“Pixel World” by eBoy, the annual collaborated artist in 2019 of“MIXC WORLD WITH ART PROJECT”
2019, the "third year" of KAI's participation in the MIXC WORLD WITH ART project of Mixc World. In 2017, we invited Victo Ngai to depict the rich and diverse scenes for the Mixc World opening. In 2018, Craig & Karl were invited to portray the pop art world full of fashion. This time, in hands with eBoy, the “Father of pixel art” from Germany, we brought their unique “pixel art” into Shenzhen for the first time, through their highly delicate insight and scene imagination.
About the artist 创作灵感
Founded in 1997, the experimental art group eBoy, consisting of the 3 German artists Kai Vermehr, Steffen Sauerteig and Svend Smital, as one of the earliest art team creating art and publishing works via the internet, became the pioneer using the pixel art for creation, thereby known as the “Father of pixel art”.
If the internet is the medium and the pixel is the form in eBoy’s creation, traveling would be the way to spark their inspiration and explore the world.
For the past 22 years, eBoy has traveled through many cities with staying locally for 1-2 weeks, getting a panoramic view of each city’s features and styles, and used his artistic style to create an exclusive urban face for this city. As such, eBoy was invited to create the Tokyo volume of Louis Vuitton's "Travel Book", allowing readers to travel through the unique Tokyo city in the eBoy’s way.
Tokyo Volume of “Travel Book” created by eBoy
eBoy starts an online foreign creating journey with KAI’s help
Different from creating Pixorama city series and “Travel Book”, this time we have started a special “journey” with eBoy. Via the core medium of pixel art - the internet, KAI prepared hundreds of the photos and videos about Mixc World and Shenzhen for eBoy, with rich detail descriptions, so they would feel as if they were staying in this city that they have never been to via the internet.
When the creation began, KAI helped form the notion of Shenzhen and Mixc World by live aerial photos, 3D maps, and textual introductions for eBoy who are far away in Los Angeles and Berlin.
Offering detailed pictures, texts and videos regarding the crucial local space.
the daily life happens in Mixc World.
And the most representative urban elements of Shenzhen, i.e. uniform, electric taxi.
This detailed brief for creation, has become an extremely important source of material and inspiration for eBoy through the creating process. For eBoy who haven’t been to Shenzhen, it is the first time to try such a way to create abundant details and possibilities in a real area and space.
“Pixel World” Draft - eBoy nearly reproduces the whole spacial layout of Mixc World
“Pixel World” Draft - the contours and the facade of the buildings are fully sketched
The characters’ daily life and some amusing scenes are presented in eBoy styles
“Pixel World” Draft - Final
Finally, a surrealistic Mixc World appears!
In the work of "Pixel World", eBoy depicts a surrealistic Mixc world with extremely rich details, which is full of interesting "game sense" and maintains the spatial sense of Mixc World. Standing in front of the work, you will see that many materials KAI prepared earlier are presented by eBoy in their unique way.
Could you find out the following little typical elements about Shenzhen and Mixc World in the paintings?
The Bubblecoat Elephant, opened in Mixc World in 2017, is a large-scale outdoor installation created by the Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman. Its nose is 24 meters in length. It is said that this big guy will spray water from time to time with a long nose!
“Transparent Blooming" is an art installation created by the Australian artist James Tapscott with the tree as archetype, symbolizing the active energy of Shenzhen. In the heat outdoor of the south, the stainless steel tree structure will spray cold mist to bring a cool and refreshing Mixc World, as also a salute to the “Grandparents Tree” in the Old Tree Plaza of Mixc World.
Up to now, the taxis in Shenzhen are basically electric. Pure electric taxis are 69.5% more energy efficient than traditional gasoline vehicles. 10,000 pure electric taxis can reduce carbon emissions by 400,000 tons a year.
In Shenzhen, every middle school student has to put on city-unified school uniforms. The Shenzhen school uniform has become a collective memory of Shenzhen’s students, and has formed its unique complex and culture. In 2015, the Shenzhen school uniform was permanently collected by the British V & A Museum.
In the future, the integrated application of 5G, Cloud, and AI is shaping a world of perception, interconnection, and intelligence. Huawei's first global flagship store is stationed in Mixc World. This "urban parlor" is dedicated to bringing the digital world into everyone’s life and every family, to touch the future together, and to build a smart world with everything connected.
“Pixel World” figures everywhere
In addition to experiencing another Mixc World in a parallel world via large-scale works, we extracted the forms and scenes of consumers from the work and re-inserted them into the space of Mixc World, to create a cheerful atmosphere for the pixel art.
Lovely products based on “Pixel World”
KAI has also developed a series of merchandise based on this "Pixel World", presenting eBoy's works to everyone in a delighting way.
“Pixel World”’s merchandise - notebook
“Pixel World”’s merchandise - fridge magnet
“Pixel World”’s merchandise - paper tape
Not long ago, Steffen and Kai of eBoy were invited to Mixc World, and after seeing the real Mixc World and their paintings, they got emotional, "Everything is so familiar, but the real scale of Mixc World is bigger than we thought. I feel as if I have walked into the work, like going home. "
Thanks eBoy’s creation and Mixc World, for making art into a part of life once more.
