Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) is hosting Open House Chicago (OHC) on October 18-19, 2025. OHC is a free public festival that offers behind-the-scenes access to architecturally, historically and culturally significant sites throughout Chicago, plus more than 40 events and programs at the sites, including demonstrations, talks and arts performances.
For the Open House Chicago 2025, South Asia Institute is hosting several events. Come and enjoy our two current exhibitions “CommonSky” and “Of Women By Women” from 10 am to 5 pm. Both galleries are open to visitors for self guided tours, along with two guided tours at specific times. All programing are free to the public!
Guided tour of Faisal Anwar: CommonSky | 1:30 - 2:30 PM
Pakistani-Canadian hybrid artist and curator Faisal Anwar’s immersive exhibition creates poetic and deeply reflective experiences that highlight the impacts of climate change and the interdependence of ecological systems and our collective future. The exhibition features interactive installations, digital prints, video works, and kinetic sculptures. Rooted in ancient knowledge and driven by predictive futurism, the project explores new ways for artists to create in collaboration with environmental research and data, and opens space to ask new questions and engage audiences more broadly with interconnected ecology.
Docent-led tour of Of Women, By Women: South Asian Feminist Art and Artists from the Hundal Collection | 12 - 1PM
Of Women by Women: South Asian Feminist Art and Artists from the Hundal Collection draws on feminist art history to examine how South Asian women artists, both within the region and across the diaspora, navigate their creative identities in a world shaped by patriarchal structures and racial biases.
Cosmic Comedy, Original Kathak Dance Performance by Uptown Rhythms | 3:30-4:30 PM
In this original Kathak Dance performance, the Cosmos itself takes the stage as the narrator—playful, mysterious, and entirely unbothered by our human need for meaning. Through rhythm, poetry, and movement, Cosmic Comedy explores the dance of time, perception, and longing and together they unlock the power of gaining control by loosing control. The performance features Kathak Dancers from Uptown Rhythms, a Kathak Dance School in Chicago and Founder of Uptown Rhythm Festival, A Rhythmic Movement to Fight Climate Change.
Shiwali Tenner is a dancer, storyteller, and founder of Uptown Rhythms, where she uses the classical Indian dance form Kathak to tell contemporary stories that inspire meaningful social change. She is the organizer of the Uptown Rhythm Festival, blending art with climate consciousness. Beyond the stage, Shiwali is a Managing Director at Alvarez & Marsal, specializing in large-scale organizational transformation. A Chemical Engineer from IIT Kanpur and MBA graduate from NYU Stern School of Business, she brings the same precision and creativity from her professional work into her dance, creating performances that connect cultures, challenge perspectives, and spark collective action.