Olafur Eliasson artwork set to turn London’s Piccadilly Circus into a blur
From The Guardian
Icelandic-Danish artist’s latest work, Lifeworld, will take over famous advertising screens in October
The huge digital billboards that encircle Piccadilly Circus are some of the most sought-after advertising real estate in Europe, beaming thousands of crystal-clear messages in the direction of tourists and Londoners every year.
But in early October the Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson’s latest work will take over the screens and attempt to slow things down, swapping high-definition adverts for a blurry, reflective video piece called Lifeworld.
“Unlike what is on the screen normally, which is a highly unblurred, exceptionally optimised use of every pixel to capitalise on the money you pay for this exposure,” Eliasson says from his Berlin base, “here we are letting the pixels drift, there’s uncertainty at hand.”
How Galleries Like Thaddaeus Ropac and P·P·O·W Use Branding to Tell Their Stories
From Artsy
In a cultural landscape where a shade of neon green can define the energy of a summer—and even leak into a presidential election—a nuanced visual identity is essential for any brand. And in an art world that is both flashy and mysterious, striking the right visual chord is a subtle and delicate act.
Mega-gallerist Thaddaeus Ropac explains the effort as “finding a balance between people being able to identify us easily and the associations that accompany this recognition, while having the flexibility to adapt according to each location.”
Every gallery starts with an idea, a vision that first starts in the founder’s imagination. The challenge for any budding gallerist is to translate this ambition into a space that continually operates deliberate programming that preserves a perpetually relevant and sharp brand identity. From blue-chip to emerging, each gallery braves the obstacles through its own fiscal and imaginative limitations, as well as the founder’s distinctive taste palette.
Gulf Investment Grows
From Artnet
Christie’s has announced it is expanding its presence in the Middle East with an outpost in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund has invested $1 billion into Sotheby’s and mega collector Leon Black, former board chair of MoMA, has opened a new office in the region.
Also in this episode, we discuss why Sotheby’s shifted their autumn Hong Kong sale dates. Plus, what we know about a new art fair that will launch in India, and more essential industry news brought to you by podcast host, Margaret Carrigan, executive producer, Sonia Manalili, and the editors of Artnet PRO.
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