SoNa Chicago Contemporary Art is proud to host the culminating exhibition of the Industry of the Ordinary (IOTO) 2025 Summer Residency. The artists participating in the residency program this summer are all current or former students at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). Now in its eighth year, IOTO’s enduring and ever-evolving summer residency program continues to offer a platform for critical experimentation and bold expression by emerging artists.

At the opening on September 6, all 15 residents will activate the full site of SoNa Chicago to include both the gallery, the building in the rear, and exterior spaces. Visitors will see a mix of time-based, performative, and spatial interventions alongside two- and three-dimensional works, continuing the Residency’s longstanding commitment to diverse and experimental practices. The non-performative elements of the exhibition will be on view through September 27. An Artist Walkthrough will be held on Saturday, September 13 from 5-7 pm where the artists will discuss their work. On Friday, September 19 from 6-7:30 pm in conjunction with CXW25, the two founders of IOTO, Adam Brooks and Matthew Wilson, will discuss the residency program in the context of their broader practice.

Since its founding, the IOTO Summer Residency has cultivated a space for radical questioning and creative rigor. This year’s exhibition continues that tradition, inviting visitors to witness the unfolding of new artistic voices engaged in both personal narrative and public discourse.