JOHALLA PROJECTS

art curatorial collective






845 Madison
The Porte

Working closely with GREC architects, Johalla Project developed and installed a Chicago focused art collection at 845 Madison, a mix-used commercial and residential building. Pushing the boundaries of how art fits into everyday life, this collection celebrates a range of mediums, disciplines, and styles and can be found throughout the building.

We commissioned three artists to produce works for the common entrance area of 845 Madison. In the management office, Sam Nigrosh created a mixed-media wall-hanging piece and in the mailroom, Jane Georges tapped into the theme of the space with her postcard installation. Artist Cody Hudson added a sculptural element to the building with his freestanding yellow three-dimensional reproduction of New York artist Kate McQuillen’s work.

In The Porte, we curated a salon wall incorporating artists Holly Murkerson, Soo Shin, Diana Gabriel, Alan Biltereyst, and James Jankowiak into one display. We placed additional artworks within The Port by artists Gina Hunt, Sarah Leuchtner and Emmy Star Brown, and Cassie Tompkins.

Moving from the common areas to the individual spaces, we were invited by 845 Madison to curate a collection of art specifically for the model rooms. Each room has a distinctly designed character with artworks by Sonja Thompsen, Jeremy Bolen, Studio Herron, Sonnenzimmer, Robert Clark Davis, lefty, and a unique lamp by Ron Copeland, and lefty. 

We co-curated with GREC architects the custom shelving area in The Porte’s live/work space. The installation combines modern sentiment with a contemporary voice by mixing two dimensional artworks with sculptures, vintage pieces, Chicago’s music history, and bespoke objects.

From large-scale sculpture to small scale works on paper, the collection at 845 Madison transforms the building into a cohesive visual experience of Chicago history, contemporary art, and creative expression.