Redefining the paradigm of art appreciation and consumption – Samsung Global Newsroom

There are no clear-cut answers when looking at art. Each work evokes different emotions and triggers different reactions. However, the context of the artist or the artwork that inspired them can deepen understanding – allowing people to appreciate art on a whole new level.

▲ Since 2021, Samsung Newsroom has interviewed 35 artists and organizations collaborating with the Samsung Art Store

Samsung’s art subscription service has brought once distant and inaccessible art into the comfort and intimacy of one’s home via the company’s lifestyle television, The Frame. Samsung Art Store has been praised for creating a new paradigm in art consumption by overcoming the physical limitations of traditional art exhibitions and transforming living spaces into galleries.

Subscribers have access to over 2,500 works of art in 4K resolution, from photographs and illustrations to masterpieces from renowned galleries and museums.

Starting in 2021, Samsung Newsroom shed light on the stories behind these artworks through interviews with artists and representatives from partner art organizations. This initiative aimed to enhance the art experience by conveying each artist’s methods and motivations. Samsung Newsroom revisited the past three years with Samsung Art Store, a digital curator that enriches daily life with art.

35 Samsung Art Store partners and 35 different perspectives

Samsung Newsroom interviewed a total of 35 artists from the Samsung Art Store. From the 2,500 available artworks, collections were created based on seasons or collaboration milestones. Artists and partnership representatives were then selected for interviews with these thematic compilations in mind.

The interviews offered Samsung Art Store subscribers a deeper understanding of the art by providing otherwise rarely accessible details about each artist’s life and values. Saya Woolfalk is an artist whose personal story shapes her creativity.

▲ (From left) Saya Woolfalk and “Sassafras” (2021)

Woolfalk uses a variety of media, including textiles and a combination of traditional and digital printing techniques. In her interview, she spoke about how her unique upbringing has significantly shaped her creative world. Woolfalk was born and raised in New York and spoke of summers spent with her maternal grandmother in Gifu, Japan. Some of her textile collages were inspired by these experiences.

▲ (From left) Serge Hamad and “Beach #4” (2011)

Serge Hamad, the most recent interviewee, is another artist whose upbringing is clearly reflected in his work. Inspired by the Mediterranean coast where he was born and raised, the series “Relax” marked his debut in fine art photography. In his interview, Hamad spoke about how his multicultural North African and Western background influences his artistic vision.

▲ (From left) Natasha Durley and “As Mad as a March Hare” (2021)

The interviews also featured lesser-known artists. Natasha Durley creates vibrant, colorful illustrations inspired by her passion for animals and nature. She even follows biologists on social media for inspiration. In her interview, she revealed that she worked in a call center before pursuing her dream of becoming an artist.

Durley said a portion of the proceeds from the collaboration will go to a biodiversity conservation nonprofit, highlighting the Samsung Art Store’s positive impact on the broader ecosystem.

A digital curator that connects artists and audiences around the world

Samsung Art Store is building an extensive global portfolio of masterpieces that includes artists from different cultural backgrounds and artworks of various styles. Through interviews with partner representatives from prestigious museums and galleries around the world, Samsung Newsroom offered Samsung Art Store subscribers behind-the-scenes stories of famous works and tips for deeper appreciation.

▲ “Circus Sideshow (Parade de Cirque)” (1878-88) by Georges Seurat from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Viewing historical paintings in digital form can open up new perspectives. Stephen Mannello, director of retail and licensing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met), recommended Georges Seurat’s “Circus Sideshow” as a particularly interesting work for display on The Frame. Other popular works from the Met’s collection include works by Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cézanne, which convey the timeless impact of art in different eras and spaces.

▲ “Sunflowers” ​​(1889) by Vincent van Gogh from the Van Gogh Museum

Modern art is characterized by artists’ innovative expressions and interpretations that redefine the art world and encompass a spectrum of art styles spanning different eras and fields. Samsung Newsroom showcased some of the best modern and contemporary artists who transcend both time and form – from Vincent van Gogh, who ushered in the beginning of modern art, to Aerosyn-Lex Mestrovic, who is known in various media such as fashion, film and live art performances.

▲ “VERSALIS DRIP MMXXII” (2022) by Aerosyn-Lex Mestrovic

Aerosyn-Lex Mestrovic is a well-known multidisciplinary artist known for his striking and emotive works. His works have been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the White House. In his interview last year, he explained his signature ethereal ink painting technique and his representative work “VERSALIS DRIP MMXXII”. In addition, Mestrovic recommended his favorite works, which are available at the Samsung Art Store, for those who are not familiar with modern art.

To broaden the artistic horizons of Samsung Art Store subscribers, Samsung Newsroom featured a diverse range of photographic artworks – from black-and-white photos to aerial shots from unusual angles – along with stories from the artists about their creation.

▲ “Vortex” (2009) by Wolf Ademeit

Wolf Ademeit, a photographer known for his black and white wildlife photographs, emphasized in his interview the importance of luck in wildlife photography. To capture “Vortex,” he visited the zoo repeatedly for months until the zebra posed perfectly for the shot. Such anecdotes allowed Samsung Art Store subscribers to appreciate even more the value and effort that went into Ademeit’s work.

▲ “Red Dunes” (2021) by Palani Mohan

Palani Mohan gave an insight into the impact of the pandemic in his interview. He spent half the year traveling and photographing various landscapes, gaining a new perspective on Hong Kong and the local environment. With his representative work “Red Dunes”, Mohan showed his passion for bright colors and photography.

▲ “Playa Shoreline” (2015) by Tommy Clarke

Tommy Clarke, a world-renowned aerial photographer, emphasized in his interview the importance of shooting angle in photography and presented new perspectives and compositions taken from a helicopter.

Artists and representatives praised the Samsung Art Store’s strength in overcoming physical limitations. The platform allows subscribers to easily access art from distant continents that might otherwise be inaccessible to them, helping artists expand their reach and explore new opportunities.

▲ “She Snap” by Manzi Leon

The interview with African art organization Artlife Matters introduced Samsung Art Store subscribers to previously unknown African art. In particular, Manzi Leon’s “She Snap” expressed the thoughts and feelings of the women in his community – it stimulated the imagination and deepened engagement with the work.

▲ “Axon” (2018) by Logan Hicks

Samsung Art Store’s first contemporary artist, Logan Hicks, attracted a lot of attention in his interview. The New York City-based artist uses multiple layers of stencils to combine urban aesthetics with extreme precision and detail. His work resonates with those who have nostalgic memories of New York or want to experience the city’s streets for themselves. The collaboration between Hicks and Samsung Art Store is an unprecedented example of breaking the physical boundaries of art viewing and bringing street art into subscribers’ homes.

Expanding the reach of art with the Samsung Art Store

Art continues to cross physical boundaries to reach a wider global audience – and Samsung Art Store is expanding public access to art by providing a new platform for exhibiting artworks. By using technology to lower the barriers to art appreciation, Samsung will continue to inspire Samsung Art Store subscribers and art lovers everywhere through collaborations and stories.

You can view previous interviews at the link below. (Note: Some partnerships may have expired. Please visit Samsung Art Store for the current offer list.)