EVL and Argonne Bring Scientific Visualization to ART on THE MART

ART on THE MART
Dates: September 10–November 15, 2026
Time: Thursdays through Sundays, 7:30–8:00 p.m.
Location: Chicago Riverwalk between Wells and Franklin Streets

Sodalite cages are structural units found in the mineral sodalite and related materials like zeolites. Machine learning models are used to understand growth processes and atomic-level dynamical transitions in silica. Naturally occurring and synthetic zeolites have numerous applications, including water purification, catalysis in oil refining, and as components in detergents. - Aditya Koneru, Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago and Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory; Subramanian Sankaranarayanan, Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory and Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago; Argonne Leadership Computing Facility Visualization Team, Argonne National Laboratory

A collaboration between Argonne National Laboratory and the Electronic Visualization Laboratory at the University of Illinois Chicago

Where Data Becomes Light is a digital light projection and immersive visual experience that celebrates the beauty of science through contemporary visualization. On view nightly, Thursday through Sunday, at THE MART starting September 10, the large-scale imagery transforms the 2.5-acre building façade into a luminous canvas, where sweeping animations and vivid imagery inspire curiosity and wonder, and invite audiences to witness the elegance and complexity of the natural world through the lens of modern scientific computing.

Scientific discovery often begins with numbers, signals, and equations, but its deepest insights emerge when those patterns become visible. Scientific visualization transforms complex data into images that reveal structure, motion, and meaning, allowing us to see phenomena that would otherwise remain hidden. In these images, turbulence becomes choreography, molecular interactions resemble intricate architecture, and the evolution of galaxies unfolds like a vast celestial landscape.

The Collaboration

For decades, researchers have used visualization to transform massive datasets into images that reveal patterns hidden in raw numbers. As high-performance computing has grown in prominence to address the biggest challenges in science and engineering, Argonne National Laboratory has played a key role in this evolution, operating world-class supercomputers and producing visualizations that illuminate everything from the structure of materials and the behavior of turbulent flows to the formation of galaxies and the dynamics of climate systems.

At the same time, the Electronic Visualization Laboratory at the University of Illinois Chicago helped define the modern field of visualization. EVL researchers’ work contributed to the landmark National Science Foundation report on scientific visualization, which helped establish visualization as a critical component of scientific discovery. EVL’s innovations in immersive visualization environments and collaborative visual computing have expanded the ways scientists and the public experience complex data.

About the Commission

This project brings together scientists, visualization researchers, and artists to create a cinematic journey through data and discovery. The experience invites viewers to encounter science not only as knowledge but also as a shared visual experience, revealing the hidden structures and patterns that shape our universe. Across the city’s nighttime canvas, data becomes light, discovery becomes motion, and scientific exploration becomes a shared visual experience.

Project Leads

Michael E. Papka, Argonne National Laboratory and University of Illinois Chicago
Daria Tsoupikova, University of Illinois Chicago

Project Team

Zainab Ahmed, University of Illinois Chicago
Beth Cerny, Argonne National Laboratory
Joseph Insley, Argonne National Laboratory
Farah Kamleh, University of Illinois Chicago
Krystofer Kim, Independent Contractor
Janet Knowles, Argonne National Laboratory
Victor Mateevitsi, Argonne National Laboratory and University of Illinois Chicago
Julie Parente, Argonne National Laboratory
Silvio Rizzi, Argonne National Laboratory and University of Illinois Chicago
Laura Wolf, Argonne National Laboratory

Acknowledgement

This installation was made possible through the efforts of the team at The Mart, including Paul Heinen, Chief Operating Officer; Lisa Simonian, Vice President – Head of Tradeshows; Cynthia Noble, Director of Art on the Mart, who led the creative direction, and Renata Martell, Marketing Coordinator, who coordinated promotion and outreach; and Michael Pritchett, Vice President of IT, and Anthony Podraza, IT Manager, who provided technical support. Dominic Glimco and Maison Riley of Pure Dezign operated the projection systems that brought the work to life on the building’s facade, with Pure Dezign handling the projection mapping.

Featured Visualizations in the Art Projection

Early visualization of quaternion fractals, John Hart, Daniel Sandin, Electronic Visualization Laboratory, University of Illinois Chicago; Lou Kauffman, Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science, University of Illinois Chicago

Mathematical strings demonstrate 720-degree rotational symmetry, George Francis, Chris Hartman, Mathematics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Louis Kauffman, Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science, University of Illinois Chicago; Daniel Sandin, John Hart, Dana Plepys, Sumit Das, Electronic Visualization Laboratory, University of Illinois Chicago

Stephan Meyers’ early computer animation, Stephan Meyers, (Art)n Laboratory

A two-dimensional Julia set animation, Daniel J. Sandin, John Hart, Tom DeFanti, Electronic Visualization Laboratory, University of Illinois Chicago; Lou Kauffman, Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science, University of Illinois Chicago

Exploring a four-dimensional Julia set, Daniel J. Sandin, Shalini Venkataraman, John Hart, Tom DeFanti, Electronic Visualization Laboratory, University of Illinois Chicago; Louis Kauffman, Yumei Dang, Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science, University of Illinois Chicago; Stephan Vankov, Interdisciplinary Computing in the Arts, University of California, San Diego

John Hart’s early mathematical visualization, John C. Hart, Electronic Visualization Laboratory, University of Illinois Chicago, and National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Simulating growth in silica structures, Aditya Koneru, Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago and Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory; Subramanian Sankaranarayanan, Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory and Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago; Argonne Leadership Computing Facility Visualization Team, Argonne National Laboratory

Silicene layers forming on iridium, Mathew J. Cerukara, Badri Narayanan, Henry Chan, Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory; Subramanian Sankaranarayanan, Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory and Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago; Argonne Leadership Computing Facility Visualization Team, Argonne National Laboratory

Platinum clusters change shape during catalysis, Anastassia Alexandrova, Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles; Argonne Leadership Computing Facility Visualization Team, Argonne National Laboratory

Optimizing a germanium selenide monolayer, T. Krogel, Kevin Gasperich, Physical Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Paul R. C. Kent, Center for Predictive Simulation of Functional Materials, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Hyeondeok Shin, Anouar Benali, Computational Science, Argonne National Laboratory; Olle Heinonen, Physical Sciences and Engineering, Argonne National Laboratory; Argonne Leadership Computing Facility Visualization Team, Argonne National Laboratory

Graphene scrolls enable exceptionally low friction, Sanket Deshmukh, Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory; Subramanian Sankaranarayanan, Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory and Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago; ALCF Visualization Team, Argonne National Laboratory

Human airways visualized for medical study, Walid Hindo, North Chicago Veterans Administration Medical Center; Sumit Das, Electronic Visualization Laboratory, University of Illinois Chicago

A Purkinje neuron rendered for study, Erik De De Schutter, James M. Bower, California Institute of Technology; Jason Leigh, Tom DeFanti, Sumit Das, Electronic Visualization Laboratory, University of Illinois Chicago; James Inglehart, Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois Chicago

Dark matter halos and their ancestry, Peter Hanula, Kamil Piekutowski, Kyle Almryde, Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois Chicago; G. Elisabeta Marai, Arthur Nishimoto, Carlos Uribe, Electronic Visualization Laboratory, University of Illinois Chicago; Julieta Aguilera, Adler Planetarium

Modeling tumor-cell separation from blood, Jifu Tan, Michael Hood, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northern Illinois University; ALCF Visualization Team, Argonne National Laboratory

Tracking cancer cells through arterial flow, Aristotle Martin, William Ladd, Amanda Randles, Biomedical Engineering, Duke University; Silvio Rizzi, Victor Mateevitsi, Joseph Insley, Geng Liu, Argonne Leadership Computing Facility Visualization Team, Argonne National Laboratory; Saumil Patel, Mathematics and Computer Science, Argonne National Laboratory; Seyong Lee, Jeffrey Vetter, Computer Science and Mathematics, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; John Gounley, Computational Sciences and Engineering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Simulating turbulence and its generated noise, Umesh Paliath, GE Global Research; Argonne Leadership Computing Facility Visualization Team, Argonne National Laboratory

Shock-triggered ignition develops into detonation, Alexei Khokhlov, Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago; Joanna Austin, Andrew Knisely, Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; ALCF Visualization Team, Argonne National Laboratory

Tracing tungsten through fusion plasma, Julien Dominski, Choongseock “CS” Chang, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory; ALCF Visualization Team, Argonne National Laboratory

Droplets alter turbulent heat transport, Abbas Moradi Bilondi, Parisa Mirbod, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago; Hal Brynteson, Computer Science, University of Illinois Chicago; Michael E. Papka, Argonne National Laboratory and Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois Chicago; Luca Brandt, Norwegian University of Science and Technology; Nicolo Scapin, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University

Regional simulations explore climate extremes, Akintomide Afolayan Akinsanola, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago and Environmental Science, Argonne National Laboratory; Chunyong Jung, Jiali Wang, Gökhan Sever, Veerabhadra Rao, Environmental Science, Argonne National Laboratory; Argonne Leadership Computing Facility Visualization Team, Argonne National Laboratory

Simulated cloud cover during Hurricane Maria, Akintomide Afolayan Akinsanola, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago and Environmental Science, Argonne National Laboratory; Chunyong Jung, Jiali Wang, Gökhan Sever, Veerabhadra Rao, Environmental Science, Argonne National Laboratory; Argonne Leadership Computing Facility Visualization Team, Argonne National Laboratory

Early galaxies ionize surrounding gas, Robert Harkness, Michael L. Norman, Rick Wagner, San Diego Supercomputer Center, University of California, San Diego; Daniel R. Reynolds, Mathematics, Southern Methodist University; ALCF Visualization Team, Argonne National Laboratory

Shock waves expand through exploding stars, Adam Burrows, Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University; Tianshu Wang, University of California, Berkeley; David Vartanyan, University of Idaho; ALCF Visualization Team, Argonne National Laboratory

Elements disperse following a supernova, Adam Burrows, Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University; Tianshu Wang, University of California, Berkeley; David Vartanyan, University of Idaho; ALCF Visualization Team, Argonne National Laboratory

Rotation influences massive stellar outflows, Yan-Fei Jian, Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute; Lars Bildsten, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara; Argonne Leadership Computing Facility Visualization Team, Argonne National Laboratory

Polar jets drive a stellar explosion, Adam Burrows, Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University; Tianshu Wang, University of California, Berkeley; David Vartanyan, University of Idaho; ALCF Visualization Team, Argonne National Laboratory

A black hole feeds and launches jets, Lizhong Zhang, Christopher White, Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute; Kyle Felker, AthenaK Development Team, ALCF Visualization Team, Argonne National Laboratory

Gas temperatures reveal the cosmic web, The Hardware/Hybrid Accelerated Cosmology Code (HACC) Collaboration, Argonne National Laboratory; Argonne Leadership Computing Facility Visualization Team, Argonne National Laboratory

Gravity assembles a dark matter halo, The Hardware/Hybrid Accelerated Cosmology Code (HACC) Collaboration, Argonne National Laboratory; Argonne Leadership Computing Facility Visualization Team, Argonne National Laboratory

Helium opacity drives massive-star outbursts, Yan-Fei Jian, Matteo Cantiello, Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute; Lars Bildsten, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara; Omer Blaes, Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara; Eliot Quataert, Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley; James Stone, Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University; Argonne Leadership Computing Facility Visualization Team, Argonne National Laboratory