Let's get digital

Asia's first digital art fair in a physical space returned to Hong Kong last week with its second edition, providing a platform for envelope-pushing creators. Gennady Oreshkin reports.

The digital art sector has grown severalfold globally since Beeple sold his first NFT for $69 million in March 2021. And Hong Kong is no exception. The buzz generated by Digital Art Fair Xperience (called Digital Art Fair Asia in its 2021 maiden edition), which opened in Hong Kong last week, is a testament to this robust growth. It features works by some of the hottest names in the art world, from stalwarts Damien Hirst, Wing Shya and Beeple to Jacky Tsai — who is the fair's "Digital Artist of the Year" — and up-and-comers Frank Nitty 3000, "virtual influencer" MonoC and Shavonne Wong.

Gillian Howard, the event's founder and global fair director, describes it as part of a new generation of art fairs making art accessible through technology. While last year's fair was mainly focused on NFTs, photo manipulations and immersive art, this year sees the emergence of three exciting new fields: programmable, interactive and generative art.