The Magnificent Mile has recently installed a monumental, multi-story public art installation entitled "Rapt on The Mile" that renowned artists (and couple) Nick Cave and Bob Faust created.
The mural, which now wraps the 679 N. Michigan Ave. building, is presented by The Magnificent Mile Association with EXPO CHICAGO and key supporters from the City of Chicago, World Business Chicago, Choose Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Northern Trust, The Peninsula Chicago and Water Tower Realty. The final element will be revealed at a press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 5, with the artists and partnering organizations.
"Rapt on The Mile" is designed to act as a multi-story beacon inviting Chicagoans and visitors from around the world to enjoy all that Michigan Avenue has to offer. It will be on display through Jan. 31, 2022.
"The past year and a half have been incredibly challenging for everyone through COVID-19 isolation and losses, to uprisings and fear, and especially here on Michigan Avenue, which hosts the jobs of so many Chicagoans from a multitude of neighborhoods," said Faust in a press release. "There are so many things that need attention immediately, but they all require personal fuel to accomplish or even start. We created Rapt to share energy: energy from color, pattern, implied growth, and strength. We want the City of Chicago to view it and understand our interconnectedness and beautiful grit, and our support for each other as neighbors, believers, and doers."
Installed by Creative Graphics Management, the vinyl piece spans more than three stories and wraps more than 6,000 square feet. The expansive building-wrapped mural utilizes iconic images and layered colors to create a three-dimensional garden, evocative of a fertile migratory hubmuch like the way Cave sees the city.
In addition, Faust's installation "with all, and still…" is on display at The Peninsula Chicago, 108 E. Superior St. According to a separate statement, it has "a direct tie to Rapt, not just by adjacency (which can be viewed from Z Bar), but also subject and style."