About the program
Taking place September 24-25, 2025, Deem Journal’s third annual symposium includes hybrid in-person/online programming dedicated to expansive perspectives on liberatory design thinking. Friday evening activities include:
5:00-6:30 p.m. | Pre-party at Rebuild Foundation’s Stony Island Arts Bank
The space of this former savings and loan was restored by artist Theaster Gates and reopened in 2015 as a hybrid gallery, library, media archive, and community center aimed at preserving Black culture and artistic expression. This fall, it serves as a site of the Chicago Architecture Biennial, hosting five installations by architects and designers from around the world.
7:00 – 10:30 p.m. | Multi-Sensory Placemaking: A Social Practice Experience
Held at the latest space opened by Theaster Gates’ Rebuild Foundation, The Land School, this portion of the evening includes a conversation between Gates and Deem Journal cofounder/creative director Nu Goteh, followed by a sound experience presented by seminal Chicago house DJ and cultural guardian Duane Powell.