ART on THE MART, an innovative digital art project that transforms a Chicago architectural landmark into a larger-than-life canvas, will begin its 2024 programming with a new commission by internationally renowned artist Nora Turato. The launch of Turato’s projection, which continues the artist’s exploration of language, visual culture, and the present zeitgeist, will coincide with EXPO CHICAGO’s 11th edition (April 11—14). Turato’s projection will be on view nightly at 8:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. from April 12—June 5, 2024. Later in the spring season, the annual projection of new works by Chicago Public Schools (CPS) seniors, celebrating exemplary work from the All-City Visual Arts Exhibitions, will return from May 1— 12.
“ART on THE MART is thrilled to kick off the 2024 season with work by Nora Turato and CPS seniors. We are proud that ART on THE MART can showcase projects by internationally renowned artists together with the talent and promise of our local community,” said Cynthia Noble, Executive Director of ART on THE MART.
Known for her text-based works and a practice that spans performance, video, wall-mounted works, and artist books, Turato frequently challenges the boundaries of language. Assembling texts sourced from everyday life—media headlines, advertisements, and social media captions—Turato’s signature bold typography and spoken word performances hold a mirror up to our information-saturated society. For Turato’s ART on THE MART commission, THIS IS A TEST OF SEVERANCE. can you let go?, she has drawn inspiration from mantras, affirmations, and other lexicons from the self-betterment industries, delving into our obsession with wellness culture and the associated anxieties and insecurities.
On Saturday, April 13, during EXPO CHICAGO, Turato will deliver a new performance, pool 6, at The Art Institute of Chicago’s Fullerton Hall. Originally commissioned by Performa, New York, for the 2023 Biennial, pool 6 sees Turato for the first time incorporating multiple identities within one of her monologues, concerned with the notions of self-optimization and the culture of well-being. The Art Institute of Chicago performance is free but requires registration. Turato’s ART on THE MART debut also coincides with a solo exhibition at Sprüth Magers (February 28—April 27), which will premiere a new video work alongside her latest enamel panels across both floors of the Los Angeles gallery.
“THIS IS A TEST OF SEVERANCE. can you let go? continues to explore the collective desire for self-optimization and control we exercise over ourselves in a constant pursuit of improvement. I am honored that my piece will be the inaugural work of the season and am excited to unveil such a major public project in Chicago,” said Turato.
Nora Turato, THIS IS A TEST OF SEVERANCE. can you let go?, Courtesy of ART on THE MART
ART on THE MART’s spring season will also feature new artworks by CPS seniors, officially titled Select Works from the CPS Class of 2024. CPS will select the final works to be projected on the façade of THE MART from student submissions to the All-City High School Visual Arts Exhibition and the Senior Portfolio Showcase. Students’ artworks are selected based on a score given for technical skill, craftsmanship, originality, and student voice. An original score, also created by CPS students, will accompany the piece. The launch of the ART on THE MART projection will coincide with the CPS multidisciplinary arts festival, RE·VER·BER·ATE (May 1— 4). The four-day event provides students in grades PreK—12th with exhibition and performance opportunities, as well as workshops, portfolio reviews, and career fairs throughout the various locations of the festival in downtown Chicago.
ART on THE MART is free and can be best experienced from the jetty section of the Chicago Riverwalk on Wacker Drive between Wells Street and Franklin Street, where accompanying audio can also be heard. ART on THE MART is presented in collaboration with the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE).
For more information on the 2024 season, please visit www.artonthemart.com or follow #ARTonTHEMART.
About ART on THE MART
ART on THE MART, presented in partnership with Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), is an innovative digital art project that transforms a Chicago architectural landmark into a larger-than-life canvas, spanning over 2.5 acres of THE MART along the city’s Riverwalk. Founded in 2018, ART on THE MART is a platform for cutting-edge moving image work by renowned local, national and international interdisciplinary artists. Under the direction of Cynthia Noble, the program has commissioned work by celebrated names like Nick Cave, Barbara Kruger and Charles Atlas, along with projections by Chicago-based artists and local organizations that elevate voices and artists from underrepresented communities.
The program is a result of a 30-year commitment by THE MART owner Vornado Realty Trust, in close collaboration with the City of Chicago, with a shared goal to provide public access to innovative contemporary digital art for thousands of visitors traversing the Chicago Riverwalk each day. The project marks the first time a projection of its size and scope is completely dedicated to digital art with no branding, sponsorship credits or messaging. The permanent projection system illuminates THE MART with 34 state-of-the-art projectors totaling almost one million lumens. The program content rotates seasonally and is selected with the assistance and expertise of the Curatorial Advisory Board, along with the support of a guest digital art curator initiative that was founded in 2023.
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About THE MART
THE MART (formerly The Merchandise Mart), located in the center of the sought-after River North submarket, is interwoven into the fabric of Chicago as an innovator in business, technology, culture, art, media and more. As the largest privately owned commercial building in the United States, it is also one of the world’s leading commercial buildings, wholesale design centers and the preeminent international business location in Chicago. Encompassing 4.2 million gross square feet, THE MART spans two city blocks, rises 25 stories and is visited by an average of 30,000 people each business day and nearly 10 million people annually. Offering continuous innovation and creativity from leading manufacturers and design forward showrooms, THE MART serves as the home to Chicago's most creative and technologically innovative companies including Motorola Mobility, 1871, PayPal and MATTER, as well as Fortune 500 companies ConAgra Brands, Allstate, Medline Industries, Beam Suntory, Avant and Grainger. For more information, visit www.themart.com.
About the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)
The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) supports artists and cultural organizations, invests in the creative economy and expands access and participation in the arts throughout Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. As a collaborative cultural presenter, arts funder and advocate for creative workers, our programs and events serve Chicagoans and visitors of all ages and backgrounds, downtown and in diverse communities across our city – to strengthen and celebrate Chicago. DCASE produces some of the city’s most iconic festivals, markets, events and exhibitions at the Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park, and in communities across the city – serving a local and global audience of 25 million people. The Department offers cultural grants and resources, manages public art, supports TV and film production and other creative industries, and permits special events throughout Chicago. For further details, visit www.Chicago.gov/DCASE and stay connected via newsletters and social media