Open Labs offer a flexible platform for artists to share, test ideas, and develop perspective on their work through community exchange.

Limited capacity. Advanced registration is appreciated. Please review our Covid-19 Guidelines before attending an in-person event.

A loving invitation to sit with anger and loss

Explore collective healing to shift into ease, groundedness, and joy. Curiosities of Wellness in Bodies of Grief brings together offerings of performances, live music, art therapy, movement therapy, plant medicine, taxidermy, and shared dialogue. Come as you are. Join us for a portion or all. You are welcome to come and go: Please feel free to rest in the 5th floor lounge or take a break by exploring the art exhibition on the 8th floor.

Artists include: Anjal Chande, Ain Eccles, Catherine Hepler, Mickey Alice Kwapis, SUNGJAE LEE, Olula Negre, Peregrine, Scott Rubin, Cristal Sabbagh, Darling Squire, Irene Hsiao, Elisabete “Kerberus” Seonwoo, Sharon Udoh

4:30pm Meditation, Movement Therapy, Art Therapy
5:30pm Interactive Performances & Sharings
6:30pm Open Dialogue

About the Artist

Helen Lee was born and raised in Chicago to immigrant parents from South Korea. She received her MFA with a focus in Performance and Film from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and BA in Dance with a minor in Theatre from University of Hawaii at Manoa. She has presented works in the US, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Iceland, Finland and Canada. She has been awarded Chicago Artist Coalition’s (CAC) SPARK Grant, SAIC’s Graduate Dean Professional Development Award to attend The Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics Convergence hosted by York University, was Chicago Moving Company’s D49 Awardee and Affiliate Artist for Dance Shelter. She was named 2022 Newcity Breakout Artist: Chicago’s Next Generation of Image Makers, was a finalist for 2023 Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab Artist, had a solo exhibition at CICA Museum in South Korea, a window exhibition at Roots and Culture gallery and has been a recipient for several artist residencies including CAC HATCH, Links Hall Co-MISSION, DanceBridge at Chicago Cultural Center, Butoh Centrum MAMU, Arteles Creative Center, Fish Factory – Creative Centre of Stöðvarfjörður, KuBa: kulturbahnhof, Cel del Nord to name a few. Her performances, works and/or writings have been published in “Emergency INDEX” Volume 8 & 9 by Ugly Duckling Press, CICA Art Now 2019, antirrhinum Issue 2: Hauntings, Quince Magazine, Issue Three: Winter 2020-21 and films have been presented by Chicago Park District’s Chicago OnScreen, New Blood Festival XII and Experimental Dance Virginia.

HCL Accessibility

The main building entrance requires the use of a small set of stairs. A ramped entrance is available on the north side of the building.

The 4th floor studio is accessible via both stairs and an elevator.

Within HCL’s studio, the dance floor has a 3” rise accessible using a portable ramp. All studio seating is non-fixed, and includes chairs, stools, and floor cushions.

For any other questions or requests regarding accessibility, please contact Angee Lennard, HCL’s Accessibility Coordinator, at angee@highconceptlabs.org or 312-374-1117. As needed, we are happy to provide additional accommodations such as large-print materials, CART services, audio descriptions, and ASL interpretation. To ensure the best experience, please try to contact us at your soonest convenience.