Artists such as
Ai Jing combine different aspects of human emotions to portray feelings on the canvas. Her work seeks to delve deeper into the human psyche to call forth positive aspects of the human dilemma. She does this by using colour and words that evoke more than a passing thought in the viewer.
Yan Lei, another artist in the DSL Collection, uses surreal aspects to convey a sense of the modern world while incorporating more traditional historical euphemisms. Lei utilises a paired back palette of colours overlayed on top of photographs, giving the artworks a sense of movement and the feel of times bygone. When viewing Lei’s works, there is a sense of oneself being dragged through a river of film negatives that seem to move in slow motion. Eye-catching, Lei’s art gives one pause to think about what you are looking at and dig deeper into the meaning of each paired image.
In this article, we have focused on the transitory nature of still images and paintings. But that is not all that is included within the DSL Collection. Technology and the option to use it to project artworks in different ways is also incorporated within the DSL Collection.
Since 2005, the DSL Collection embraced digital and immersive technologies to reach a global audience. This led to several milestones in their journey of digital integration.
In 2012, the DSL Collection launched its first virtual museum in
Second Life, creating a novel space for digital engagement.
DSL stepped further into the metaverse in 2021, curating exhibitions that meld art and gaming, while 17 interconnected VR experiences on the
Sansar platform expanded accessibility.
However, one of Levy’s most meaningful projects linked the metaverse with
heritage preservation. After the physical DSL Collection space Sylvain was curating in Kyiv closed, Lévy worked on a Ukrainian pavilion, DSL V-Art, within the metaverse. This initiative allowed over 250 Ukrainian artists to create works that have become both art and historical markers, preserving them thanks to VR and digital art mediums.
The DSL Collection’s recent project,
Rolling Thoughts, exemplified its evolving relationship with immersive technology. The VR exhibition featured works from eight contemporary Chinese artists and utilised advanced hand-tracking for total immersion. Presented initially at the
Pingshan Museum in Shenzhen, the exhibition enabled visitors to virtually wander through a 50-meter space, with up to 60 people exploring it at any given time.
You can find the artworks showcased in this article and many more in the DSL Collection’s book. We recommend you make yourself a strong pot of tea and set aside at least a few hours to peruse the book and all the fantastic artists held within it. If you would prefer a more immersive experience, check out all the amazing initiatives Sylvain & Dominique are undertaking
here.
