Living Record: Look Back to Go Forward is an interactive exhibition created as part of the 2026 reopening of Time Capsules made by young people across Chicago in 2021.
Organized around the past, present, and future, the exhibition invites visitors to explore stories and artifacts from 2021, reflect on life and community today, and consider what they hope comes next.
Experience the exhibition and add your voice to the record.
SEPTEMBER 19 –
OCTOBER 03, 2026
400 S State St, Chicago
OCTOBER 06 – 18,
2026
600 E. Grand Ave, Chicago
OCTOBER 20 – 31,
2026
163 E. Pearson St., Chicago
NOVEMBER 03 – 15, 2026
756 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago
NOVEMBER 18 – 28, 2026
1451 E 53rd St, Chicago
NOVEMBER 30 – DECEMBER 09, 2026
1065 N Orleans St, Chicago
DECEMBER 11, 2026 – JANUARY 8, 2027
78 E. Washington St., Chicago
Five years later, we are opening those time capsules together, bringing the participants' voices back into public spaces and inviting people to consider what has changed, what has endured, and what comes next.
Throughout 2026, this work will unfold across Chicago:
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Each Time Capsule opening connects past and present—what people hoped for, what has changed, and how they move forward.
In a world that rarely slows down, time capsules create continuity: a shared moment to reflect, reconnect, and imagine what comes next.
