Future Tech Trends | New Media Art
Digital art allows integrators to reach more high net worth individual customers
The client ’ s home might be a contemporary loft or stately home so it ’ s important to employ designers with good depth and breadth of design knowledge , plus it really helps if they are well read about the collecting market and are interested in art generally . Our lighting team spends hours locked in with the interior designer and / or architect , so they really must know their onions .”
Phillip brings up the excellent point that ‘ art ’ can mean different things to different people ( Tracey Emin ’ s ‘ My Bed ’, anyone ?). For instance , Cornflake is currently assisting a client to build a gallery for his 17 supercars , which includes a media room bar in the centre , encapsulated by floor-toceiling Ferrari-red glazing – rather like a large glazed box within the room with the cars lined up around the edges .
At the press of a button , one of the cars will appear as the privacy glass clears . There is the option to showcase one , two or all the cars if the client wishes . Spotlights will carefully light each vehicle and Cornflake will back-project onto the glass a technical spec for the respective supercar / s . “ Are supercars art ?” Philip asks . “ If a discerning client thinks so , we ’ re not going to argue !”
One stumbling block is that customers will not necessarily ask for digital art or interactive art ; “ It is simply not on anybody ’ s shopping list ,” Kevin states . “ If you want to sell and install it , you have to start by inspiring people to want it . We constantly show what ’ s possible at our Experience Centre to create interest : our entire shop front is reactive to people passing by . Those triggers are used at different times to trigger different reactions ; sometimes video , sometimes light ; always unexpected .”
Phil and Phillip are in agreement that a way to see more growth within these industries is to create impressive documentation to back up the processes and to establish a reputation for being an expert in the sector ; as a result enjoying repeat business and valuable personal recommendations .
EI asks why continuing to work with these wider markets will become vital in order to propel the custom install business in future .
“ We have seen several notable custom integration companies fail in the last six months ; I think we will see many more ,” Kevin answers . “ Installing off the shelf technology in homes is a shrinking iceberg in terms of what custom integration has become used to . It depends on what your motivations are for being in this business . Ideaworks ’ motivation has always been to look at technology in any area and see how we can make it engaging , interesting and pleasurable . Right now , one of those is by creating experiences using all the latest technology we can to surprise and please people . If the motivation for a company is to sell as much tech as possible into someone ’ s home and not take pleasure from it , then those businesses may disappear . I don ’ t think they will naturally migrate back to a more ‘ custom ’ approach , because that ’ s not where they came from .”
Kevin feels that AV companies need to challenge their business models by providing design , inspiration and value through their creative skills to take new and emerging technology and build installations which genuinely entertain , with Phil agreeing that partnering with professionals is important for long term sustainable business .
“ Art collecting is a popular and growing lifestyle choice for many clients , and CI is a natural bedfellow ,” adds Phillip . “ There are other similar niche sectors where we have witnessed a growing demand for CI solutions . Wine collecting , for instance , often involves highly sophisticated kit that we can help to control and manage , such as humidor thermostats , lighting , sealed cabinets and even cataloguing . I can ’ t actually think of any homes in London that we ’ ve wired in the last few years that haven ’ t had a wine cave , cellar or purpose-built rack . “ One client has a long row of garages that are functional but quite ugly ,” Phillip recalls . “ They didn ’ t like overlooking them so we suggested projecting a continuous image of a gushing waterfall to make the outbuildings disappear and create an optical illusion that completely changes the outlook .”
Phillip witnessed Barco Residential and NIIO ’ s New Media Art for himself at ISE , describing it as an interesting concept that Cornflake is keen to explore . “ We expect it will appeal to several of our clients . We will probably try it out in our showroom first , following our very strict policy of offering leading edge as opposed to bleeding edge solutions .”
Cornflake is very much of the opinion that the worlds of architecture and art should be fully embraced by the CI industry in order to propel it further . “ Be brave and think outside of the box to amaze clients ; after all , the sky ’ s the limit !” Phillip enthuses . “ We are living in hugely exciting times ; technology is mainstream for millennials . Really , who can live without it ? And , as we know , prices always fall as new technology is widely adopted so that it eventually filters down to all our homes . It ’ s a big cake , so grab a slice .”
10th-11th May 2017 , Sandown Park , Surrey . Sponsored by March 2017 | 19