MGM Hosts “From Lines to Pixels – MGM Art Symposium 2023” to Explore the Integration of Art and Technology Local Artist Eric Fok’s First Digital Artwork Unveiled
MGM held an art symposium themed “From Lines to Pixel,” where leading industry figures from around the world shared insights into the new trend of art and technology integration in today’s digital era.
Committed to integrating tourism, culture, and art through “originality and innovation,” MGM is always determined to push art to a wider dimension, building a platform for cross-boundary dialogue in arts and culture, nurturing the development of the realm in Macau. Today, MGM held an art symposium themed “From Lines to Pixel,” where leading industry figures from around the world shared insights into the new trend of art and technology integration in today’s digital era, engaging engaged in inspiring dialogues about art, design, and technology. On the same day, MGM joined hands with local artist Eric Fok, whom MGM has collaborated with for many years, to showcase his very first digital art piece under the roof of the MGM COTAI’s Spectacle – the holder of the first architectural and structural GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title in Macau. Through the use of technology, the hotel’s public space has been transformed into a 360-degree digital art spectacle creating a brand-new cultural and tourism experience that embodies the ethos of “art of living”. It at the same time entices tourists from all over the world to appreciate Macau’s local art, while setting a benchmark for the industrialization of local arts and culture.
Pansy Ho, Chairman and Executive Director of MGM China Holdings Limited delivered a speech on the event.
Pansy Ho, Chairman and Executive Director of MGM China Holdings Limited, said, “As a pioneer in cultural tourism, MGM strives to integrate art and technology to propel innovation in cultural tourism. As Macau is on its juncture towards further diversification, MGM leverages our international MICE network to introduce ‘Fortune Brainstorm Design Forum’ to Macau, and host an art symposium on the same day. Through creating synergy between the two events, it brought together the world’s prominent art and design leaders to spark new inspirations. We unite three of our arts partners, who have collaborated with us on various projects, to be today’s speakers at the symposium, to jointly explore the path ahead for digital art, advancing the local arts & culture scene, and consolidating Macau as a top destination for diverse cultural tourism.”
MGM held an art symposium themed “From Lines to Pixel,” where leading industry figures from around the world shared insights into the new trend of art and technology integration in today’s digital era.
From Lines to Pixels – MGM Art Symposium
MGM has regularly held thematic art symposiums since 2018 and invited leaders from art and cultural communities at home and abroad to holistically explore the possibilities of artistic development. This year’s symposium, revolving around the theme “From Lines to Pixels,” featured panelists Eric Fok, a local artist; Victor Wong, a tech-ink artist in Hong Kong, and Andrew Lazarow, Studio Leader of the LAB at Rockwell Group. With Wang Fang, Executive Editor of Shanghai FORTUNE CHINA, as the moderator, the three artists engaged in thought-provoking conversations on how traditional art could be transformed into digital art, how artificial intelligence could be combined with art, and how digital technologies could drive the art and cultural realms to achieve breakthroughs in multi-dimensional experiences. These discussions opened up new perspectives for the fusion of art and technology in the future. The event attracted nearly 100 participants, including representatives of art and cultural communities, art educators and students from Macao and Hong Kong.
Coinciding with the unveiling of his first digital art piece, “Giraffe meets Qilin,” Eric shared the concept behind the artwork and his thoughts on releasing the first digital artwork. He mentioned how he overcame the challenges in displaying his traditional two-dimensional art piece in a three-dimensional space to transform it into an immersive digital artwork.
On the other hand, Victor Wong, known for his digital art and special effects in movies, has received numerous awards and developed A.I. Gemini, the first-ever artificial intelligence ink artist in the world, in 2018. He also had cross-sector collaboration with MGM in the special exhibition “To Infinity and Beyond” and created new interactive installations such as VR experiences and panoramic film for the exhibition. He talked about the challenges he encountered in AI creation, his views about “traditional” and “digital” creations as the media for presenting art, and how to position himself in AI creation.
The large LED screens of the Spectacle are designed by the LAB at Rockwell Group. Its award-winning studio leader Andrew Lazarow shared how he crafted captivating narratives and experiences that transport the audience into a new world, evoking sensory and emotional resonance.
MGM joined hands with local artist Eric Fok, whom MGM has collaborated with for many years, to showcase his very first digital art piece under the roof of the MGM COTAI’s Spectacle
Turning lines into pixels, Eric Fok launched his first digital masterpiece
MGM endeavors to support the development of arts and culture in Macau. The Company has been working closely with Eric Fok, that his works have been part of the MGM Chairman’s Collection and displayed in public spaces. The local artist is skilled at creating intricate antique-style maps with a technical pen, incorporating contemporary architecture, and sketching the Age of Discovery as a contrasting backdrop to explore the changes brought about by urban development and globalization. His digital artwork “Giraffe meets Qilin,” integrating the artwork “Renaissance” commissioned by MGM for “Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2023” and his signature artworks created over the past decade, utilizes a combination of digital editing techniques, including parallax, animation, silhouette etc. Displayed on 25 large-scale LED screens in the Spectacle, along the Maritime Silk Road and the landmarks and features extending from Macau to the Pearl River Delta region and up to Beijing on the ancient map drawn with a technical pen, the public can embark on an immersive, time-transcending journey through the history and culture of Macao at any time, and dive into a novel cultural and tourism experience.
