Nine participants have withdrawn from the sixth Chicago Architecture Biennial (CAB) in protest of exhibition sponsor Crown Family Philanthropies' investment in General Dynamics, a military contractor that supplies weapons to the Israeli military. The biennial, which opened on September 19 and runs through February 28, 2026, is titled "SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change" and is led by artistic director Florencia Rodriguez.
A letter sent to CAB organizers on September 18 and signed by 22 individuals, collectives, studios, and architecture firms stated that Crown Family Philanthropies owns a 10% stake in General Dynamics. Nearly half of the signatories also withdrew from the exhibition in protest. The letter argues that the sponsorship is "incompatible with the values of our work as well as with the event's stated mission of addressing architecture's role in shaping our collective future and pursuing radical change."
Participants first raised concerns about Crown Family Philanthropies' investment in General Dynamics last month, according to The Architects' Newspaper. In response, organizers clarified that funds received from Crown Family would not directly support the biennial exhibition itself but would instead fund related educational programming. However, the 22 signatories argued in their September 18 letter that using the funds for educational initiatives makes the situation "even more painful" given General Dynamics' manufacturing of weapons used by the Israeli military.
The letter specifically mentions the 2,000-pound MK-84 bombs manufactured by General Dynamics that have been deployed by Israeli forces in their war in Gaza. According to a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East report, Israeli forces destroyed or damaged 85% of school buildings in Gaza during the war's first 11 months. An independent report commissioned by the United Nations Human Rights Council concluded that the Israeli military's attacks on schools in Gaza may qualify as crimes against humanity.
"The realization that an educational programme in Chicago is funded with capital which (even if indirectly) comes from the gains made at the expense of the destruction of life and education facilities in Gaza is both contradictory and concerning," the CAB participants' letter stated. "We do not want our work to serve as a cultural facade or as reputational laundering for violations of human rights and war crimes currently under investigation (in Palestine or elsewhere)."
The participants' letter was sent two days after the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel released a report concluding that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. In the lead-up to the UN General Assembly in New York, ten countries that have traditionally supported Israel—including France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Monaco, and Portugal—joined the overwhelming majority of countries that recognize Palestinian statehood.
The letter calls on the biennial's organizers to reject future funding from Crown Family Philanthropies or any other sponsor involved in perpetrating war crimes for future editions. Despite their protest, the participants expressed support for the biennial's curatorial vision and acknowledged the dialogue with the curatorial team. "This, together with the variety of participants' circumstances and a threatening political atmosphere haven't made our decisions easy," the letter concluded. "And yet, we remain committed to ensuring that our field does not continue operating as a tool for the perpetuation or silencing of violence, inequality, dispossession and destruction."
A CAB spokesperson declined to make further statements regarding the issue but shared two letters the organizers sent to concerned artists last month. In a letter dated August 14, organizers explained they are "actively fundraising to meet the budget needs for the 2025-26 Biennial, and are not in a financial position to return funds already committed." The letter added that returning any donation just weeks before opening would "challenge our ability to raise the additional resources needed for this edition, and for our future."
This edition of the CAB features more than 100 architects, designers, artists, and other creative practitioners presenting projects at multiple venues including the Chicago Cultural Center, Graham Foundation, Stony Island Arts Bank, and the grounds of the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. In November, more than 25 additional large-scale projects will be added to the exhibition.
This is not the first time the Chicago Architecture Biennial has faced criticism over its funding sources. Past editions received money from oil and energy conglomerate BP from the inaugural 2015 edition through 2019. In 2023, the biennial received funding from Krueck Sexton Partners, a Chicago-based architecture firm involved in planning the new US Embassy in East Jerusalem—a controversial move from Tel Aviv that was initiated during President Donald Trump's first term.
