Art on theMART’s Winter 2022 program will premiere Saturday, Nov. 19 at 8:30 p.m. with a new projection: Chicago Design Through the Decades, a collaboration of the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), Columbia College Chicago and the Chicago Design Archive (CDA). Chicago Design Through the Decades is a dynamic piece documenting the progression of design in Chicago over the last century.
Following engaging characters and textual tidbits found in the Chicago Design Archive’s records (composed of over 3,200 examples of design work by over 1,100 designers), Chicago Design Through the Decades explores a wide variety of styles and methods, starting with the Art Deco illustrative techniques of the 1920s through contemporary digital renderings from the 2010s. Ultimately, the journey ends in the 2020s with digital portraits produced using neural networks – a machine-learning approach that formed the foundation of much of modern artificial intelligence technologies – which is becoming increasingly prevalent in contemporary art. As audiences are transported through the decades, legendary personalities and world-changing social movements are highlighted with the popular design styles of each era.
The project is led by designers and educators Daria Tsoupikova, Sharon Oiga and Guy Villa Jr., who assembled a team of creators and archivists whose overarching goal is to increase the understanding and appreciation of Chicago design history and to contribute to the recognition of Chicago as an international design center through their use of innovative technologies.
The full team includes:
- Daria Tsoupikova, Professor, UIC School of Design & Electronic Visualization Lab (EVL)
- Fabio Miranda, Assistant Professor, UIC Computer Science & Electronic Visualization Lab (EVL)
- Sharon Oiga, Professor, UIC School of Design, and Board Member, Chicago Design Archive
- Guy Villa Jr., Assistant Professor, Columbia College Chicago
- Krystofer Kim, Animator, NASA
- Jack Weiss, President, Chicago Design Archive
- Cheri McIntyre, Board Member, Chicago Design Archive
- Lauren Meranda, Board Member, Chicago Design Archive
- Music by Louis Schwadron, Sky White Sound; featuring vocalist/activist Nnelolo Karen Wilson-Ama’Echefu and rapper Elijah Robb
Chicago Design Through the Decades joins Joffrey Ballet’s The Nutcracker projection, returning for its third consecutive run this holiday season. Accompanied by Tchaikovsky’s famous score and displaying a collection of animated images, The Joffrey Ballet’s rendition of The Nutcracker is set during the 1893 World’s Fair and follows Marie, a young girl who receives a magical nutcracker for Christmas and is transported to a magnificent world beyond her wildest dreams. Representing the innovation, ingenuity and hope of Chicago, the production features the work of Tony Award®-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon.
“This year’s winter program is a celebration of the artists, designers and personalities who have forged Chicago’s visual identity in the last century and put Chicago on the map as a design hub,” said Cynthia Noble, executive director of Art on theMART. “We are also excited to announce that the much-beloved Nutcracker projection by The Joffrey Ballet will continue its tradition of marking the start of the holiday season on theMART.”
Art on theMART’s Winter 2022 Program premieres Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022 on the riverside façade of theMART and will run through Dec. 30 to close out 2022 programming. Art on theMART 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 be experienced. For more information, visit artonthemart.com or follow #ArtontheMART.
About Art on theMART
Art on theMART, presented in partnership with Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), is the largest permanent digital art projection in the world, projecting contemporary artwork across the 2.5-acre river-façade of theMART. This expansive permanent piece of public art continues Chicago’s legacy of providing both residents and visitors with exceptional art that is both free and accessible to all. Projections are visible to the public from Wacker Drive and along the Chicago Riverwalk.
The program content rotates seasonally and is selected with the assistance and expertise of the Curatorial Advisory Board. The City of Chicago and theMART work in partnership to manage and curate the projected artwork over the course of a 30-year agreement. Privately funded by Vornado Realty Trust, owner of theMART, Art on theMART 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 theMART with 34 state-of-the-art projectors totaling almost one million lumens.
For more information, visit www.artonthemart.com or follow us on social media:
- Instagram: @artonthemart
- Facebook: @artonthemart
- Twitter: @artonthemart
- #ArtontheMART
About theMART
theMART (formerly The Merchandise Mart), located in the center of the sought-after River North submarket, is interwoven into the fabric of Chicago as an innovator in business, technology, culture, art, media and more. As the largest privately owned commercial building in the United States, it is also one of the world’s leading commercial buildings, wholesale design centers and the preeminent international business location in Chicago. Encompassing 4.2 million gross square feet, theMART spans two city blocks, rises 25 stories, and is visited by an average of 30,000 people each business day and nearly 10 million people annually. Offering continuous innovation and creativity from leading manufacturers and design forward showrooms, theMART serves as the home to Chicago's most creative and technologically innovative companies including Motorola Mobility, 1871, Yelp, PayPal and MATTER, as well as Fortune 500 companies ConAgra Brands, Allstate, Medline Industries, Beam Suntory and Grainger. For more information, visit themart.com.
About the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) supports artists and cultural organizations, invests in the creative economy, and expands access and participation in the arts throughout Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. As a collaborative cultural presenter, arts funder, and advocate for creative workers, our programs and events serve Chicagoans and visitors of all ages and backgrounds, downtown and in diverse communities across our city — to strengthen and celebrate Chicago. DCASE produces some of the city’s most iconic festivals, markets, events, and exhibitions at the Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park, and in communities across the city — serving a local and global audience of 25 million people. The Department offers cultural grants and resources, manages public art, supports TV and film production and other creative industries, and permits special events throughout Chicago. For details, visit Chicago.gov/DCASE and stay connected via our newsletters and social media.