So what are we to make of a biennial that rejects, in ways small and large, the idea of proceeding on “a biennial timeline?” Is this bravery? It may be what happens when you hand over the reins of an architecture biennial to an art collective. Of course they are going to see architecture mostly as a vehicle for a different — in their minds larger and more pressing — set of goals. Surely there is a limit, though, to the architecture profession’s willingness to be used primarily as fertilizer, however delicious the locally grown vegetables wind up tasting. Chicago Architecture Biennial 5: This Is a RehearsalThrough Feb. 11, 2024, at the Chicago Cultural Center and other venues around Chicago; chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org.

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Organizations: Urban Growers, Chicago Cultural Center Locations: Chicago