Art on theMART: A Visual Record of Chicago’s Digital Icon

At Chicago Commercial Photography, we don't just take pictures; we document history. When Vornado Realty Trust transformed the iconic Merchandise Mart into Art on theMART, owner Bob Grosse was there to capture every moment from the ground up.

 

Professional Cinema Production

 

A Masterclass in Perspective: East Meets West

This video is a technical showcase of our synchronized videography. To truly capture the scale of the 2.5-acre facade, we recorded the projection from both the East and West sides of the river. We then created a seamless transition showing the building from both directions, perfectly synchronized with the audio to mirror the heartbeat of Chicago.

— Bob Grosse, Owner & Lead Photographer

The Nerve Center: Projection Infrastructure

Across the river, the state-of-the-art projection center houses massive laser projectors and synchronized camera systems. Our photography captures the unique glass facade of this "nerve center," where the digital art is beamed across the water to theMART.

Art on the MART Projection Center across the river from theMART- Chicago Commercial Photography

System Specifications & Infrastructure

Projector Array 34 Christie Boxer 4K30 Projectors
Total Brightness Over 1 Million Lumens
Resolution 6000 x 2620 Pixels
Connectivity 1/4 Mile of Sub-River Fiber Optics
The Window Masking Innovation: Achieving 1 million lumens without flooding the interior with light required a custom 3D laser-scanned building model. This software "mask" tells the projectors exactly where the 4,262 windows are, wrapping art around the architecture while ensuring zero light enters the offices inside.