A public-private initiative to turn the limestone facade of Chicago’s 1930 art deco Merchandise Mart into a nearly three-acre riverfront digitaldigital canvass is official forging ahead.
Dubbed ‘Art on theMart,’ the array of 34 video projectors will debut in October according to Sunday’s joint announcement by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and property owner Vornado Realty Trust.
San Francisco-based Obscura Digital was tapped lead the project last year. Though the group created similar albeit temporary video projections on other iconic buildings such as the Guggenheim Museum, Sydney Opera House, and the Vatican, ‘Art on theMart’ will be the largest permanent installation of its kind in the world.
The curated display will be entirely dedicated to public art and will feature zero commercial branding or sponsorship. The Mart’s owners and the City of Chicago are expected to enter into a 30-year agreement to facilitate the project, pending City Council approval. Vornado will cover the installation’s $8 million price tag as well as its estimated $500,000 annual operating costs.
Details, such as hours of operation, are still being finalized at this time. The Mart’s chief operating officer Myron Maurer tells the Chicago Tribune that‘Art on theMart’ could run for perhaps “two hours a night, maybe five nights a week, and 10 months out of the year.”