Interview with Francisco Ricafort, Head of Operations for Digital Art Fair Asia 2022
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Digital Art Fair Asia 2022, Hong Kong’s largest physical and online new media art fair, is set for a return to the city between late October and early November , previewing local and international digital artists, as well as contemporary art and NFT collections.
Taking place from Oct. 20 to Nov. 6 in Central, the digital exhibition’s second year in running will be held in a 20,000-square-foot venue in Queen’s Road Central, encompassing a world-class line-up of immersive art installations, augmented reality exhibitions, virtual reality shows, education of blockchain technology, metaverse, and NFTs.
Ahead of the exhibition, The Beat Asia quizzed head of operations of Digital Art Fair Asia, Hong Kong’s marketing and F&B guru Francisco Ricafort about his involvement in the city’s first NFT-metaverse-focused art fair and the future of art in the digital age.
With a background in PR, marketing, and sales, where does your experience come in to drive Hong Kong's first Web 3.0-focused art fair?
“The 15 years working in the food and beverage field and event spaces prepared me well for this job. Our founders are very established in the art scene and have great vision for advancing art and culture with technology. The inaugural Digital Art Fair is the first ever Web 3.0 fine art fair in the region so there were no examples to look at. This is where my experience operating events came into help.”
“It feels really amazing leading the team to bring to life this trendsetting high-tech fine art fair. In return, my knowledge in digital art and Web 3.0 grows being around the art and tech community and I am very grateful for the opportunity to work with such a talented team. Together we will make Digital Art Fair Xperience Hong Kong 2022 this October the best high-tech fine art show in town!”
What does the Digital Art Fair Asia mean for fine art and the growth of Web 3.0 in the city, region, and worldwide?
“Recently, we are seeing a lot more art shows created with immersive technologies, which were almost unheard of in Hong Kong before the inaugural Digital Art Fair in 2021. I would say we are definitely the trendsetter and pioneer bringing digital art to the physical world.”
“Moving forward, our plan is to bring the traditional art gallerists and collectors onboard this digital art journey. Traditional fine art galleries undoubtedly have quality artworks and connections with the world’s best artists.”
“However, the world is moving into the digital era and our founders observed that the traditional art world is losing touch with the younger audience. Digital Art Fair is here to guide them into the digital art world. Meanwhile, we are also providing a platform for the up-and-coming artists, who sometimes struggle to get represented by traditional galleries.”
Why is it necessary to educate and inspire the next generation with a new direction for art in the future?
“The younger generation are digital natives. If we want to bring art back to the younger generation, we have to use their language. Therefore, it is important to foster sustainable development of the art market into the digital era and co-create a better ecosystem for the future of the fine art world.”
“This is why we put a lot of effort in educating and inspiring the next generation, giving opportunities for pioneering artists to shine and organising panel discussions gathering brilliant minds to share with our community their insights in digital art and Web 3.0 developments.”
What partners, art exhibitors, artists, and groups will you be spotlighting at the event in October?
“What makes us different from other art fairs is that we are grown in Hong Kong and we aspire to celebrate Hong Kong and Asian culture. At Digital Art Fair Xperience Hong Kong 2022 this October, our signature Immersive Zone is featuring London-based Chinese artist Jacky Tsai, renowned for his interplay of Chinese and Western cultures.”
“Come and join us to experience the world’s leading Chinese contemporary pop artist’s works presented with immersive technologies. Also, stay tuned for more exciting announcements on Digital Art Fair’s first digital art public [installation] “The Xperience Art Project’’.”
What do you hope for the future for fine art and Web 3.0 in Hong Kong?
“Hong Kong has always been the Art Hub of Asia, with some of the world’s best galleries and international auction houses still expanding in the city. With more and more pioneering Art Tech companies and key players like us and Animoca and Sandbox going big in the field, we are confident for the future of Web 3.0 and fine art in Hong Kong.”
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