence, the caves have remained closed indefinitely, denying the public even a glimpse of their majesty.

But now, during its North American debut, you have the chance to experience the subtle grandeur of these historical caves with Scenes from the Stone Age: The Cave Paintings of Lascaux. From Wednesday, March 20th through Sunday, September 8th, guests will have the opportunity to walk through exact cave replicas in full-size copies of the paintings, including some never before seen by the public. Deconstruct the paintings’ many layers of complexities, meet a lifelike Stone Age family,discover why the true meaning and purpose of the caves remain a mystery even today, or simply allow yourself to marvel in the wonder of these pieces of art. From infant to adult, the exhibition offers something for everyone to enjoy!

This exhibition will remain only for a limited time, so head on over to The Field Museum for this once in a lifetime experience!