Currents of Chicago, Art on THE MART
Currents of Chicago is a monumental moving image work designed by our branded environments team. Projected across the 2.5-acre façade of THE MART, the piece flows like a living map of Chicago—charting its evolution from lakefront landscape to global design capital. Anchored by a single animated dot, the story unfolds through movement, light, and rhythm, set to the heartbeat of Chicago House music. It’s not just a visual spectacle; it’s a meditation on momentum.
As designers and architects who shape streets and skylines, we set out to honor both the visible and invisible forces that shape cities. In Chicago, those forces are bold and intentional. From the engineered bend of a river to the cultural electricity pulsing through neighborhoods, this city has always been defined by its ability to design change. Currents is our tribute to that spirit of invention and reinvention.
The piece follows a sequence of chapters—each one a layer of the city’s design DNA. We begin with natural origins: lake, river, and prairie. Then comes the grid, precision-drawn and filled with possibility. From there, the rise of industry and steel, the pulse of culture, and ultimately, the skyline itself—shaped by architects and engineers who treated the city as a canvas for innovation.
At the center of it all is the dot—a quiet but powerful symbol of humanity. It moves with purpose, carried by the same currents that carry us all. It feels the rhythm of the train, the voices of neighborhoods, the patterns of people shaping place. The dot becomes the connector between design and experience, past and future, structure and soul.
Currents of Chicago is both homage and call to action. It invites viewers to see design not as something added, but as something embedded—essential to how we live, move, and thrive. It celebrates Chicago as a city in motion, forever drawn forward by its own creative force.
