LIFEWTR Series 7: Art through Technology

LIFEWTR Series 7 sparks inspiration through the exploration of creators working in art and technology. As technology broadens the boundaries of possibilities within art and design, ninety-two percent of art organizations agree that technology has made art a more participatory experience, which ultimately helps to diversify audiences. LIFEWTR shines a spotlight on this timely cultural tension and three emerging artists, Sarah Ludy, Zach Lieberman, and Andrew Benson, who are practicing in within this discipline. They are each expanding upon the meaning of art by harnessing next-generation tools such as coding, data visualization, 3D printing and enhanced reality.

Sara Ludy is a multi-media artist who explores the connection between real and virtual worlds. Through her work with video, sound, animation, virtual reality, websites, audio-visual performance, sculpture, photography, painting and installations. Zach Lieberman is an award-winning artist known for his code-based artistic projects. He is a champion of creative coding and helped co-found the school for Poetic Computation. Andrew Ben-son’s work combines a classic painter’s approach with digital art, working mostly with digital video, web technologies, animated pieces and custom-made software and electronic devices, all while utilizing a painter’s use of color and form.

For the launch event with Frieze New York at Randall’s Island in May 2019, the Design team partnered with the LIFEWTR brand team to create an immersive experience like none other, complete with a gallery-like space to showcase the artists and their art. Ludy’s site-specific work, ‘Bird Kite,’ was projected on 270 degree LED screens in the LIFEWTR lounge. Zach Lieberman showcased his daily sketches: short animated poems created with code. Andrew Benson’s work appeared on an art-forward bus traveling to the Frieze Art Fair, and a site-specific video highlighted part of a recent series of his synthesized audiovisual compositions.

In store, shoppers nationwide had the opportunity to engage with augmented reality experiences and unlock a world of art at stores across the country. Through a QR code or by accessing ar.LIFEWTR.com, consumers were able to bring bottle art to life and even capture immersive selfies to make images on their own with the Facebook app in-stalled on their smartphone.