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    Art on theMART

    3.6 (20 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Services - Art on theMART

    Art installation

    Art on theMART Photos

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    The Chicago Art on theMART building displays a digital projection of three basketball players in red uniforms at night.
    Henry's T.

    If you happen to be in Chicago, Illinois during the Summer months, I strongly recommend that you give "Art on the MART" a try. Moving images set to music, this free extravaganza begins promptly at 9:00 p.m. each evening (with an encore at 9:30). The crisp images are thanks to no less than 34 digital projectors on the Southside of the Chicago River (sorry, Cubs fans!) that are trained upon the Northside of the Chicago River (sorry, White Sox fans!) of the massive facade of the Merchandise Mart. This is such a great addition to your Date Night plans and excellent views are achievable from both the riverside and street level between North Orleans Street and North Wells Street on the Southside of the Chicago River (sorry, Cubs fans!). And that's...Henry's Take. #chicagoartonthemart #chicagodatenight

    Waiting for the picture show
    John H.

    If you come specifically for this projection onto the building, you will be disappointed. However, if you are strolling down Riverwalk it becomes an added bonus. Currently, it features the work by Nick Cave. It starts promptly at 9PM

    Rhonda F.

    Art on theMART is a great idea for the Riverwalk! We went for a walk just before sunset with no plans to watch the light show on the Mart. Since it was starting we stayed for a while to check it out. There were a lot of people waiting on the plentiful seating area. We walked around and the view was fantastic from many locations. The audio found online seemed a bit strange. If you don't have ear buds, can you hear a lot of other people's phones? I was watching away from the crowd so I'm not sure how that plays out. Overall, I love the idea. What a great addition to an already gorgeous city oasis!

    Alison V.

    I am really impressed with the Art on theMART. We were watching it for 10 minutes and it didn't even loop around to the point where we started. If we had more time we would have stayed for the entire show. The only thing that would make it better if there was a music or soundtrack (if music does exist, we could not hear it), or an interactive phone app (which could also sync the projections to music). Very nice treat for visitors to Chicago!

    The view of Art on theMART from the corner of Wacker and Orleans.
    Augie R.

    Art on theMART is a long-term public art installation involving a nighttime light show projected on the enormous facade of theMART. On select nights (check the website at https://www.artonthemart.com/calendar), the show begins 15 minutes after sunset. It's really something to see, and since it's free, it's a great thing to do if you're touring the city with kids. The best place to view the show is on the south side of the river, across from the river facade of theMART (also known as the Merchandise Mart). Best viewing is on the riverwalk or on Wacker Drive between Orleans/Franklin and Wells Street. I wish the show offered some speakers for sound. There is apparently an audio element, but I couldn't get the music to play on my phone from the mobile website. Still, it's an impressive show, projected on the 2.5-acre face of theMART. The show consists of a series of shorts, some of which are better than others, making effective use of the historic building to offer unusual effects.

    Art on the Mart.
    Mel C.

    Really cool concept to project #ArtontheMart in Chicago. On a perfect night in Chicago, take a stroll on the trendy Riverwalk across from the Merchandise Mart snd see the art being projected, across the river, with the Mart as the canvas. Official Fall launch is Sep. 21. I really enjoyed this unique art show unfolding right before our eyes. It's worth the trip and walk just to experience this scene and the busy Riverwalk action.

    A tall, well-lit building with many windows is shown at night, with a boat on the river in front of it.
    Rachel D.

    This is such a cool program! We stopped by after dinner to check this out, and its really cool- the art that's projected and the accompanying music is really cool, and I'm told that it changes pretty frequently. Its something fun and free to check out in the summer! I think each show is probably about 30 min, but you can come and go as you please! There are 2 shows per night, one at 9pm and one at 9:30pm.

    Michelle Y.

    Someone had mentioned this as something fun to see. I looked it up online and it had mixed reviews on what time the show actually was but we showed up at 7:30 pm and it started on time. However, the lights kept stating the same 3 questions (a couple shown in the pictures). I thought that there would be more to this and at least be a little more exciting. I'd say this is more of a walk by thing to do if you're in the area but not go out of your way to see it.

    Our Fears after 6 minutes that this was it...it was not gonna get better. - The image shows a tall building with a red facade illuminated by a projection displaying the message 'THIS IS A MESSAGE' in large, bright letters at night.

    Worst use of commissioning funds ever. Art on the Mart has outdone themselves in making 2020 & 2021 worse than COVID-19 has already done. Far from inspiring. It did make you think... Who's Hopes?...mine that it would get better. Who's Fears?...mine that it was not going to get better. And we wasted our family and friends' time in from out of town. Who'sTears?...mine, again. It continued to be horrible. Such disappointment to all present in our group. And everyone on the river walk. All you heard was different reiteration of "This is it? Are you kidding me?" Barbara Krueger has scammed whomever paid for her commissioning and disappointed Chicago. The best thing Chicago could do is end it's show early (tomorrow) and put anything back up. Give the opportunity to a high school art department to create. ANYTHING would be better. Maybe one of those high schoolers will find their passion and make a mark on the world.

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    Review Highlights - Art on theMART

    So interesting to watch the show projected on the Merchandise Mart, one of the world's largest permanent digital platforms.

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

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    Put My Stupid Thing Together - The only problem with an upside down drawer is gravity.

    Put My Stupid Thing Together

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    Art on theMART - artinstallation - Updated May 2026

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