ART on THE MART 2025: Currents of Chicago Premieres June 5
ART on THE MART, the world's largest digital art project, will premiere Currents of Chicago from June 5 to July 6. Currents of Chicago is a new moving artwork by acclaimed architecture and design firm Perkins&Will. The preview debuts ahead of the 56th edition of NeoCon 2025 on June 9-11. This is the third consecutive year of alignment between ART on THE MART and NeoCon.
Currents spotlights the visible and invisible forces that shape Chicago—water, wind, data, infrastructure, and design. This year's ART on THE MART is presented in partnership with Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE). The commissioned project transforms THE MART's iconic 2.5-acre facade into a larger-than-life cinematic tribute to the lakeside city's enduring spirit.
"Everything we interact with—from the systems we move through to the stories we tell—is shaped by design," says Yvette Fevurly, Principal of Branded Environments at Perkins&Will. "Currents reveals the underlying threads of human need and imagination that drive progress. Design is now decoration—it's direction. It guides experience, reveals meaning, and charts the way forward."
Set to the pulse of Chicago house music by West Side producer Aniko Thomas, also known as Niko The Great, Currents takes viewers on a visual and auditory journey through Chicago's rich design heritage. Inspired by the natural, human, and technological streams from the Chicago River and Lake Michigan to the layered transit systems and diverse communities, this year's piece animates the interconnected rhythms of modern life. It also celebrates resilience, reinvention, and Chicago's intrinsic beauty through vivid illustrations and bold visual storytelling as it weaves iterations of engineered landscapes, cultural expression, and the push of design and technology.
"Currents is more than a projection; it's a celebration of our city's culture, architecture, ingenuity, and evolution," said Cynthia Novel, Executive Director of ART on THE MART. "Perkins&Will's deep Chicago roots and forward-thinking design approach shine through in this vivid tapestry of color and creativity."
The currents, both literal and figurative, are a nod to the Windy City's continuous momentum, setting events and ideas into motion. Currents reflects how design, technology, and nature intersect, creating a more resilient and human-centered city now and into the future. Chicago's energy is not just a byproduct of history—it's a catalyst for purposeful progress, continuously evolving, adapting, and envisioning a more sustainable and thriving urban environment. The art invites viewers to engage in a dynamic dialogue across time and space.
Visitors can experience Currents from The Jetty section of the Chicago Riverwalk on Wacker Drive between Wells and Franklin streets, where accompanying music can be enjoyed. The show will begin at 9 p.m. nightly June 5 through June 15, and then Thursday through Sunday evenings June 19 through July 6.
ART on THE MART is free and open to the public. More information about the 2025 season is available at artonthemart.com.