After my 2018 Art Looking at People post I’ve decided to go ahead and continue the series. The album includes some of the creative looks found while visiting the Frieze Art Fair. After all, artworks need a good view too, right? Below is a slideshow of some of my faves. This year I also added a voting form (below), let me know which photo you liked the most! ^_^
Digital Innovation in Art nominee: Cultural Heritage Project Scan the World /
Both companies and individuals submitted numerous applications for the Digital Innovation in Art award, supported by .ART for the third year. The Award recognises the innovators in the art industry that are using digital technology to push the traditional boundaries of the art market. This year’s awards ceremony will take place on October 3rd in London and in the meantime, a series of interviews were conducted with the shortlisted candidates.
Jonathan Beck is the Founder of an online cultural heritage project Scan the World, an initiative that archives objects of cultural significance using 3D scanning technologies. Since its inception in 2014, the platform has created over 16,000 downloadable artefacts and received over 60 million views to its page. Every day about 4000 enthusiasts, researchers, students and hobbyists download an object to print at home or use for research purposes
“Initially, Scan The World started as an art project… the idea of community and open sharing appealed to me” says Jon, as he found himself getting further into using technology to democratize the arts. To create the first models, he would simply show up at museums and take as many photos of sculptures as he could before being noticed. These photographs would be combined (using photogrammetry technique) and used to create digital copies of the objects. Since then, the relationship with museums has grown into formal partnerships.
“When asked about the direction he would like to take forward Jon doesn’t wait too long to respond, he answers “to make every object as discoverable as possible.”
Recently, The Victoria and Albert Museum has commissioned two 3D printed sculptures to mark the reopening of its Cast Courts. The notable two halls host reproductions of some of the most famous sculptures in the world and now 3D printed pieces became a part of it. Apart from V&A, Jon is also working with over 50 institutions to make their collections accessible through Scan The World. “The project looped my interest across cultural heritage, identity, global heritage and the Internet” he comments.
Read the full interview on art.art/blog
Read more about the award here
2000 Recycled HONOR Smartphones Power Art at H Queen's Hong Kong /
Red Hong Yi Does Digital Art
HONOR’s “Artology”: Explore Art & Technology with Youth
The Huawei Group smartphone e-brand HONOR is making its way into the art world in style. The company has partnered with Red Hong Yi, a Shanghai-based artist recently listed by Sotheby’s Institute as 11 Art World Entrepreneurs of 2018 and one of the Top Female Asian Artists by the Artling. For her partnership with HONOR the artist will present an exclusive work comprised of approximately 2000 pieces of recycled glass backs from HONOR's flagship collection. The piece, titled “Aurora”, will make its appearance at H Queen’s on 11th of December.
“I am very honoured to be entrusted with a project of this scale. When I first saw the smartphone glass back, I was captivated by the array of hues that bounced off the surface. It reminds me of the aurora borealis phenomenon. Honor has invested heavily into its design and it is the unique quality of this material that allowed us to create this giant chandelier, inspired by the aurora. I'm thrilled to have this opportunity to create modern art that uses cutting edge technology,” commented Red Hong Yi.
Known for using bulk materials to create art installations, Red has already collaborated with names such as Facebook, Gucci and Mandarin Oriental as well as was featured in the JP Morgan Chase commercial and created a Google Doodle for Malaysia Independence Day. Creativity in the use of media flows through every project. For Facebook, the artist used 15,000 chopsticks to create a mural on the 10m long wall in their Singapore office; while with Gucci it has been a selection of dried flowers and leaves that were used as tools to create a Tian-inspired image of a bird with a blossom next to it.
Launched 5 years ago with the mission to “meet the needs of digital natives”, HONOR has been embracing the creativity of its millennial audience. Earlier in the year they launched a global campaign that featured Clara Bacou, a UK-based digital artist (Reel Here). With the upcoming Artology show and also their collaboration with National Geographic and photographer Robbie Shone it is exciting to see what future initiatives will the company undertake.
The choice of premises to host the show comes also as no surprise. Having launched just over a year ago, H Queen’s has already become Hong Kong’s hub for worlds leading galleries including Hauser & Wirth, Pace Gallery and Seoul Auction house SA+ among others. For Red this will be another notable presence following her exhibitions at the World Economic Forum, Design Miami and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. Meanwhile for HONOR, Artology marks a first physical presence at a leading art venue. It may mark one of many company’s involvements within the art market while positioning itself at the confluence of art and technology.
All Images Courtesy of the Artist and HONOR
HKing & Baseling /
3 Long Days at the Harbour
It hasn’t even been a week since the 4th edition of Art Basel Hong Kong ended and the dates for 2019 are already live on on the website. Recollecting my experience there are many highlights coming to mind. The significance of this edition has been heralded by a series of major art dealers opening their first Hong Kong spaces leading up to the Fair. H Queens new skyscraper located right in the centre of Hong Kong with their 5 metre ceilings offered the perfect conditions for this as well. Prior to the official opening in late 2017, H Queens hosted a public art programme “Time + Scale" on its ground premises and a digital art project “Voyages” showcasing video installations on the high street by artist collective teamLab (<3), Inci Eviner, Zhao Zhao and Sputniko!. These efforts have been all a part of the centre’s mission to position itself as transforming the cultural dynamic right in the heart of Central. Players such as David Zwirner, Galerie Ora-Ora, Hauser & Wirth, Pace Gallery, Pearl Lam Galleries, Tang Contemporary Art, Whitestone Gallery and SA+, the private sale gallery of Seoul Auction were already fully packed when I had the chance to come by and explore. On the ground floor I also noticed a “Coming soon” sign of La Petite Maison, warming the crowds for its first location in Asia.
Elevator at H Queens. Yoshitomo Nara @Pace Gallery. Mark Bradford @Hauser&Wirth. Entrance to SA+, Yayoi Kusama @SA+.
Making a 10minute walk from H Queens also led me to the Pedder Building, a historic construction much less flashy from the sidewalk. Exactly this space was the predecessor welcoming first western big names to central including Gagosian and Lehmann Maupin. Yet the FT describes "Its other tenants — including a toy shop, musty cigar seller and range of small fashion outlets — make for a quirky experience, but not necessarily one suited to an aspirational art crowd.”. Perhaps if they also had a major PR agency on a payroll the sentiments would’ve differed. Personally, I enjoyed both and Lehmann Maupin’s solo show of OSGEMEOS stood out as much as the sold out show at Hauser & Wirth.
Staircase at the Pedder Building. OSGEMEOS works @LehmannMaupin.
At the fair I pushed through the jet lag to make sure and attend as many talks as possible. Organizers made a fantastic job pulling together speakers on a range of topics. Kick-starting on Wednesday was cultural economist Dr Clare McAndrew with an overview of key findings in the latest UBS x Art Basel report. I have long been fond of her reports previously published under the aegis of TEFAF. Not an easy task putting the opaque art market within a framework. Among my other favourite conversations was the Museum Talk moderated by Andras Szanto with notable arts professionals as Frances Morris, Director, Tate Modern, Wallis Annenberg Director, LACMA among others (Watch here). The Artist talk “Bodies in Practice: On Figures and Figuration” has also stirred some discussion after the arrival of Antony Gormley (Watch here).
Artist Talk | Bodies in Practice: On Figures and Figuration. Donna Huanca, Artist, Berlin Antony Gormley, Artist. Melati Suryodarmo, Artist, and Artistic Director, Jakarta Biennale 2017. Xavier Cha, Artist. Moderated by Qinyi Lim, Curator, National Gallery Singapore.
Overall it feels that Hong Kong, despite the complementary jet lags, offers a breath of fresh air (in a very metaphorical way, of course). It's an entrance to the Asian market and as more galleries open their spaces in the city the confidence only grows for more players to join in. Very curious to see the market performance next year and the effects of the 2019 opening of the M+ Museum.