A Game of Chess, Palimpsest

Description

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.

Provenance

The artist; sold through Gió Marconi, Milan, to the Art Institute of Chicago, Apr. 8, 2025.

A Game of Chess, Palimpsest

Alex Da Corte

2024

Accession Number

276281

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.)

Classification

sculpture

Museum

The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, United States

Credit Line

Through prior gift of Mary and Leigh Block