The 14th Factory
A series of physical artworks reimagined for Web3.
The presentation of physical artworks online will always be a representation rather than a reproduction. A photograph or video of an artwork rarely evokes the exact set of emotions that come from experiencing it in a space. Even a faithful 3D render fails to capture the aura of physical work. However, technology presents new and exciting opportunities, detached from the fundamental forces and limitations of the physical world. Commissioned by the brilliant London based agency Unthinkable, we worked with the artist Simon Birch and The 14th Factory to develop a set of new digital artworks, based on the physical work featured in an upcoming show in Hong Kong. We described these reimaginings as ‘digital manifestations’.
Dualism is a recurring theme through The 14th Factory and Simon Birch’s work. A cycle of rise and fall was present throughout the first show in LA. This duality is particularly apparent in the installation artwork ‘Clear Air Turbulence’: New and old, light and dark, polished and painted, pinnacle and downfall, China and the West, unique and universal. Love, loss, fear, hope, pain, collaboration, fight, flight, on and on.
Our digital manifestation allows the audience to experience this dualism, through the unique interaction of going above and below a dark lake of water. Above the water, the work is presented as a straight 3D representation or blueprint. Below the waterline, the audience can delve deeper into the underlying themes of the work. They are surrounded by an ethereal aviation graveyard. They can explore abandoned planes, and listen to fragments of narrative hidden around the wreckage.