Famous artworks are being transformed into psychedelic 3D dreamscapes projected 360 degrees onto the walls of a progressive contemporary art space in a luxurious modern souk in Dubai.
The Theatre of Digital Art (ToDA) is a cultural space in Souk Madinat Jumeirah that caters to both tech and art enthusiasts.
ToDA, which features works by both historic masters and contemporary digital artists, allows visitors to experience art in a multisensory, immersive environment, and even see NFTs in physical form presented in digital frames.
Its first exhibition, in 2020, featured iconic works by nine of history’s most celebrated artists, including Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, and Paul Cézanne, which were digitized and paired with multimedia elements such as surround sound music.
ToDA exhibits works in three formats: multimedia exhibitions, contemporary immersive installations, and virtual reality art.
The exhibitions make use of cutting-edge audio-visual technology to transform artworks into a multisensory experience with music and animations.
ToDA’s managing director, Daria Prodaevich, says that educating audiences about technology-forward approaches to art is an important part of what the organisation does, particularly with regard to NFTs.
“What makes our exhibitions unique is that we have an amazing immersive space,” says Prodaevich. “We create immersive experiences out of contemporary digital art, and we’re the only ones in the region who do that.”
A multisensory encounter
The ToDa group organises exhibitions all over the world, with locations in Dubai, Thailand, Germany, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, and Russia.
She claims that one of ToDA’s main goals is to represent new digital artists in the art world, such as Dubai-based Serena Abou Daher.
There is no distinction between art and technology for artists like Daher. Daher’s NFT “Ether” was displayed in 3D glory in ToDA’s “Metaverse Room.”
“It’s an audiovisual work,” she says. “I’ve created the visuals and I’ve also created the sound for it.”
“Digital art is growing,” Daher told. She predicts that artists will use more technology and even AI in the future to make art. “But it’s not like the physical will be replaced by digital,” she says.
ToDA is not the only place in Dubai that presents digital art in a unique way. The Infinity des Lumières art space also brings classic artworks into the modern era, with each exhibition focusing on a different famous painting, with its brushstrokes and ink marks lighting up the walls and floor.
However, no other galleries in the region are currently working with NFTs in the same way that ToDA is.
Prodaevich says that ToDA plans to continue pushing the boundaries of art and tech.
“Last year ToDa presented the first NFT exhibition in the region,” she says. “Since then we have had three contemporary, digital art exhibitions, and we’re not planning to stop there.”
To read our blog on “The most significant painting of the 21st century,” click here