Parsons & Charlesworth
Chicago, United States
Parsons & Charlesworth is an art and design laboratory co-founded by British Canadian artist and designer Jessica Charlesworth and British artist and designer Tim Parsons. Their collaborative worldbuilding projects challenge viewers to reconsider their relationships with technology and ecology, addressing issues including the climate crisis and the future of work. The studio creates visually provocative objects, installations, and digital media that invite viewers into meticulously crafted alternate realities. Their award-winning project Catalog for the Post-Human has appeared internationally in galleries, museums, and festivals such as the Venice Architecture Biennale, Walker Art Center, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, among others. They have received grants including the 2024 Lumen Arts Prize and support from Canada Council for the Arts and the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts. Both graduated from London’s Royal College of Art and teach at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. They are members of NEW INC, the New Museum’s mentorship program.
2025 Biennial Project
Project Overview
Future Climate Souvenirs
This mobile kiosk and performance space shares playful, speculative souvenirs for future nature reserves and eco-tourist sites in Chicago. Using humor and creativity, the project raises awareness about climate change by imagining how the city might adapt to rising temperatures and shifting ecosystems. The stand displays patches, hats, and other items with designs inspired by scientific research and local culture. Rather than focusing on disaster, the project encourages hope and curiosity. By making complex climate data visual and tangible, it invites people to think about resilience, adaptation, and how design can shape positive futures in the face of environmental change.
Previous work
Project Overview
Venue
View more840 N. Michigan Ave
Address
840 N. Michigan Ave
Description
The Biennial expands its footprint downtown with the opening of its fifth site at 840 N. Michigan Avenue, transforming more than 65,000 square feet of space on the Magnificent Mile into a dynamic hub for art, design, and dialogue.
