Chicago Public Library is fighting book ban attempts through public art.
The newly-installed permanent “Altar for the Unbanned” by Theaster Gates sits in the middle of the third floor of the Harold Washington Library main branch. It features spiral shelves of books that have been banned in different periods of American history — titles like “Antelope Woman” by Louise Erdrich and “The Heart Goes Last” by Margaret Atwood are part of the current piece. Atop the stacks of books sits a bright, neon sign that reads “Unbanned” in all capital letters.
