Alex Da Corte
American, born 1980
A Game of Chess, Palimpsest
INV-2762
Alex Da Corte
American, born 19802024
A Game of Chess, Palimpsest
Alex Da Corte American, born 1980 →sculpture
Date
2024
Medium
Plexiglass, Flashe paint, sequin pins, foam, velvet, hardware, wood frame, powder coated steel, powder coated aluminum, glass, and candles
Dimensions
Painting: 186 × 186 × 7.5 cm (73 1/4 × 73 1/4 × 3 in.); 2 lanterns, each: 48 × 23.7 × 35 cm (18 15/16 × 9 3/8 × 13 13/16 in.); Overall: 186.1 × 279.8 × 88.9 cm (73 1/4 × 110 1/8 × 35 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Through prior gift of Mary and Leigh Block
Painted on the back of a transparent panel, Alex Da Corte’s A Game of Chess, Palimpsest layers visible and hidden meanings, incorporating sequin pins, velvet, and other concealed materials to reference unseen labor. The glossy work resembles a crossword puzzle—not a chessboard—one without numerical markers or clues. Beneath this formal play lies a haunting echo: the grid re-creates the New York Times crossword published on September 11, 2001. Lit by candle sconces, the work offers a quiet meditation on memory and loss.
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