ART on THE MART to present Yinka Ilori & Cory Arcangel this Summer (June 6th—September 11th). Coinciding with NeoCon, the world’s leading event for commercial interior design, ART on THE MART will present a new immersive commission by Yinka Ilori, in partnership with Momentum Textiles + Wallcovering, exploring memories and mindfulness. In concurrence with Ilori’s projection, a new commission by Cory Arcangel, whose work considers the potential and failures of modern and historic digital technologies, will feature a single-channel video and façade installation.
The much-admired ‘Pride’ and ‘Independence Day’ projections will also return for runs around these celebrated seasonal moments. The projections will run twice nightly from 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. CT throughout the summer season.
We are thrilled to welcome two internationally recognized artists, Ilori and Arcangel, to ART on THE MART this summer. Continuing our partnership with NeoCon, Ilori’s new work will take us on a journey through his memories of Pentecostal church rituals, while Arcangel’s commission will pay homage to a legendary band from Chicago through an abstract video installation. It’s incredible to see how two very different commissions can create a unique and valuable experience for our audiences
Cynthia Noble, Executive Director of ART on THE MART.
Entitled Omi Okun (Yoruba for ‘Ocean Water’), the immersive installation is the artist’s most personal project to date, amplifying memories into a multi-sensory work that will recreate his experience of ritual and traveling from London to Margate. Omi Okun is split into four chapters: white garments, incense scents, the water, and finally, a dreamscape. Weaving in his personal experiences through accompanying sound, the work will also feature Ilori speaking and echoes of a choir. During NeoCon, Ilori will also debut his first line of textiles and wallcovering with Momentum Textiles + Wallcovering, which features his signature bold colors and patterns that draw on his dual heritage. He will also be a keynote speaker at NeoCon.
I often use the city as my canvas to reimagine spaces and encourage community. I am delighted to share my work with the City of Chicago through ART on THE MART, which encourages civic gathering and community in an urban center,
said Ilori.
Coinciding with Ilori’s Omi Okun will be a new commission by the post-conceptual artist Arcangel, entitled Water, Wind and Fire ( & ), 2024. Known for featuring meme culture and visual fragmentation in his work, this monumental intervention includes video footage of three elements (water, wind and fire) as a nod to the Chicago based band Earth, Wind and Fire. Arcangel has abstracted footage collected in Chicago and Stavanger, Norway, where Arcangel is based. Using Cookery, a custom-built software for “deep frying” visuals, Arcangel manipulates the footage through compression, brightness, contrast and re-sizing. The resulting work will be an unpredictable visual composition distant from the original footage.
I’ve always been interested in digital technologies interacting with our culture and contemporary life. ART on THE MART has provided new opportunities for me to create a digital work that encompasses an entire building, a rare opportunity and creative challenge for me as an artist,
said Arcangel.
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 visit artonthemart.com
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 Chicagobased 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.
