Cape Town – Art lovers got a taste of something very different with an exhibition of digital art at the Ferrari Scuderia showroom at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.
Titled “Global Digital Art: Walter Benjamin’s Dialogue with Digital Intelligence”, the exhibition by the Lekker Gallery showcased seven international digital artists, as well as one South African.
The recent event also featured a talk by world-renowned South African wildlife photographer and conservationist Chris Fallows whose works were among those featured.
Fallows, who shot the iconic Air Jaws photograph of a breaching Great White shark in False Bay in 2001, spoke about the privilege of photographing incredible moments in nature.
“The next step of evolution in art is translating still images into moving digital pieces,” Fallows said.
His digital artwork entitled Last One Standing on the Threat to Africa’s Wild Elephants is a must-see.
The Lekker Gallery exhibition also featured a Ferrari 458 shot in Miami, USA, by Italian photographer Paolo Regis, launched as a digital artwork under the title “Kinetica”.
Lekker Gallery is the brainchild of Cape Town-born Damon Crowhurst, who is exploring the convergence between art and digital displays.
“We have traditional art which has been and is so critical in how we see the world around us and influences our outlook,” Crowhurst explained.
“Moving digital art is the next step in the evolution of art, giving the artist an opportunity to tell their story and share their vision in a whole new way.
“It gives the artist an opportunity to bring an additional layer of soul and resonance to their work.”
Crowhurst works alongside esteemed international curator Huang Yi to bring digital art to new audiences around the world.
These two art innovators collaborated with UK-based Art fair StART to showcase emerging digital artists in October 2024 during London’s Frieze Week.
Having brought the digital art exhibition to Cape Town, Crowhurst hoped to confirm Shanghai and Singapore as the next two global destinations for the Lekker Gallery during 2025.
Not just pictures on a wall
According to Crowhurst, Lekker Gallery was established to fill the gap between display technology and digital art curation.
“We are a collaborative team of technologists, advisors, and artists that curate, create, and implement digital storytelling,” said Crowhurst.
“We believe that art consulting isn’t just about filling up blank walls with digital screens; it’s about making thoughtful art selections that tell the unique story behind every space.”
Each artwork is displayed on a digital canvas.
“But being art, the screens we deploy can move from your standard television aspect 16:9, to completely square displays or even vertical screens,” said Crowhurst.
“Really, the technology enables you to curate pretty much any shaped canvas.
“Depending on the digital art piece, we showcase the work on a range of digital canvases to maximise the visual impact of the artist’s work.
“When you buy the artwork, the screen is as much a part of the piece.”
Crowhurst explained that Lekker Gallery “curates, sells and provides installations in private homes, large malls, corporate offices and other venues”.
“Many clients have already invested in digital displays, but feel they have not maximised that investment.
“Working with the Lekker Gallery, we are able to bring inspiring works to enhance those spaces.”
How much does digital art sell for?
As with any commodity, price is driven by demand and here the artist, the quality and exclusivity of the artwork, and other factors all come into play.
“NFTs brought the hype to digital art. However, many, if not most, were never actually viewed and enjoyed by its owner beyond viewing on their mobile device,” said Crowhurst.
“The growing trend we are seeing is the desire to invest in truly meaningful art pieces that are showcased in the home like a collector would a traditional piece of art.”
He said the US was currently miles ahead in adoption compared to the rest of the world, but Europe is starting to embrace the moving image, and South Africa is slowly coming to the party.
A Refik Anadol piece will go for over US $100 000 but there is an incredible amount of amazing moving works that are affordable – in the range of $2 000 to $10 000.
A lot depends on how many copies of an individual artwork is in circulation.
“Obviously the more exclusive the piece, and the more high-profile the artist, the higher its value,” Crowhurst added.
“The majority of our clients are buying a piece because it appeals to them at a deeper level, or it complements the design of a physical space that they have in mind.”
Alex Stewart of Stewart & Partners architecture studio in the Cape Town CBD which co-sponsored the exhibition, stated: “Over the past five years we have noted the growing desire for TVs not to be just a blank space on a wall when turned off, in an otherwise beautifully curated living space.
“Bringing digital art into the home adds a value that we expect to see continue to grow.
“Especially, as one is no longer constrained to a standard TV shape.”
What is the future of art?
Crowhurst is at pains to point out that digital artwork is not NFTs that have their place but said the moving digital image is the next step in the evolution of digital art.
He added that clients will subscribe to digital art platforms, much like they subscribe to streaming services for music or podcasts.
Indeed, there were already several solutions in that space such as Blackdove and Niio.
“There will always be a home for traditional art and we do not want future generations to not know the history of great artists, but art has also always been about pushing the creative boundaries,” Crowhurst said.
“Digital art is just the next frontier in how artists see themselves and the world around them.”
