‘Art on the Mart’ lights up Merchandise Mart with dazzling nighttime projection

Chicagoans got their first peek at the “Art on the Mart” series on Saturday.

Touted as the world’s largest and longest-running digital art projection, the series turns the city’s iconic Merchandise Mart into a 2.5-acre art canvass.

Wacker Drive was closed to traffic so more than a thousand people could pack in for a view of the 115,000-square foot spectacle on the massive riverfront building’s south facade.

About 200 different pieces of art will be beamed onto the building as the series continues for two hours a night, five nights a week and 10 months a year. Designers said the installation has twice the clarity of a 4K Ultra HD television.

The first, “Art on the Mart” display on the Chicago River Walk. A digital public art installation projected on the side of the Merchandise Mart building. | Rick Majewski For the Suntimes

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The first, “Art on the Mart” display on the Chicago River Walk. A digital public art installation projected on the side of the Merchandise Mart building. | Rick Majewski For the Suntimes

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The first, “Art on the Mart” display on the Chicago River Walk. A digital public art installation projected on the side of the Merchandise Mart building. | Rick Majewski For the Suntimes

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The first, “Art on the Mart” display on the Chicago River Walk. A digital public art installation projected on the side of the Merchandise Mart building. | Rick Majewski For the Suntimes

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The first, “Art on the Mart” display on the Chicago River Walk. A digital public art installation projected on the side of the Merchandise Mart building. | Rick Majewski For the Suntimes

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The first, “Art on the Mart” display on the Chicago River Walk. A digital public art installation projected on the side of the Merchandise Mart building. | Rick Majewski For the Suntimes

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The first, “Art on the Mart” display on the Chicago River Walk. A digital public art installation projected on the side of the Merchandise Mart building. | Rick Majewski For the Suntimes

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The first, “Art on the Mart” display on the Chicago River Walk. A digital public art installation projected on the side of the Merchandise Mart building. | Rick Majewski For the Suntimes

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The first, “Art on the Mart” display on the Chicago River Walk. A digital public art installation projected on the side of the Merchandise Mart building. | Rick Majewski For the Suntimes

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The first, “Art on the Mart” display on the Chicago River Walk. A digital public art installation projected on the side of the Merchandise Mart building. | Rick Majewski For the Suntimes

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Officials from Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office said the displays will become as much of a Chicago staple as the Bean at Millennium Park and the Picasso at Daley Center plaza.

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