What to Check Out at the 2022 Digital Art Fair Asia

Digital Art Fair Asia 2022 (DAFA) is coming back this year after leaving a strong impression from their successful launch in 2021. This October, the Xperience show will transform the 20,000-square-foot Asia Standard Tower to an interactive Web 3.0 haven, set to showcase thousands of digital artwork pieces through physical, digital display, and virtual realities in the metaverse.  

“Rhapsody of Art” brings together other-worldly images and vibrant clashes of colour to invoke rapturous emotions about the spontaneity of digital culture through this exploratory collection of diverse pieces.

The 2022 DAFA will feature five main zones that each bring a unique multisensory experience. While the artist lineup has not yet been completed, a few galleries and artists have been officially announced on DAFA’s social media platforms. The Beat Asia has chosen a few artists that we’re excited for this October, and this list will only continue to grow as announcements are made in real-time. Read on to check out our full guide on what to see and do at the 2022 Digital Art Fair in Hong Kong.  

When: Oct. 20-Nov. 6 

Where: G/F & 1/F, Asia Standard Tower, 59-65 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong

How much: General admission tickets start from HK$280, click he re to buy tickets. 

Immersive Zone  

The Immersive Zone is dedicated to the experience and appreciation of art by harnessing technologies such as holography, digital projection, and virtual reality. With the Xperience show, you step into the world of London-based contemporary pop artist Jacky Tsai and become a protagonist within it.  

Jacky Tsai is known for his witty interplay of traditional eastern art and imagery with western pop culture references. Notable works include the floral skull emblem for Alexander McQueen, and Parody of Jay’s Music commissioned by Jay Chou. In 2021, Tsai sold an NFT piece titled “China Floral Skull” for US$302,400 at Sotheby’s by auction.  

Other artists included in the “Immersive Zone” are internationally renowned Anothermountainman, Victor Wong, Henry Chu, Monoc, ManKind, and Fewocious.

Prestige Zone  

The Prestige Zone displays world-class digital artwork and artists presented by renowned galleries, institutions, and digital art projects. These include veteran artists, fast rising independent creators, as well as younger galleries making new waves. This is where you’ll find international artists supported by affiliate galleries that you can keep up with long after the exhibition has passed. Get a head start and follow these galleries and artists before you see their art in person! 

Curator Style is an art gallery that deals with unconventional modern pieces from all over the globe. This year, Curator Style spotlights contemporary Cypriot artist Andreas Stylianou at the Prestige Zone with his distinctive meme-inspired, colourful cartoonish style. His work has been featured across the world, from London, Hong Kong, Italy, the U.S., and his hometown in Cyprus. His work captures the eyes of many because biographical narratives are expressed through popular characters, resulting in a wonderful mash of strong defined lines and shapes that seem strangely familiar.

Check out THE SHOPHOUSE gallery for a social and cultural curation of contemporary life by cross-field artists.  This year, Hong Kong-born artist Wing Shya is collaborating with Tokyo-based artist YOSHIROTTEN to bring you “Cityscape Resolution,” featuring print and video works of the latter reworked by the former’s photography. For YOSHIROTTEN, Shya’s photography seemed to capture the city of Hong Kong as a collection of raw emotion, which he highlights by playing with the resolution of the images.

Since its inception in 2013, Unit London has established itself as a global platform that pushes cultivation of art on a transparent and meritocratic basis – valuing equity, innovation, and accessibility. In its mission to diversify the art industry, Unit London is synonymous with a pioneering use of digital content, acting as a platform to connect physical and virtual spheres of the modern experience. You can definitely count on Unit London to spotlight artists doing something new with technology.

Max Estrella opened its doors in 1994 with the vision to present emerging and consolidated artists from Spain to the greater art world. With a focus on new technologies and collaborative efforts, Max Estrella aims to edge the balance between innovation and exceptional technique, which will lead to provoking discourse. From the other end of the world, broaden your art knowledge and appreciate the local Spanish art through Max Estrella.

Pioneer Zone  

Digital Art Fair’s Pioneer Zone aims to provide a platform to uplift up-and-coming digital artists who want to stake their name in the digital art sand to expand their outreach and careers. Boundless ambition drives these artists, putting a spin on their own pieces to change the digital art space as we know it.  

U.K.-based mixed media artist Nygilia McClain blends 2D and 3D elements across mediums, expressing stories of empathy, representation, and Afrofuturism. She also draws inspiration from RPG games such as Final Fantasy, evidenced by her fantastical character and world building.

Hong Kong-based digital artist moon.noon will showcase his generative audiovisual creations, taking his lived experiences such as music, time, places, and our senses to weave them into one abstract sensory vignettes. His art is a curious blend and rework of cubiart and 3D pixel rendering, as if you had just been plopped into a cyberworld built on the internet.

David Leung is another Hong Kong-based artist and photographer doing interesting things with asymmetrical symmetry. With his background in branding, digital innovation, and food photography, his use of symmetry transforms day-to-day snacks and feasts into beasts of their own. His work elicits a sense of familiarity, but also a sense of whimsy, humour, and curiosity.

Aesthetics of the sublime and the transcendent explored by American media artist Nick Teeple help visualise and interpret the conceptual complexity of what “awe” is. His use of digital and physical media challenges viewers’ assumptions and stimulates deeper conversations between the viewer and the art.

Bringing in some pop surrealism funk is digital artist and photographer Andrew Soria, based in Los Angeles, California. His surrealism cityscapes, taken through the lens of his camera, strive to capture the city’s distinct spirit. Architecture, pop-culture references, and a little humour go a long way for Andrew and his viewers.

Twins Lisa and Licca Inn are Hong Kong-based Japanese 3D artists looking to explore human form and cultural identities through distinct digital renderings of avatars, digital garment designs, and environment modelling. The glassy reflective sheen on their uniquely detailed digital avatars brings them to life, regardless of which style or direction these talented artists decide to go with.

South Korean digital artist Kyeong Taek Kook is known for his out-of-this-world creatures, which explore the unknown universe. With his extensive background in art study and visual design, Kyeong takes the fiction out of sci-fi. In the subtleties of his work, you can see how these enigmatic ETs represent human history and reflect the very human emotions we all share.

Inspire Zone  

The Inspire Zone is dedicated to industry leaders on the frontlines of digital art, crypto, and finance and technology to bring you their first-hand knowledge on a wide range of topics through Web 3.0 and webinars. Full line-up to come out soon.

Virtual Zone  

Brimming with virtual reality, augmented reality, and games, the Virtual Zone brings on an exciting spectrum of virtual experiences for guests to walk through.  

Gusto Collective, Asia’s first brand tech group, will spotlight their transcendental technology through virtual and augmented reality content and experiences. Through their knowledge of Web 3.0, Gusto Collective uses NFTs, games, and experiences to power a new form of storytelling.

The Sandbox’s Index Game will also be featured in the Virtual Zone, with their signature pixelized gaming world, where players can build, own, and monetise their gaming experience. This community-based game allows users to explore the possibilities of a metaverse, including land ownership and monetisation.

The Xperience Art Project

Finally, the Xperience show invites viewers to join in on the fun by co-creating unique and personalised AI generative artworks and NFTs with other artists and visitors. These artworks, created by you, will be displayed on Queen’s Road Central as part of a public art installation.  

Digital Art Fair Founder and Global Fair Director Gillian Howards says, “We see that digital art has become increasingly popular among the young audience, with many wishing to make their own NFT. Through this public art installation, we hope to push the boundaries and connect art lovers and digital artists with this art making experience, continuing our vision of advancing art and culture with technology. We look forward to welcoming our audience at Digital Art Fair Xperience Hong Kong 2022 in October.”