Disruption: The Convergence of Art and Technology

On October 1 next week, s[edition] is excited to be hosting a digital art panel at the ICA London. Disruption: The Convergence of Art and Technology will consist of a panel discussion amongst curators, artist, digital art professionals and writers about the current trends of digital art as it crosses cultural boundaries in curation, artists’ practices and collecting.

Participants include: Daniel Brown (Artist), Mat Collishaw (Artist), Matthew Johnstone (Artist), Quayola (Artist), Mike Stubbs (Director of FACT) and Ché Zara Blomfield (Curator). Kevin Holmes (Executive Editor of The Creators Project) will moderate the discussion.

Following the panel will be a drinks reception sponsored by Brooklyn Lager where audience members can mingle with the panel and other digital art enthusiasts. There will also be DJ Mark Bickmore and a chance to view the artists’ work on screens provided by Samsung.

So what are you waiting for? If you live in London come and meet the s[edition] staff and digital art influencers. Plus it’s free, so no excuses! Get your tickets here.

Elmgreen & Dragset for Garage

Not only have Elmgreen & Dragset  created their latest digital edition for s[edition] in collaboration with Garage, which is also a limited edition cover for the Fall/Winter 2012 issue, but created a mesmerising black & white editorial shoot around some of their latest works. Channeling a dream-like sequence, the shoot creates a story around the duo’s works, which can be seen in the Louis Vuitton flagship in London.

The editorial entitled When Time Got Tired was shot by legendary photographers Angelo Seminara and Mike Pocock.

See images of the spread in its entirety below.

Read more…

Opening Ceremony reviews Elmgreen & Dragset

Opening Ceremony, trendsetters’ cult favorite go to for fashion, collaborations, art and culture in Los Angeles and New York City, has jumped over the pond to open their first store in London and release a new sports luxe Topshop collaboration during the Olympics.

As art lovers, we are most excited about their blog, giving us an insight into the behind the scenes and their staff’s favorite events and releases all over the world. Recently, one of their London based staffers headed over to Victoria Miro to check out Elmgreen & Dragset‘s solo show, Harvest, on view now. Here is the review below, but if you want to check out the review and other great articles, visit the Opening Ceremony blog here.

 

What Do You Want to Do Before the End of the World?

 

To coincide with their Fall/Winter 2012 Garage Magazine cover and Louis Vuitton exhibition, Elmgreen & Dragset countdown to the end of the world with a digital limited edition of a brand new artwork - The End Is Always Nearer, 2012.

The End Is Always Nearer, 2012 is the duo’s third collaboration with s[edition] and just like the work itself collectors are truly racing against the clock with the introduction of a new dynamic pricing model. The 11.11 countdown parodies the most well known doomsday date of modern time – the supposed end of the world at 11.11am Mexican time on 21.12.2012 according to the Mayan calendar. The date is presented as a timed bomb about to blow up a safe, but what is kept secure – or contained – and what will be revealed after the explosion, the artists leave us to speculate about. Elmgreen & Dragset said the following about the inspiration behind the edition:

 We as human beings have at all times to try to do whatever we can to protect ourselves against potential catastrophes, and to protect what is valuable to us, however the ‘big disaster’ is always lurking around the corner.

The work will go on sale today as an edition of 500 along with the continuation of s[edition]’s new dynamic pricing model. To reward early collectors, The End Is Always Nearer, 2012 will be available for as low as £5. The price of the artwork will then steadily increase as editions become scarcer.

Like previous collaborations with s[edition], including Powerless Structures, Fig. 101, their famous Fourth Plinth sculpture on view in the heart of London’s Trafalgar Square, Elmgreen & Dragset have created The End Is Always Nearer, 2012 as their own digital interpretation of the physical artwork. From 16 September 2012, The End Is Always Nearer will be on show at the Louis Vuitton London Flagship along with other original works.

On 21 September, Elmgreen & Dragset will also open their highly anticipated solo exhibition, Harvest, at Victoria Miro in London.

 

New Edition: Holophon by Steven Claydon

s[edition] is pleased to announce our latest artist launch – Steven Claydon. The British artist has teamed up with s[edition] with his latest work Holophon  to introduce our dynamic pricing structure.

 Holophon is a powerful example of how Claydon creates bizarre hybrids out of multiple familiar concepts: an object that looks like a handmade clay pot, reminiscent of ancient cultures, is dimly lit against a pitch black background as if on display in an archaeological museum. However, the object seems translucent: its representation reminds us of holograms with a three-dimensional feel, and the deep tribal background sounds catapult the image into a sphere where it appears sacred. “I was really interested to see what would happen if I tried to reanimate an artifact with cultural significance in the digital realm,” says Claydon. All at one time, Claydon evokes the concepts of history, tradition, archiving, exhibiting, collecting, high and low culture, pop and classicism, as if to create a shamanic object reflected in pixels across our screen demanding our reverence.

Realizing the convergence of the technological and physical art worlds, Claydon embraces s[edition]’s concept of selling digital limited editions as artists begin to experiment these new tools and mediums.

I am aware of limitations of making physical objects. For me it is exciting that you can have an idea in the morning and can turn it into an object by the following day…s[edition] will become ever more apparent as art exists in digital form in the digital realm,” says Claydon.

The work is an edition of 500 starting at £10. Holophon also marks the beginning of s[edition]’s dynamic pricing model. As edition availability decreases the price of the work increases. Simply said, the earlier you buy the less you pay, so make sure to purchase early!

Keep checking back for a chance to win a signed exhibition catalogue from Steven Claydon’s first Uk public exhibition – Culpable Earth!

We’re hiring: Senior Project Manager

Location: Notting Hill Gate, London
Type: Full-time
Function: Senior Project Manager

Opportunity

s[edition] is a revolutionary new way to collect, share and trade art in digital format. Following a successful product launch last November, our team is expanding rapidly to meet the challenges of collecting art on a social platform and bringing art to screens across multiple devices.

We are looking for a senior project manager who has an eye for detail, a passion for scrums and a natural problem solver.  You would be the company’s first project manager and would lead a team of 6 developers.   You should have a strong understanding of overall project management and strategy.  You should be able to inspire and motivate and ensure jobs get done on time.  Ideally you would have worked in a start up or a consumer facing ecommerce/social online company.

You will feel equally comfortable with briefs from product marketing, UX, design and engineering.  You will be a great team builder and player.

Requirements:

General:
100% commitment and appetite to work in a start-up environment
Ability to work across several projects and effectively plan & prioritize all deliverables and resources
Knack for problem solving and a drive to succeed
Proven track record of delivering results under tight deadlines in a fast paced environment
Strong aptitude for learning and embracing change
Friendly and engaging personality

Specific:
5+ years digital project management across multiple channels

To Apply: Send in a link to your portfolio and CV to jobs@seditionart.com

We’re Hiring: Senior Ruby on Rails Developer

Location: Notting Hill Gate, London
Type: Full-time
Function: Senior Ruby on Rails Developer

s[edition] is a digital arts ecommerce company building a next generation platform to collect, share and trade art online. Founded by leaders in the art and ecommerce world, we are a rapidly growing team of developers and seeking an expert Ruby on Rails Developer.
You will have built and deployed commercial Ruby on Rails applications that scale. You write readable, maintainable code, take pride in your work and deeply care about the resulting experience. You should have experience implementing applications that rely heavily on asynchronous task processing, task scheduling and in-memory data caching solutions. You should be capable of working with large quantities of data to identify and implement new relationships between entities that will help s[edition] grow as an engaging, social platform.

General:

  • 100% commitment and appetite to work in a start-up environment
  • Proven track record of delivering results under tight deadlines in a fast paced environment
  • Strong aptitude for learning and embracing change
  • Friendly, engaging personality with excellent teamwork and communication skills

Required Skills:

  • Strength in all the Rails fundamentals, Rails 3 and above
  • A firm database contention and object-oriented design
  • TDD/BDD with good automated test writing skills
  • Expert knowledge of web application security
  • Application performance testing and management
  • Experience of an Agile/Scrum environment
  • BS, MS, or Ph.D. in Computer Science or similar

Excellent package including health insurance, pension and stock options.

About s[edition]

s[edition] is a new way to collect, store, share and distribute limited edition art for your digital life. Working with some of the world’s leading artists, s[edition] enables you to buy digital versions of the world’s most desirable contemporary art. Backed by leaders in the art and ecommerce world, the company has launched with exclusive art for use on smart phones, monitors, televisions and other digital displays. Each original artwork will come with its own certificate of authenticity that can be traded when the edition is sold out.

To Apply: Send in a link to your portfolio and CV to jobs@seditionart.com

We’re Hiring: Front End Web-Developer

Location: Notting Hill Gate, London
Type: Full-time
Function: Front end developer

Opportunity

s[edition] is a revolutionary new way to collect, share and trade art in digital format. Following a successful product launch last November, our team is expanding rapidly to meet the challenges of collecting art on a social platform and bringing art to screens across multiple devices.

We are looking for a talented front-end developer who has a passion for developing user interfaces that empower and engage users. You should be an expert at hand-coding HTML, CSS and Javascript and take pride in writing clean, maintainable code that, when suitable, follows best practices. You should have demonstratable experience with the latest HTML5 APIs and a strong understanding of the potential in leveraging clientside resources.

Experience with frameworks including or similar to BackboneJS and EmberJS and experience working with responsive design patterns is also highly desirable.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

General:
100% commitment and appetite to work in a start-up environment
Ability to work independently using high level design specs, wireframes, page mock-ups
Knack for problem solving and a drive to succeed
Proven track record of delivering results under tight deadlines in a fast paced environment
Strong aptitude for learning and embracing change
Friendly and engaging personality

Technical skills:
3+ years of experience in coding HTML, JavaScript, and CSS
3+ years of experience in coding jQuery, Ajax
Experience of adapting PSD format files to standards compliant HTML and CSS
Experience of optimisation HTML to produce fast loading pages, images and CSS
Knowledge of usability, SEO and web metrics
Strong understanding of cross-browser and mobile device compatibility

Nice to haves:
Experience of Ruby-on-Rails, ERB, MVC, MySQL, REST
Social integration experience, Facebook Graph API, Oauth2

To Apply: Send in a link to your portfolio and CV to jobs@seditionart.com

We’re hiring: Community Manager

s[edition]

s[edition] is the world’s leading platform for digital editions, that allows people to collect, share and trade art in digital format.

Launched in November 2011 by the former CEO of Saatchi Online (Robert Norton) and Harry Blain, gallery owner of Haunch of Venison & BlainSouthern.  The company is already working with many of the most well known contemporary artists including Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, Jeny Holzer, Bill Viola and Shepard Fairey among others.

s[edition] offers a disruptive business model designed to change the way people share and trade art online and has already struck significant marketing deals with Samsung, Apple, Aurasma and The ICA.

The company has just completed a Series A financing among angel investors and has a product team of 12 developers and designers operating out of Notting Hill Gate, London.

Following a successful launch, the company is seeking its first marketing hire and is looking for an ambitious, entrepreneurial self-starter with proven start-up experience and a passion for art and technology.

Role:

As Community Manager of s[edition], you will be responsible for managing the overall communication strategy for s[edition], building media relations and ensuring regular coverage.

The role is ideally suited to someone with an arts background but with a love of technology and start-up cultures. You will be equally comfortable liaising with artists and artist studios as well as building audiences through social media channels. Key tasks and responsibilities include:

  • •   Overall brand identity of s[edition] within the media – identifying and creating communications strategies for all aspects of the company
  • •   Drafting and disseminating press releases for s[edition]
  • •   Producing copy for the s[edition] website and e-mailers, including news articles, artwork descriptions, artist profiles, etc
  • •   Creating strategies for social media PR (Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc) to increase awareness of the site within the public realm
  • •   Collaborating with external PR companies and agencies
  • •   Collating and filing press, internet and broadcast material on the company and the artists represented
  • •   Creating and managing a PR calendar of communications outreach.
  • •   Work closely with the VP, Marketing  & freelance editors and designers
  • •   Producing a general digest of daily art news of the contemporary art market, news of sales, exhibitions, etc
  • •   Assisting with the organisation of events
  • •   Building and maintaining media database

Requirements:

  • •   Minimum 2 years’ experience in a PR role, preferably with experience in the arts and/or new media sectors
  • •   Demonstrated experience in drafting press communications and writing copy for the web
  • •   Knowledge of the contemporary art scene

Personal Attributes:

  • •   Passionate, charismatic, credible communicator
  • •   Creative and innovative
  • •   Ability to thrive in a high energy, fast growth, entrepreneurial environment
  • •   Hands-on; completes tasks
  • •   Strong team player who can build strong relationships at all levels of the organization
  • •   Be pro-active – “able to work things out”
  • •   Have excellent communication skills – written, verbal, presentation and interpersonal

To apply, please send your resume to robert@seditionart.com

We’re Hiring: VFX/3D animation Generalist

s[edition] is looking for talented VFX/3D animation generalists to work on animations with some the world’s leading contemporary artists.

We’re looking for passionate people who care about the intersection of art and technology.

Location: Mayfair, London
Type: Full-time or Part-time
 
General:

  • • Good communication skill
  • • Capable to work alone with a project individually
  • • Be proficient in modelling, texturing, lighting
  • • Knowledge about rigging and animating objects in 3D environments.
  • • Have a good eye for composition

 
Required Skills:

  • • Strength in Autodesk Maya, Adobe Production Suite
  • • Rich experience of video compression
  • • Extent knowledge with Cinema 4D, 3Ds max, ZBrush, PF Track, The Foundry Nuke or other VFX/3D softwares
  • • Prefer knowledge with sound effects and sound mixing
  • • BA, MA Degree in animation or similar

 
About s[edition]

s[edition] is a new way to collect, store, share and distribute limited edition art for your digital life. Working with some of the world’s leading artists, s[edition] enables you to buy digital versions of the world’s most desirable contemporary art. Backed by leaders in the art and ecommerce world, the company has launched with exclusive art for use on smart phones, monitors, televisions and other digital displays. Each original artwork will come with its own certificate of authenticity that can be traded when the edition is sold out.

To Apply: Send in a link of your showreel or portfolio and CV to jobs@seditionart.com

s[edition] at ART HK!

For its first ever art fair, s[edition] is participating in the Hong Kong International Art Fair (ART HK), one of the most exciting and fastest-growing fairs in the art world. Our CEO Robert Norton will be there to show fair visitors what s[edition] is in the context of the Art Flat- where the works are sold in a typical 24 square meter Hong Kong apartment pop-up within ART HK.

Art Flat, is an independent project curated by Intelligence Squared Group CEO Yana Peel and art advisor Diana d’Arenberg-Parmanand. The works sold in Art Flat are accessibly priced with works ranging from HK$80 to HK$4,000.

May 17-20; Booth Z11, Level 3, ART HK, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

We’re hiring: Web Graphic Designer

Responsibility:

  • • Graphic Design for website, mobile app and tablet app
  • • Prototyping,wire framing and working alongside developers in development (new product)
  • • Branding (To help customers understand our value via multi-media advertising)

Desired Skills & Experience

Essential:

  • • Must have an outstanding portfolio of work which demonstrates a strong flair for idea generation, visual design and communication.
  • • Formal graphic design or design qualifications.
  • • Proven knowledge of Adobe creative Suite, strength in Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator.
  • • Working knowledge of CSS.
  • • Ability to interpret a design brief and execute effective design solutions, as appropriate for digital interactive platforms.
  • • Proven ability to understand quickly the design requirements of any website and to work to agreed deadlines.
  • • To observe the established brand identity and design values of sedition, and work to established style guidelines.
  • • Ability to solve design problems associated with working in a busy team.

Additional experience considered favourably:

  • • Illustration.
  • • Animation.
  • • Ability to work in different visual styles.
  • • Awareness of usability and accessibility matters and the principles of user centred design.

Experience:

  • • 2 year web design experience.
  • • Relevant experience in mobile/tablet app design.
  • • Relevant experience in design preferably in an e-commerce or social web company, willing to take on a start up role & culture.

Company Description

s[edition] is a revolutionary new way to collect, share and trade art in digital format. We believe art collecting can be instant, affordable, social and enjoyable. We think more people would be collectors were it not for lack of access and resources. That’s why s[edition] is in the business of making more people collectors.

Just like limited editions in the physical world, we sell work by the world’s leading contemporary artists in limited runs. Once those editions are sold out, you’re able to sell the work to other collectors through our open marketplace launching soon.

To Apply: Send in a link of your showreel or portfolio and CV to jobs@seditionart.com

Launch Partner for Facebook Timeline

We’re very excited to be one of Facebook’s 60 global launch partners for their new Timeline features.

As you share art through s[edition], you’ll create a gallery of your art tastes right in your Facebook Timeline.

http://www.facebook.com/about/timeline/apps

You can take a look at our press release here:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sedition-launches-new-app-for-facebook-timeline-137632418.html

Just launched – Shepard Fairey’s ‘Mandala’

Shepard Fairey has been dubbed one of the most influential street artists of our time. He aims for his work to reach the broadest audience possible, and as part of the 2010 art fair Art Basel Miami, he created a huge mural on a public building, Mandala Ornament. In this artwork Mandala, we see the design re-imagined, as each separate element of the surrounding pattern revolves around a central motif – the face of French wrestler Andre the Giant. The elaborately-ornate design continuously expands and contracts, while its core remains static, adding a slightly sinister undertone to this entrancing artwork. Working directly with the artist, s[edition] brings you this exclusive limited edition.

Find out more »

We’re hiring: Senior Mobile Apps Developer (Android/iOS/Windows)

We’re hiring a Senior Mobile Apps Developer (Android/iOS/Windows)

Location: Notting Hill Gate, London
Type: Full-time
Function: Senior Mobile Apps Developer (Android/iOS/Windows)

s[edition] is a digital arts e-commerce company building a next generation platform to collect, share and trade art online. Founded by leaders in the art and e-commerce world, we are a rapidly growing team of developers and seeking a world class Senior Mobile Apps Developer.
We’re looking for an apps developer to join our development team to build out a suite of applications to support viewing art across multiple devices and platforms.
You will have built Android, iOS and/or Windows Mobile applications and integrated these with APIs. You will be comfortable with producing apps for smartphone, tablet, desktop and TV. You will be a natural self-starter happy to take on the challenge of building apps that work great on many devices.
The ideal candidate will have:

General:

  • 100% commitment and appetite to work in a start-up environment
  • Proven track record of delivering results under tight deadlines in a fast paced environment
  • Strong aptitude for learning and embracing change
  • Friendly, engaging personality with excellent teamwork and communication skills

Required Skills:

  • 2+ years Android
  • 2+ years iOS and Objective C
  • Server side/API integration experience including Facebook API & OpenSocial API
  • Expert knowledge of web application security & REST APIs
  • Solid grasp of algorithms, memory management, concurrent programming and server interfacing.
  • JQuery UI mobile / mobile website dev experience/IOS SDK, Android SDK, Windows Mobile SDK & Blackberry
  • Experience of an Agile/ Scrum environment
  • BS, MS, or Ph.D. in Computer Science or similar
  • Excellent package including health insurance, pension and stock options

About s[edition]

s[edition] is a new way to collect, store, share and distribute limited edition art for your digital life. Working with some of the world’s leading artists, s[edition] enables you to buy digital versions of the world’s most desirable contemporary art. Backed by leaders in the art and ecommerce world, the company has launched with exclusive art for use on smart phones, monitors, televisions and other digital displays. Each original artwork will come with its own certificate of authenticity that can be traded when the edition is sold out.

To Apply: Send in a link to your portfolio and CV to jobs@seditionart.com

The Insider View

We’re looking for people who would be interested in working closely with us at s[edition] by joining one of our feedback groups.

You would be encouraged to share your thoughts and ideas on how we can enhance and develop our website so we can make the experience of collecting – and displaying – our limited edition digital art even more enjoyable.

If you are interested, please send an email with your name, age and occupation to change@seditionart.com

Thank you. We look forward to brainstorming with you!

Tracey Emin appointed as RA’s Professor of Drawing

Congratulations to s[edition] artist Tracey Emin on her appointment to one of the most prestigious art teaching roles in the UK – the Royal Academy’s Professor of Drawing.

Tracey Emin unveils her Olympic and Paralympic poster at the Tate Britain in November this year

Tracey Emin unveils her Olympic and Paralympic poster at the Tate Britain in November this year

www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-news/8955811/Tracey-Emin-appointed-as-RAs-Professor-of-Drawing.html

Mat Collishaw’s Sordid Earth on TateShots

This summer at the Roundhouse, Mat Collishaw collaborated with designer Ron Arad to create an ambitious work – Sordid Earth. The Tate have just posted a video of this work as part of TateShots.

Designer Ron Arad created Curtain Call, a 360-degree canvas for film created using 5,600 silicon rods suspended in an 18-metre diameter ring. Sordid Earth drew on Collishaw’s earlier series, Infectious Flowers, where he explored the confluence of beauty and decay, digitally grafting various skin diseases onto photographs of flowers. Sordid Earth explored the confluence of beauty and decay, digitally grafting various skin diseases onto photographs of flowers. The immediate impact was heightened by presenting them on a far greater scale, set within a tropical landscape with cascading waterfalls.