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Yves Béhar & Samsung Create a TV That Allows You to Collect Art

The Frame is like having a world-renowned art curator in your living room

By Rain Noe - March 15, 2017

in UX | Tech

How do you add more aesthetic value to a television? You can gussy up the housing to make it pretty, but Yves Béhar and Samsung have taken things a step further and are forging into new UX territory. Their collaboration has yielded The Frame, a new sort of television—and non-television—experience.

Starting with the notion that an unwatched television is essentially an ugly black rectangle, Béhar asked "What if the TV disappeared in the décor when it's not in use?" To that end, when The Frame is shut off, it goes into "Art Mode" and displays artwork.

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"Big deal, a screensaver?" you say. Not exactly; Samsung hired art curator Elise Van Middelem to assemble a collection. "The Frame includes artists from the four corners of the world, from Southeast Asia to Canada, and from South Africa to Europe," Van Middelem writes. "We chose to select 100 artworks to start, divided into a variety of categories: Landscapes, Architecture, Wild Life, Drawing, Digital Art, Action, Still Life, Patterns, Urban Abstract and From Above; this would allow The Frame viewers to have the feeling of owning a curated art collection of museum quality."

[We collaborated] with 38 artists around the world in creating the most comprehensive, accessible, and stunning museum-quality art collection, exclusively for The Frame.

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For each artist, whether emerging or established, participating within The Frame is a step out of their comfort zone. After all, we were asking them to show their work in an entirely new platform. Not only is this a digital interface, but it is in the homes of people all around the world. For these artists, the embracing of experimentation is what led them to provide their work for this collection - and for this - I thank them.

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The Frame is imbued with sensors, so when nobody's in the room, it shuts off; when it detects people in its vicinity, it turns back on. It also reads the ambient lighting conditions and adjusts its own backlighting such "to make the art look as real as possible," says Béhar.

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The result is art that blends in the environment in the same way that printed photography or a painted canvas would look. When you buy The Frame, you are also investing in these artists – pulling work specifically for this display, and presented as a piece of stunning artwork in your home.

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We view The Frame as an entry into home décor and art – allowing people to build a personal collection in an accessible, affordable manner. The Frame shifts our paradigm of what a television can be; on or off, it adds value to our walls and our daily life. With The Frame, we believe the flat black box on a wall can be transformed into personal style and daily inspirations.

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The Frame, which can either be hung like a painting or mounted in its included stand, will be available this Spring. And I have to say it looks very cool in action:

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N G

7 years ago

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Do you think they even made any mockups and if there actually IS a TV? Or just some frames from IKEA and an intern with After Effects?

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N G

7 years ago

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Sony did exactly this 10 years ago. Curated screensaver included. https://www.engadget.com/2008/04/10/sonys-bravia-e4000-series-is-pretty-as-a-picture/
But hey, it's Behar this time, so it has to be revolutionary!

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Kostas Syrtariotis

7 years ago

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Useless current consumption and lower TV life

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David Beck

7 years ago

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I get it. It is not just a screensaver, but an automatic screensaver for lazy people.

Brilliant!

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Eric Strebel

7 years ago

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Yeah, why not call it the post card! and display images that people send you when they are on vacation? or how about pictures you take your self? I am kinda jealous, Yves made a whole bunch of money for doing nothing! well done.

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Juan Cano

7 years ago

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Hmmm. Feels like 10% new technology and 90% BS mumbo jumbo artist speak.

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- Marcus Conge
  
  Juan Cano
  
  7 years ago
  
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  Never met or knew an artist that talked like a marketer.
  
  This is nothing more than a repackaged screensaver dripping with smeantics.
  
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- Marc Leubner The First
  
  Juan Cano
  
  7 years ago
  
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  The art is in the selling
  
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