“A significant, large-scale work by the late artist Sol LeWitt vanished from the exterior of a federally owned downtown building — and the government agency in charge of the piece had refused to say why.
“Lines in Four Directions, a 90-foot-by-72-foot artwork, had been mounted on the west facade of 10 W. Jackson Blvd., an office building owned by the U.S. General Services Administration.
“A GSA spokesperson went silent Tuesday after promising since last week to find out what is happening with the work.
“But after an earlier version of this column posted Wednesday afternoon, the GSA miraculously found its voice and emailed the following statement: ‘The artwork was temporarily removed in early March to accommodate planned work on the wall. GSA is working with the conservator on a plan for reinstallation.’
“Rhona Hoffman, owner of Rhona Hoffman Gallery, was a friend of LeWitt and among the sponsors instrumental in getting Lines in Four Directions installed in 1985.
“‘Holy [cow],’ Hoffman said, when I told her — before the GSA decided to talk — that the work had been removed. ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t want to lose that or lose sight of where it is … wow.’
“LeWitt, who died in 2007 at age 78, was a celebrated artist whose works often explored abstract lines and forms. The Art Institute of Chicago has 80 of his pieces in its permanent collection.
“Lines in Four Directions is a rectangular work rendered in aluminum featuring a grid of four squares, each with painted aluminum strips that were oriented either vertically, horizontally and diagonally. The strips are set in relief, which gave the sculpture a 3D quality that changed moods with the movement of the sun.
“Daniel Schulman, former director for public art for the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, said he was ‘in a panic’ when he saw the 10 W. Jackson Blvd. building’s wall last week.
“Let’s make it plain: What made the LeWitt’s disappearance and the GSA’s silence particularly distressing is that it occurs within the context of the Trump administration’s desire to sell off government assets — almost fire sale-style — under the guise of federal cost-cutting.” (Bey, Chicago Sun-Times, 5/14/25)
Chicago’s 20th Century Public Sculptures was a Preservation Chicago 2017 Chicago 7 Most Endangered. Preservation Chicago believes that all of Chicago’s 20th Century public sculptures should be protected and always on public display. Additionally, these works of art are contextual and were designed to be viewed in situ, so to the extent possible, should remain in their original environment. The loss of any of these art pieces is tragic, and we suggest that these public and private works of art, with public access, and on open plazas and semi-public spaces, be considered for thematic Chicago Landmark Designation along with their plazas and open spaces, to guarantee that they will always be here for the public good.
Read the full story at the Chicago Sun-Times
- Sol LeWitt’s famed Loop sculpture goes into hiding; It took days of inquiries from the Sun-Times — and the posting of an earlier version of this column — for the federal General Services Administration to reveal its location, Lee Bey, Chicago Sun-Times, 5/14/25
- Chicago’s 20th Century Public Sculptures, A 2017 Chicago 7 Most Endangered