Why a 1957 Cadillac is Encased in Concrete in a Chicago Parking Garage

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      As you drive past the open-air Campus North Parking Garage located at 5525 S Ellis Ave in Chicago, you’ll notice a large concrete sculpture resembling a child's drawing of a car. This peculiar piece is essentially a three-box sedan crafted entirely from concrete. Beneath the gray slabs lies an actual vehicle, a 1957 Cadillac DeVille. It's an unusual sculpture, placed there following a meticulous restoration process. But what’s the story behind an old Cadillac encased in concrete in a seemingly random Chicago parking garage?

      In 1969, German artist Wolf Vostell encased an Opel Kapitän in his native Cologne, Germany. This act served as a form of performative protest art, as he essentially buried his own car in a public parking area in front of the Art Intermedia gallery. Just like a mob execution, Vostell poured concrete around his car while it was still running and the radio was still playing music. This allowed onlookers to hear its muted sounds as the concrete hardened around it, ultimately silencing it.

      Being in a public parking space meant that many people encountered Vostell’s art, which not only attracted attention but also frustrated some. After witnessing the concrete Opel, the newly opened Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago invited him to create a similar work. This piece, named “Concrete Traffic,” was constructed in the River North area of the city in 1970.

      Since it was commissioned by an art institution, Vostell’s Chicago project was less of a public annoyance. A wire, rebar mesh, and wooden structure were erected around the Cadillac in a commuter parking lot, after which concrete was poured by a team of professionals. A few months later, both Vostell and the MCA presented the concrete Cadillac to the University of Chicago, which relocated it to an outdoor lot where it remained for four decades. In 2012, when the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts was built on that lot, Concrete Traffic was transferred to a warehouse.

      Dr. Christine Mehring, a scholar specializing in 20th-century German art, discovered it at that warehouse. “I just giggled and laughed,” Mehring recalled upon seeing the encapsulated car in a documentary about Vostell’s Cadillac. “I was on the verge of tears. It was a huge moment.”

      Between 2012 and 2016, the concrete Cadillac underwent extensive restoration. Four decades of harsh Chicago winters had taken a toll on its concrete structure, resulting in various patchwork repairs over the years, which contributed to the deterioration. These patches were not only made from a different type of concrete, but they were also insufficient to prevent water from being trapped between the new patches and the original masonry, leading to rot and further decay. The car itself was also in disrepair, with a caved-in windshield, flat tires, and rust compromising its chassis and suspension. Consequently, automotive and concrete specialists, along with structural engineers, were enlisted to restore this 16.2-ton piece of public art and ensure its longevity.

      Now rejuvenated, you can view Vostell’s second entombed car as you walk across the street from the Smart Museum of Art in Chicago. Inside the museum, you can explore information about the stone car, the restoration efforts, and Vostell’s other concrete projects.

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