“The Allure of Matter: Material Art From China”

Sizable installations—such as 500,000 cigarettes arranged to resemble a tiger skin rug and a houselike structure formed by braids of dyed human hair—are the centerpiece of this exhibit, which celebrates the unconventional materials favored by contemporary Chinese artists. The exhibit is so massive that it has been divided between two institutions, with a portion of the works being displayed at the Smart Museum of Art in Hyde Park and another collection being shown at Wrightwood 659 in Lincoln Park.