Photos: Jeanette Andrews to Present Evening of Magic and Perception at Smart Museum

What is magic?

For artist and magician Jeanette Andrews, magic is more than a series of tricks shrouded in showmanship and dazzle. Andrews believes that magic offers a unique opportunity to question what we see and to experience the world in new ways. Andrews says that 'magic shines the spotlight on some of our most deeply held assumptions and expectations, that we don't ever question.'

On Tuesday, November 10, High Concept Labs invites audiences to HCL Benefit: An Evening with Jeanette Andrews. The event is a fundraiser for High Concept Labs, whose residency program supported the development of Andrews' artistic practice.

The one-night intimate performance/lecture offers a rare opportunity to meet the internationally renowned illusionist and co-investigate how perception and cognition lead audiences to believe in the seemingly impossible. Rather than treating illusion simply as entertainment, her practice uses magic as an artistic material.

Over the course of the evening, Andrews will challenge audiences to reconsider the boundaries between the possible and impossible and question their own perception. The event includes light bites, an open bar, and dessert. VIP guests enjoy reserved seating and a gift from Andrews: framed ephemera from the night's performance. The event will take place at the Smart Museum of Art where teamLab's exhibition, Everything Exists in Infinite Continuity, will be on view.

Andrews creates work at the intersection of magic, contemporary art, perception and audience participation. The November event will bring Andrews' distinctive practice into conversation with the work HCL has championed for more than a decade: artists taking risks, crossing disciplines, asking difficult questions and developing work before anyone knows exactly what it will become.

Event Information

HCL 2026 Benefit: An Evening with Jeanette Andrews

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

6:30 to 9:00 PM

The Smart Museum of Art

5550 S Greenwood Ave, Chicago, IL 60637

Tickets and information: highconceptlabs.org/events/2026-benefit

Editorial series: highconceptlabs.org/Jeanette-Andrews