Escape Pod by Jonathan Monaghan. Powered by Niio.Art

Samsung Electronics is today announcing its partnership with Niio.Art, a US-based company that offers access to the highest quality digital art from thousands of leading contemporary artists and galleries. This collaboration pairs Samsung’s top-tier displays with Niio.Art, the world’s leading digital art platform, and thus realises best-in-class presentation of premium digital artworks.

Until recently, the world lacked a comprehensive solution for displaying multi-format, rights- managed digital art that was made to be viewed on a screen. Samsung’s new partnership allows users of Tizen-enabled Samsung commercial displays to subscribe to pre-curated art programs, purchase individual pieces or even upload their own art, simply by downloading the Niio.Art player app.

Cezanne Unfixed by Joe Hamilton. Powered by Niio.Art

By engaging viewers with meaningful and eye-catching digital art, the partnership between Samsung and Niio.Art is set to inspire people in new ways. The collaboration establishes a versatile platform through which users can quickly and easily elevate the design of any space – from corporate and retail spaces to food & beverage, hospitality and healthcare providers and luxury homes.

Camouflage by Quayola. Powered by Niio.Art (top left) / Cezanne Unfixed by Joe Hamilton. Powered by Niio.Art (top right) / Walking Seasons by Alex McLeod. Powered by Niio.Art (Bottom left) / Streams of Flowers Set No. 2 by Ronen Tanchum. Powered by Niio.Art (Bottom right)

“Samsung is constantly looking for new ways to allow businesses to engage customers while remaining true to their core values,” said Hyesung Ha, Senior Vice President of Samsung’s Visual Display Business. “Whether it be a corporate meeting room, hotel lobby or retail store, this partnership with Niio.Art will allow users to transform their spaces with stunning, versatile digital canvases that display the very best in digital art.”

Niio.Art believes that everywhere there is a screen, there is an opportunity for art to move people. The Niio.Art platform features more than 15,000 artworks by 6,000 different artists and galleries from across 82 countries. It permits artists to upload, manage and self-publish pieces of digital art that consumers can then access in their own curated discovery areas and view on anything from a 100-inch screen to a one-inch digital watch. Niio markets directly to individuals who are seeking new experiences, and businesses and municipalities who want to transform their spaces.

“There is a global explosion of interest in the power of experiencing art digitally. Niio’s partnership with Samsung will enable millions to be uplifted by the presence of our 6,000-plus artists on their stunning, high-resolution displays” said Rob Anders, CEO of Niio. “Artists know that we are a trusted platform that represents their interests, which assures that we will always be able to connect the world to the very best creations of the artistic imagination.  

The Niio.Art Offering will be showcased on Samsung displays across global showrooms and at select exhibitions.

To learn more about the partnership between Samsung and Niio.Art, please visit: http://displaysolutions.samsung.com/partners/strategic-partners/niio.

▲ An example of the Samsung x Niio partnership in a hotel lobby (No Longer Dead by Jonathan Monaghan, Found Rock, Taliesin West #44, Float by Dev Harlan)

▲ Aucuba Expanded by Pascual Sisto. Powered by Niio.Art

“It is an honor to be selected by Samsung and Niio for this competition and I appreciate the recognition. With the time, energy and research spent producing these works, it is rewarding to have the opportunity to share them with a global audience on such a unique platform. Samsung’s The Wall technology and Niio’s international network create a fantastic digital showcase for artists across the world. I am proud to be part of that community and excited to see what comes next,” said Dev Harlan.

The winning artwork was created to demonstrate the invisible forces that compel large boulders to collide in a desert garden, which formed part of a series reflecting on the surreal and sublime aspects of natural geology throughout the solar system. Each animated short film depicts a stone sculpture garden set on the surface of Mars, apparently defying the laws of physics. The boulders in this particular piece of art were found on a remote hiking trail in Joshua Tree National Park, while the animation is set in a Martian terrain site near Gale Crater, currently being explored by the NASA Curiosity Rover. Digital elevation data was obtained courtesy of the Martian MRO/HiRise satellite program managed by NASA, JPL and the University of Arizona.

In second place for the open call competition were Ohad Benit and Roni Azgad, Tel-Aviv-based artists who crafted ‘Ho Me’, a short video exploring the relationship between man and machine, between computer manipulations and their creators. This piece of art evokes the feeling of staring and not being able to tear our eyes away from something beautiful and disturbing at the same time, highlighting humans’ dialectical relationship with the technology that enables us to behold such beauty but at times can cause us to lose contact.

Finally, Alex McLeod, a Toronto-based visual artist who creates work about interconnection, life’s cycles, and empathy through the computer as a medium, claimed third place. His moving image artwork, ‘The Gallery’ allows the viewer to experience an environment that at first appears as an art exhibition; however, the pace and audio cues reveal that there is something else on display.

“We are delighted to announce the winner of our open call competition in collaboration with Niio, showcasing outstanding talent in moving image art,” said Hyesung Ha, Senior Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung is committed to visual display in all forms, while also supporting creativity and the arts. This competition demonstrates just that, with these carefully selected winners now set to be displayed on our awe-inspiring LED ‘digital canvas’ screen, The Wall, bringing to life every detail of vivid and vibrant imagery.”

“The winning entry, runners up and every submission we received demonstrate the popularity and high quality of the digital medium in modern art. We are proud to work with Samsung to ensure these works of art are showcased on the world’s most prestigious display, The Wall, to get the attention they deserve,” said Rob Anders, CEO of Niio. “We are excited to see what’s next for the winners and how we can continue to inspire and connect people across the world through meaningful digital art experiences.”

The winning artwork, along with second and third place, will be exhibited at The Wall showcase locations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Thailand, and Korea. Each piece of art will be brought to life on Samsung’s The Wall, the highest quality, large modular LED digital art canvas.

To learn more about and preview winning and shortlisted artworks, visit https://www.niio.com/get/the-wall-open-call-winners.

Now available globally, The Wall represents the latest application of Samsung’s modular LED technology which can be tailored to any size and aspect ratio, immediately enhancing the aesthetic of any space. To learn more about The Wall, please visit https://displaysolutions.samsung.com/led-signage/the-wall.

About Niio

Niio is reimagining the way humans interact with art in their everyday lives. Underpinned by a robust technology platform that powers the ‘digital art’ ecosystem, Niio has amassed a global community of leading artists, galleries and institutions who store and publish the largest catalogue of the finest moving image art in one place. By enabling seamless access to premium digital art on any screen, anywhere, Niio is unlocking an entirely new form of media consumption: digital art, on demand.

London, UK – 30^th January, 2020 – Samsung Electronics is today announcing the launch of an open call global competition in collaboration with Niio, a premium platform for new media art. Now open for entries from nascent, emerging and established artists, the Samsung The Wall x Niio Art Awards aims to discover the most inspiring digital art from around the world. Entrants will compete for a chance to be exhibited internationally on Samsung’s The Wall, the highest quality, large form factor 4K Micro LED digital art canvas, and qualify for up to $15,000 in cash prizes. The competition will culminate in summer exhibitions at ten showcase locations around the World.

The first-prize winner of the competition will be invited to attend the unveiling event of their winning entry at Samsung’s The Wall showroom in May. All winners will be selected by a panel of renowned experts in visual art. When assessing each submission, the judges will be looking for artworks that display artistic and conceptual excellence, including creativity, originality and detail. 

“Samsung is always exploring new ways to make premium content as impactful as possible and take users’ experience to the next level,” said Hyesung Ha, Senior Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “This open call, in partnership with Niio Art and its global community of leading artists, celebrates the latest and greatest talent in digital art and provides the art community a meaningful platform on which its artistic creations can be showcased. The competition will also play a major role in heralding the next generation of display experiences – all brought to life on the awe-inspiring The Wall.” 

“In today’s connected world, artists rely on digital tools to tell their stories. We are thrilled to partner with Samsung to offer artists everywhere a chance to share their creations on the most iconic and exquisite large-scale canvas there is,” said Rob Anders, CEO of Niio. “Moreover, our plans for the synchronised, global unveiling of the winning artworks in May will change the way digital art is experienced in the world.”

Niio inspires people everywhere by providing seamless access to premium video and new media art through its state-of-the-art technology and curated distribution platform. Niio’s platform now empowers a growing network of over 4,000 artists and art partners from over 70 countries to self-publish media art; the published artwork can then be borrowed or acquired to be viewed on high quality connected display devices anywhere in the world.

Now available globally, The Wall represents the latest application of Samsung’s modular MicroLED technology which can be custom-tailored to any size and aspect ratio, immediately enhancing the aesthetic of any space.

To learn more about the open call, artists can visit https://www.niio.com/get/the-wall-open-call/ and enter their artwork, as well as find submission details, specification requirements, rules, important dates and prizes. And to discover The Wall, please visit: https://displaysolutions.samsung.com/led-signage/the-wall.