Based in Shanghai, island6 calls themselves an ‘art collective‘ – a team of experimental, tech-savvy geeks and gals that overlap traditional Chinese art and interactive media. The result: Just incredible! The pieces primarily involve two aspects: a traditional art form (whether it be a painting, a drawing – define traditional how you like) and then the other is electronics, all different types. Most of the artworks incorporate LED lighting to create beautiful moving images layered on top.
One of their most recent exhibitions, ‘Silk to Bitcoin‘, was a refreshing look into globalization and the interconnectedness of the world today. On one hand, island6 presents us with the need to connect to the past – we see black and white images of the Forbidden City and beautiful Chinese vases. But in the modern day, technology disconnects us from the past – we get distracted by the LED lights. Sure, we need to hold onto the past, but if this is where art is leading us, we can’t wait to follow.
Although the collective started in 2006, island6 is rapidly branching out worldwide. Currently, they have representative galleries in New York City, Sydney, New Zealand and Singapore.
island6: WEBSITE
Images courtesy of Island6 Art Collective
