The colorful installation dazzled thousands of onlookers
On Saturday, Chicagoans got their first taste of Art on theMART, a hard-to-ignore transformation of the city’s famous Merchandise Mart into a 2.5-acre canvas for digital art.
Thousands of onlookers watched from Wacker Drive, the Chicago Riverwalk, neighboring high-rise buildings, powerboats, and kayaks as the projectors were switched on for the first time. The show lasted roughly a half hour and featured works from four artists—Diana Thater, Zheng Chongbin, Jason Salavon, and Jan Tichy. The event concluded with a fireworks display.
Funded by building owner Vornado Realty Trust, the $8 million installation will strictly showcase art with no corporate branding or sponsorship. Vornado has a 30-year agreement with the City of Chicago for Art on theMART, making the installation the largest and longest-running digital art project in the world.
Art on theMART is scheduled to run for up to two hours a night, five days a week (Wednesday through Sunday), March through December. Here are some of the best images and creative angles from Saturday’s spectacular debut.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Michael Lyons (@snoylekimchi) on Sep 29, 2018 at 11:04pm PDT
View this post on InstagramThe Art On The Mart – Sunday Night in Chicago
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- ‘Art on theMART’ to debut world’s largest video display in September [Curbed Chicago]
- Merchandise Mart will be turned into the world’s largest art display [Curbed Chicago]
- City considers plan to ‘light up’ Merchandise Mart [Curbed Chicago]
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