What’s New

Something is afoot at Apparatus Projects, namely the beguiling “The door you open is determined by how you twist the knob. The room you enter is determined by how you open the door,” including artworks by Yani aviles, Mira Dayal, and Micah Schippa steeped in the delirious so-muchness of things and not-enoughness of words. 

Enter (no knob-twisting required) to Schippa’s standout, a hammered copper bell nesting in a gash in the gallery wall, romantically contracted to remain in place as long as the building stands. Linger for aviles’s looping sound piece, bells bathed in atmospheric noise, emanating from a closed door (this knob doesn’t twist either, I tried). An army of clues accompanies this vaguely spiritual chorus—a box of leaves “shipped west” (aviles), facsimiles of artwork glimpsed in apartment listings (Dayal), clock guts dissolved in fake tears (Schippa). The result: a show about the lives and languages of things—everything from talisman to coincidence, all phenomena speaking in a perhaps divine register. “Signs have always been the language of the Gods,” reads an apt Hölderlin quote in the exhibition text.

Installation view, “The door you open . . .” Apparatus Projects, 2022Credit: Julian Van Der Moere

I’m reminded of Nabokov’s 1948 story “Symbols and Signs,” whose protagonist is afflicted with “referential mania,” delusions that the external world reflects his inner life, causing the devotion of “every minute and module of life to the decoding of the undulation of things.” Nabokov’s objects control, the exhibition’s objects supplicate. The room, after all, is determined by how you open the door. 

 “The door you open . . .”Through 1/15/23: Sat-Sun noon-4 PM, Apparatus Projects, 1524 S. Western, Ste. 406, apparatusprojects.com

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The Chicago Blackhawks are in an interesting spot. They have some very good prospects at the World Junior Championships. One of them is Kevin Korchinski who they took in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft. Honestly, that was one of the best draft selections made by anyone.

There is a chance that three years down the line, we look back at Korchinski going seventh overall (the pick the Chicago Blackhawks received in the Alex DeBrincat trade) and say that he fell way too far. His development has been amazing so far.

During the game that ended up being a major disappointment for Canada, the Korchinski helped make one of the big highlight plays of the night. They ended up losing 5-2 but he can leave this game knowing that he played well enough to at least set up one of these amazing goals.

Korchinski forced Team Czech to turn the puck over at the defensive blue line. Shane Wright then chipped the puck to Connor Bedard who used his speed and skating ability to get in all alone. He did not miss on his snipe of a shot.

The Chicago Blackhawks saw Kevin Korchinski make a great play for Canada.

At the time, the goal made the game 3-2 so Canada got back in it. It is just unfortunate that the rest of the game didn’t go their way.

It is the type of sequence that the Chicago Blackhawks are hoping to see at the United Center in the not-so-distant future.

We already expect Kevin Korchinski to be there doing these things one day but it would be nice to have Connor Bedard as the guy who picks up the puck in the neutral zone just to go score on a beautiful play.

It isn’t hard to have chemistry with him but Korchinski is clearly capable of playing on the blue line behind some highly skilled forwards.

The Blackhawks sit at the bottom of the NHL right now with a record of 8-20-4. They only have 20 standings points which trail the Anaheim Ducks by two. They have the worst points percentage in the league as well. To say they are bad would be an understatement.

However, winning the 2023 Draft Lottery would really help them turn things around. With guys like Korchinski and others already on the way, adding a stud like Connor Bedard would go a long way. The only way to do that is to win the lottery.

Even if they win the second overall pick, Adam Fantilli would be amazing for them. He also played in this game but wasn’t as strong. He isn’t as good as Bedard but development and a good situation could turn him into a star as well.

Again, Canada lost but expect a big-time bounce-back effort on Wednesday against Germany. For now, we can just enjoy the highlight of a Kevin Korchinski-forced turnover turning into a goal for Connor Bedard. We can dream big.

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In Week 16, the Chicago Bears sustained insult to injury in their 35-13 loss to the AFC-leading Buffalo Bills.

On top of a blowout loss, quarterback Justin Fields came away banged up — again.

It’s been a season full of nicks and bruises for Fields, who is hit often due to the offensive line in front of him and, of course, his playing style which sees him use those legs regularly.

After the loss to Buffalo, Fields came away with pain in his shoulder as well as a foot injury. The shoulder is something he’s dealt with for a few weeks now, though, so it’s nothing new. But, his foot was stepped on in the game against Buffalo and that was a newly sustained bump.

Still, despite being a bit bruised, Fields is going to suit up for the final two games of the season, according to head coach Matt Eberflus — and that’s a good thing.

Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears may not have much to play for, but showing up and showing out is still important.

Sure, the Bears are in line for the number two overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft at the moment. There is even a chance they could end up with the number one overall pick — what a wild scenario that would be.

But, Fields is going to play these remaining two games.

“He’s good to go,” Eberflus said, per ESPN. “He’s healthy, he’s ready to go for this week.”

Eberflus went on to say that the reason behind Fields playing, despite a couple of minor injuries, is simple:

“Because we’ve got to get better. We want to improve. We want to see where we are. These last two games matter. They’re division opponents to us, very important to our football team to see the competition, to see guys compete against our division. I think it’s important for each man, it’s important for each unit and it’s important for our whole football team.”

…spoken like a competitive man, of course.

Eberflus understands that it’s about the future, at this point. In order to see where the Bears are truly at, heading into an important offseason, these last two games are very important. Now, obviously it would be beneficial for Chicago to lose these games — as weird as that sounds to say.

But, the Bears need to see a few more things out of Fields and other guys, too.

Not to mention, trying to sit Fields would be darn near impossible. That guy is as competitive as they come. You won’t have much luck attempting to “rest” him for the final two games in order not to risk further injury.

Fields wants to play, and knowing the mind of most professional athletes, he also wants to win. That matters. That means something. Despite fans looking at a future with the possibility of a number one overall pick, Fields likely doesn’t care one bit. He wants to win football games. He wants to go out there and compete — and you’ve got to love that.

The Bears have the right coach and the right quarterback in place. That’s what these few quotes tell me. So, let’s sit back and enjoy these final two games with a bright future in mind.

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Louisville melodic black-metal quintet Volcandra announced their arrival in style in the winter of 2020 with a striking debut, Into the Azure. Brimming with versatility and creative energy, the record blended some of the best elements of Scandinavian and American black metal with a progressive lightness of being that gave a certain radiance to their tales of epic fantasy battles. Their timing wasn’t the best, of course, but they kept their hand in the game, and later that year they gave us a holiday present in the form of a December single—a brooding cover of Opeth’s “Demon of the Fall.”

In May, Volcandra announced that they’d signed to Prosthetic Records, and in June they released a four-song EP, Border World. A lockdown baby, the EP celebrates an art form that saved many people’s sanity in those long, isolated days: video games. Opener “Tallon IV” is an homage to Metroid, and the EP’s title is inspired by Half-Life, as is its cornerstone track and first single, “Resonance Cascade.” In an interview with Echoes and Dust, front man Dave Palenske says that Volcandra want to provide an escape for fans—and here they show that the key to escapism is less about understanding what your audience is escaping from and more about what they want to escape to.

“Resonance Cascade” is a gripping quest that plunges you into the protagonist’s point of view. It features a guest solo by guitarist Mike Low of Nashville metal outfit Inferi, and its winsome guitar heroics and martial surges cascade into thrash and speed metal. “Colossi” is more harsh and raw, with respites when a fighter can catch their breath few and far between—the breakdown around the three-minute mark would be sweet if it didn’t offer false relief. “Guardian” closes out the EP on a heroic note with a beautiful guitar solo and a hopeful, aspirational vibe.

You don’t have to be a gamer (I’m not) to relate to Volcandra’s strong sense of narrative, but those who are might find this music even harder to resist—especially given the obvious joy the band took in making the video for “Resonance Cascade,” which also includes Mike Low. Volcandra did a short, scattershot U.S. tour this fall, but this will be their first Chicago show.

Volcandra Amiensus, Toxic Ruin, Pulchra Morte, and Flesher open. Fri 1/6, 8 PM, Reggies Music Joint, 2105 S. State, $15, 21+

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Louisville melodic black-metal quintet Volcandra announced their arrival in style in the winter of 2020 with a striking debut, Into the Azure. Brimming with versatility and creative energy, the record blended some of the best elements of Scandinavian and American black metal with a progressive lightness of being that gave a certain radiance to their tales of epic fantasy battles. Their timing wasn’t the best, of course, but they kept their hand in the game, and later that year they gave us a holiday present in the form of a December single—a brooding cover of Opeth’s “Demon of the Fall.”

In May, Volcandra announced that they’d signed to Prosthetic Records, and in June they released a four-song EP, Border World. A lockdown baby, the EP celebrates an art form that saved many people’s sanity in those long, isolated days: video games. Opener “Tallon IV” is an homage to Metroid, and the EP’s title is inspired by Half-Life, as is its cornerstone track and first single, “Resonance Cascade.” In an interview with Echoes and Dust, front man Dave Palenske says that Volcandra want to provide an escape for fans—and here they show that the key to escapism is less about understanding what your audience is escaping from and more about what they want to escape to.

“Resonance Cascade” is a gripping quest that plunges you into the protagonist’s point of view. It features a guest solo by guitarist Mike Low of Nashville metal outfit Inferi, and its winsome guitar heroics and martial surges cascade into thrash and speed metal. “Colossi” is more harsh and raw, with respites when a fighter can catch their breath few and far between—the breakdown around the three-minute mark would be sweet if it didn’t offer false relief. “Guardian” closes out the EP on a heroic note with a beautiful guitar solo and a hopeful, aspirational vibe.

You don’t have to be a gamer (I’m not) to relate to Volcandra’s strong sense of narrative, but those who are might find this music even harder to resist—especially given the obvious joy the band took in making the video for “Resonance Cascade,” which also includes Mike Low. Volcandra did a short, scattershot U.S. tour this fall, but this will be their first Chicago show.

Volcandra Amiensus, Toxic Ruin, Pulchra Morte, and Flesher open. Fri 1/6, 8 PM, Reggies Music Joint, 2105 S. State, $15, 21+

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The Chicago Blackhawks are a rebuilding organization. They have big decisions to make before the trade deadline for some obvious players but the plan is to keep the youth movement going.

There are a lot of great young players in their system right now. Some of them are playing in the 2022-23 World Junior Championships for different countries.

Every team in the NHL wants to see their guys dominate in this tournament and the Hawks are no different. It is always a ton of fun to watch but it is even better when you are rebuilding.

The Hawks have five players representing them in the tournament. One of them is Victor Stjernborg who was a part of a dominating win for Team Sweden. They defeated Austria by a final score of 11-0 which is absolute domination.

The other four all play for Team Canada. Three of them are defensemen (Nolan Allan, Kevin Korchinski, Ethan Del Mastro) and one of them is a forward (Colton Dach). Of course, this Canadian team is expected to be a favorite each year.

The Chicago Blackhawks have some major influence on Team Canada at the WJC.

With guys like Connor Bedard, Shane Wright, and Adam Fantilli leading the way up front, you’d expect some big things from these guys who are either already drafted really high or expected to be at the 2023 NHL Draft.

Shockingly, however, Canada lost to the Czech by a final score of 5-2 in a stunner. It was a dominating performance for Team Czech as they pulled off the upset by executing their game plan. They also didn’t show any fear just because they were playing Canada.

Shane Wright scored on a beautiful redirection to give Canada a 1-0 lead but the Czech responded by scoring three straight goals. Connor Bedard scored a little bit after the Czech took that 3-1 lead to bring Canada back into the game.

Again, instead of crawling into a shell, the Czech team went out and scored two more and took the big opening win.

Of course, it would surprise nobody if they won out and took home the Gold. It just isn’t a good start to their tournament but there is time to turn it around. This roster is too talented to fold from here.

Next up for Canada is a Wednesday matchup against Team Germany as they continue Group A play.

They already lost to Czech and Sweden earned the aforementioned 11-0 victory so Canada is definitely behind the eight ball but they have overcome things like this as a hockey country before and are capable of doing it again.

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Constellation hasn’t hosted a New Year’s Eve bash since the Sun Ra Arkestra’s legendary fete in 2017. This year, the intimate venue ushers in 2023 with homegrown talents who could be considered Constellation all-stars. The evening is headlined by Natural Information Society, led by multi-instrumentalist Joshua Abrams; the five-piece ensemble realizes his teeming compositions (often prominently featuring the bandleader on guimbri, a Gnawa three-string bass lute) against a backdrop of large-scale paintings by harmonium player and visual artist Lisa Alvarado. Natural Information Society are joined on the bill by the Separatist Party, a newer band that combines two local trios: synth magicians Bitchin Bajas (Cooper Crain, Rob Frye, and Dan Quinlivan) and a recurring unit comprising vocalist Marvin Tate, multi-instrumentalist Ben LaMar Gay, and drummer and composer Mike Reed (who also runs Constellation). The sites of cross-pollination between these musicians are too numerous to list, but to name two for your preshow listening pleasure: NIS and Bitchin Bajas put out the yearning, mystical Automaginary together in 2015, and Gay played cornet and Wurlitzer on Frye’s Exoplanet, one of my favorite albums of 2021. The same year, the Bajas threw it back to Constellation’s previous NYE headliners with Switched on Ra, a joyous synth retooling of Arkestra standards. New Year’s Eve might come just once a year, but the good vibes coming out of this show will surely have no expiration date.

  Natural Information Society, the Separatist Party Sat 12/31, 9 PM, Constellation, 3111 N. Western, $25, 18+

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ABC Supply Corporation seeks Data Scientists (multiple positions) in Chicago, IL to gather requirements, data, and info and develop strategic approach to achieve project goals. Reqs. MS+2 or BS+5 yrs. exp. To apply mail resume to ABC Supply Corporation, Attn: Jennie Lindeman, 1 ABC Parkway, Beloit WI 53511. Must reference Job Title & Job Code: 000361.

SW Eng 3Comcast Cable Comm, LLC, Chicago, IL. Contrib to team resp for create & maintain ad campaign mngmnt system; Reqs: Bach in CS, Eng or rltd; 2 yrs exp create SQL & .Net (C#, EF, & LINQ) code; use Jira, Github, Jenkins & AWS thru full dvlpmt lifecycle; dvlp front-end interface use JavaScript library; use Postman for API & integration test; & prfrm containerization use Docker & Kubernetes. Apply to: [email protected]. Ref Job ID# 0849

Maintenance Manager (West Chicago, IL): Manage maintenance and asset care to maximize capacity and produce the highest quality product at the lowest cost. May be required to travel/telecommute. Mail CV/Cov ltr to: Giuliana Lumia: MAPEI Corporation, 530 Industrial Drive, West Chicago, IL, 60185. Ref code: G8867-00029

Senior Software Engineer in Test 1Senior Software Engineer in Test 1: Chicago IL. Develop test plans, help write automated tests & integrate them into deployment pipeline. designing, developing, supporting platform,  responsible for logic & messaging to helps run ecommerce fulfillment for thousands of businesses. Contribute to all phases of application development lifecycle. BSc/BA in Comp Science, Engineering or related field or as an alternative HS plus 2 yrs’ exp as software engineer in test incl exp in testing both frontend & backend features, working knowledge of SQL, test case creation, test case execution, agile software dvlpmt, VSTS Test Manager or similar. Res: ShipBob, Inc.; [email protected]

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Documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras has long focused on individuals and communities battling larger forces, most notably in her films Citizenfour (2014) and Risk (2016), about whistleblower Edward Snowden and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, respectively. In this variation on her David and Goliath fixation, Poitras profiles photographer and activist Nan Goldin, whose incisive body of work probes the tender underbelly of metropolitan society, finding in it the titular beauty and bloodshed. The documentary considers Goldin’s life and art but also hones in on P.A.I.N (Prescription Addiction Intervention Now), which Goldin started after a several-year struggle with addiction to OxyContin. The group has made headlines for their bold protests, which largely involve targeting institutions where the Sackler family’s name adorns museum wings and galleries; the Sacklers started Purdue Pharma, which manufactures the aforementioned drug and has knowingly misled the public about its addictive properties. Poitras tackles the complex subject matter of Goldin’s life, art, and activism (spanning not just the opioid epidemic but also the AIDS crisis in the late 80s and early 90s) with appreciable sophistication, eliciting dignity and consequence from even the scuzziest of dive bars. This makes for a natural congruence with Goldin’s practice, elevating it to the stuff of cinema rather than just mere documentation. A through line involving Goldin’s older sister, who tragically died by suicide as a young woman, takes us deeper into the artist’s brilliant but understandably burdened psyche; the detours into her associations with such writers and artists as Cookie Mueller and David Wojnarowicz are similarly illuminating and heartbreaking. 113 min.

Gene Siskel Film Center

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