Founded by René Morales and Wava Carpenter, Past & Prologue is a multifaceted art and design advisory based in Chicago.

René is a curator, researcher, and broker specialized in modern and contemporary art. He is the former James W. Alsdorf Chief Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA), where he curator the major career survey of the work of Gary Simmons. The show later traveled to Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), where he had previously served the role of Director of Curatorial Affairs and Chief Curator. At PAMM, René organized nearly 60 exhibitions, including Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Surrounded Islands, 1980–83, Dara Friedman: Perfect Stranger, Sarah Oppenheimer: S-281913.

Wava has built an international reputation for uplifting the global design community. Spanning a wide range of design-focused specialities, her work includes curating cultural and commercial exhibitions, writing scholarly and popular texts, producing lectures and events, developing and jurying awards, and building online and IRL platforms. She is a long-time Curatorial Advisor for Design Miami and oversees the Curatorial Lab, Design Miami’s consultancy agency dedicated to helping brands, developers, and municipalities touch new audiences through the dynamic public art and design initiatives. She is also Cofounder of Anava Projects, an agency dedicated to harnessing the power of design to center social and environmental awareness, with the aim of achieving a healthier, more connected, and more equitable world.