In partnership with Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Art on theMART recently announced a major new addition to its fall program: a projection by renowned conceptual artist Barbara Kruger. The projection will be shown twice nightly at 7:30 and 8:00 p.m. starting Sept. 17th and continuing through Nov. 25th. The new work’s debut coincides with the Art Institute of Chicago’s presentation of Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You., an in-depth look at four decades of Kruger’s practice, the largest and most comprehensive presentation of Kruger’s work in twenty years.
One of the most significant and visible artists of our time, Barbara Kruger is renowned as a curious consumer and an incisive critic of popular culture. Practicing since the late 1970s, Kruger uses direct address as a rhetorical strategy to expose and undermine the power dynamics of identity, desire, and consumerism. Her instantly recognizable works utilize bold text and provocative messages; they feature rigorous interrogations of social relations and invite us to reconsider how we relate to one another. “We are honored to feature the work of such a legendary contemporary artist on our platform,” said Cynthia Noble, Executive Director of Art on theMART. “With this installation, our site extends Kruger’s major retrospective beyond the museum walls and into the urban architectural environment, where the art is free and accessible to all. We are so pleased to collaborate with Kruger and the Art Institute on this significant alignment.”
“We are thrilled to partner with AOTM for this historic collaboration with Barbara Kruger,” said Robyn Farrell, Associate Curator, Modern and Contemporary, Art Institute of Chicago. “For more than four decades, the artist has been a consistent, critical observer of the ways in which images and words circulate through culture and more recently, the accelerated modes in which they inhabit our daily lives. At a time when dispersion has replaced distribution and memes rules the realm of visual information, her momentous installation will invite us to pay attention and carefully consider how we relate to one another.”
About Art on theMART
Art on theMART 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 public art platform 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.
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, Allstate, Kellogg, Beam Suntory and Grainger. For more information,visit http://themart.com.
About the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is dedicated to enriching Chicago’s artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy. This includes fostering the development of Chicago’s non-profit arts sector, independent working artists and for-profit arts businesses; providing a framework to guide the City’s future cultural and economic growth, via the Chicago Cultural Plan; marketing the City’s cultural assets to a worldwide audience; and presenting high-quality, free and affordable cultural programs for residents and visitors. For more information, visit www.Chicago.gov/dcase.