Hasta La Ideas

A topsy-turvy parallel universe, the future of online art fairs, Seoul’s LED trompe l’oeil and more from around the web

Seoul’s Liquid Anamorphic Illusion, “WAVE,” by d’strict

Located on the LED screens of Seoul, South Korea’s COEX atrium, the large-scale public art project, “Wave,” by local digital creators d’strict, tricks passersby (and those who watch the video, too). An anamorphic illusion, the artwork simulates a giant wave about to break through the massive screen, which wraps around the building’s sides. The display is 80 meters wide and 23 meters high. Paired sound effects only enhance the experience. Watch the mesmerizing video of the “Wave” sloshing around at Vimeo.

Untitled, Art + Artland Partner for Virtual Reality-Powered Fair

As artists and those interested in art grow exhausted with the term “virtual viewing room” (and the fact that it generally means nothing more than an amped-up website), fairs, galleries and curators turn to virtual reality. Promising a “fully immersive and interactive experience created with cutting-edge architectural modeling, gaming and e-commerce technologies,” the UNTITLED, ART fair will partner with Artland to imagine fair aisles and booths presented as they would have been in real life, or “as close to being at Untitled, Art Miami Beach as virtually possible,” according to Jeffrey Lawson, founder of the fair. Exhibitors will be able to pay for two different booth sizes, either 200 or 400 square feet. A “buy now” function will also increase the ease of transactions. And guests will have access 24 hours a day. Read more at Artforum.

Plans For High-Speed Rail Between US Cities

A bill introduced to Congress last week intends to allocate $205 billion over the next five years to build a high-speed rail line that would connect Chicago and Atlanta, Portland and Vancouver, and San Francisco and Los Angeles, drastically reducing the country’s number of air travelers and providing a formidable commuting plan for those living and working between the cities. These routes would also diminish both the nation’s collective carbon footprint and the number of yearly automobile-related deaths. But, the plan to introduce 220mph trains on both coasts is just one part of a larger initiative to overhaul transportation in the US. Wired’s Aarian Marshall writes, “For many in policymaking circles, the pandemic is a tabula rasa, a moment to rethink the status quo of transportation and development dominated by the car. Why not more bike lanes? Why not more scooters? Why not high-speed rail?” Read more there.

100,000 Watches in Basel’s Swiss Watch Treasure House Concept

With the cancellation of both this and next year’s Baselworld watch and jewelry fair, the Swiss city from which it takes its name must reevaluate its relationship to the luxury industry. Proposed on the PlanBasel platform, the Swiss Watch Treasure House concept offers an exciting opportunity for Basel to continue to be a “hotspot of the watch community.” The proposal includes an in-house safe with over 100,000 watches, artist-designed exhibition rooms and workshops (some of which featuring augmented reality). Though a bit fantastical, there’s genuine merit to the many of the ideas within. Read more about it at A Blog to Watch.

NASA Discovers Evidence of Possible Parallel Universe

NASA research scientists conducting experiments in Antarctica have discovered high-energy particles coming from the ice that may be evidence of a parallel universe also born from the Big Bang. Even more fascinating, it’s believed that the alternate realm is a true mirror of our own—with time going backward, left being right, positive being negative. “Not everyone was comfortable with the hypothesis,” says Peter Gorham, an experimental particle physicist and lead investigator for NASA’s Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna. While it sounds wild, this explanation is actually the simplest, though it has been met with skepticism. Researcher Ibrahim Safa explains plainly, “We’re left with the most exciting or most boring possibilities.” Read more at New Scientist.

New Art Dealers Alliance’s Month-Long Communal Online “Fair” Opens

Open now through 21 June, presented in weekly installments, a cooperative virtual fair from New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) shares 20% of all sales equally among its 200 participating galleries and another 20% with all exhibiting artists (and 10% goes to the organization, in lieu of an entry fee). Simply dubbed “Fair,” NADA’s online event aims to foster a collaborative spirit in the art world. In fact, NADA extended invitation to past participants in their live fairs, not only current members. NADA also launched a relief program, awarding artists with grants of up to $5,000. Read more at artnet News and visit for free at This is Fair.

Link About It is our filtered look at the web, shared daily in Link and on social media, and rounded up every Saturday morning.