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ART ON THE MART FINALIZES 2023 PROGRAMMING WITH THE CHICAGO BLACK DANCE LEGACY PROJECT, GENSLER AND AN ALL-NEW PROJECTION BY CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS

Fifth year anniversary programming will also feature new projections by artists Derrick Adams and Dr. Yiyun Kang 

CHICAGO, IL – ART on THE MART, an innovative digital art project that transforms a Chicago architectural landmark into a larger-than-life canvas, has announced its full programming line-up for 2023, which will feature new commissions by leading artists Derrick Adams and Dr. Yiyun Kang, as well as local Chicago Public Schools (CPS) student artists, a presentation by the Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project, a collaboration with the international architecture and design firm Gensler. In 2023, ART on THE MART will also select a guest curator of digital art to play a vital role in contributing to the platform’s programming in 2024.

ART on THE MART’s 2023 spring season kicks off on April 14 with a new commission by internationally acclaimed artist Derrick Adams entitled Funtime Unicorn: Ruby Rides Through Four Seasons. This site-specific work, which builds on the Baltimore-born, New York-based artist’s famed Funtime Unicorn project celebrating Black joy, love and play, coincides with EXPO Chicago’s 10th edition (April 13–16, 2023), as well as other activations by Adams at Rhona Hoffman Gallery and Navy Pier. On view with Adams for the 2023 spring season is the annual projection made in conjunction with CPS’ All-City Visual Arts program, which will be on display from April 27 to May 14, featuring artwork by soon-to-graduate CPS seniors.

Two new commissions will debut during the 2023 summer season, which spans from June 8 to September 13. Timed to NeoCon, the world’s leading event for commercial interior design (June 12–14, 2023), ART on THE MART will present a newly commissioned projection by Gensler, the world’s largest architectural practice and the firm behind the next phase of THE MART’s redevelopment, also launching this summer. Starting July 6, the Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project, a multi-year initiative housed at The University of Chicago's Logan Center for the Arts that seeks to celebrate the historic impact of Black dance in Chicago and beyond, will debut a new time-based work featuring its cohort of 10 stellar dance companies. The much-admired ‘Pride’ and ‘Independence Day’ projections will also return during the summer season for runs positioned around these celebrated seasonal moments, from June 1 to June 28 and June 29 to July 5, respectively.

Dr. Yiyun Kang, a veteran in the field of projection mapping and immersive art, will headline the 2023 fall season running from September 14 to November 15. Working at the intersection of art, sound and technology, Dr. Kang’s projection mapping installations create kinetic environments for audiences to explore. Presented in partnership with Superblue, Dr. Kang’s commission for ART on THE MART will unfold over three immersive scenes which combine digital animation and real footage, mixing the human figure with AI generated imageries.

In celebration of ART on THE MART’s fifth anniversary, the platform has also launched a new guest curator of digital art program. This 18-month position, which awards $40,000 USD to a selected curator to assemble a major new commission for the 2024 programming season, is the first of its kind in ART on THE MART’s history and is designed to expand curatorial opportunities for professionals in the field. The chosen curator will be announced in spring 2023, with the selected artist(s) announced later this year.

“Some of our proudest moments of the past five years come from watching how the building is used – both by artists in creatively transforming THE MART and by the public, who have embraced our vision of bringing art to the widest possible audiences outside of museum walls. Celebrating over 50 screenings since our launch in 2018, ART on THE MART has successfully demonstrated the potential of public art to nurture culturally vibrant cities and spaces,” said ART on THE MART Executive Director Cynthia Noble. “We look forward to celebrating the past five years and seeing the continued integration of ART on THE MART into our city’s fabric for years to come.”

ART on THE MART is free and can best be 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. Spring programming will be on view nightly at 8:30 p.m. from April 14 to June 7. Summer programming will premiere the evening of June 8 with a new start time of 9:00 p.m. on view through September 13. Fall and winter programming will begin at 7:30 p.m. from September 14 to December 30.

For more information on the 2023 season, please visit artonthemart.com or follow #ARTonTHEMART.