Taking it to heart: Art Dubai and Krista Kim’s installation aim to meld hearts

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

Art Dubai and lead partner Julius Baer have announced a newly commissioned digital installation by Canadian-Korean artist Krista Kim that will debut in the Julius Baer Lounge at Art Dubai, taking place March 1 — 3 at Madinat Jumeirah. Heart Space is an immersive experience that will allow guests to connect with each another through the universal language of the human heartbeat. In real-time, each visitor’s unique heart rhythm will be visualised through hypnotic patterns and meditative shapes displayed across a dynamic LED canvas, shifting to reflect a new guest’s energy. The installation puts forward the concept of ‘oneness’, where participants come together to create a social fabric harnessing the power of art and technology.

The new commission is a continuation of Kim’s ongoing exploration into digital consciousness and the creative potential of screens as digital instruments of wellbeing and longevity. She developed her signature language of shifting gradients using digital software since 2012; her works on glass and plexiglass aim to hypnotise viewers into tranquility, while her immersive video works provide meditative experiences of colour and light. In 2014, as a response to society’s over-reliance on technology, Kim started the Techism Movement, a philosophy that recognises technological innovation as an artistic discipline, encouraging artists to promote digital humanism for a digital culture. In 2024, she will present her work Continuum at the World Economic Forum at Davos, as one of the conference’s cultural leaders.

Kim commented that “I’m profoundly thankful to Julius Baer for enabling such an ambitious vision as ‘Heart Space’ – one amplifying AI technology’s power to reconnect where social media algorithms have fractured. As individuals participate, I hope each participant feels inspired in their singular beauty yet leaves appreciating a greater whole. My deepest wish is that from the micro–encoding of each distinctive rhythm to the macro tapestry those strands weave by exhibit’s close, visitors rediscover how alike our heartbeats sound when truly heard”.

Debashish Paul's artwork Me with My Pet — 9 will be shown at Art Dubai 2024.

Benedetta Ghione, Executive Director, Art Dubai said: “We thrive on collaboration and take pride in  working with partners such as Julius Baer who share our long-term vision of laying strong foundations for the future and without whom these programmes simply would not be possible.

Our partnership with Julius Baer, which is now entering its 9th year, continues to expand in scale and ambition. It also exemplifies how businesses and institutions can harmoniously innovate and create opportunities for artists.” Regis Burger, Head of Middle East & Africa at Julius Baer said that “for Art Dubai 2024, we are very excited to partner with Krista Kim to unveil the immersive commission ‘Heart Space’, which will connect guests with one another to create a social fabric harnessing the power of art and technology. Krista will be a part of Julius Baer’s NEXT universe, an initiative that was launched in 2023 allowing us to work with foresighted artists to amplify innovation.

Through the commission, we want to showcase the emergence of mega trends such as shifting lifestyles and longevity and use art as a medium to convey these messages to our clients and the wider public.”Heart Space is an initiative designed to explore investment thematics and encourage the interdisciplinary exploration of megatrends across the arts, science and technology.

NEXT supports collaboration with artists and institutions committed to new forms of cultural production, who are at the vanguard of scientific research and technological development. NEXT is the second major digital commission by Julius Baer to debut at Art Dubai, following a collaboration with Refik Anadol in 2023. Art Dubai is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The fair aims to work with its partners to develop new commissioning models and innovative cultural programmes and present new commissions and premieres by internationally renowned artists.

Heart Space by Krista Kim for Julius Baer at Art Dubai 2024.

The partnerships emphasise education and technology; they play an important role in shaping the future of the creative scene in Dubai. Art Dubai is held in partnership with A.R.M. Holding and is sponsored by Julius Baer, a Swiss Wealth Management Group. Culturally driven lifestyle developer HUNA is a partner of Art Dubai.

The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) is the fair’s strategic partner and Madinat Jumeirah is the home of Art Dubai. Art Dubai is one of the premier platforms to see and buy modern and contemporary art from the Global South. Across Contemporary, Modern, Bawwaba and Digital gallery sections, annual artist commissions and a multidisciplinary art-thought leadership programme, it champions art and artists from  the Global South, providing an alternative to mainstream, largely Western-led narratives.

It is managed by the The Art Dubai Group, a commercial public/private partnership established in 2007. The Art Dubai Group’s mission is to build ecosystems that have a global impact. The group now comprises over 30 initiatives, including Art Dubai; Downtown Design, the region’s leading design fair with a focus on original design; Dubai Design Week, the region’s largest design festival; Prototypes for Humanity, the world’s largest and most diverse assembly of academics addressing social and environmental challenges; and the Global Art Forum, Art Dubai’s annual transdisciplinary summit. Julius Baer has been the lead partner of Art Dubai since 2015. It has been recognised as a long-standing supporter of the arts across the world and its collaboration with Art Dubai is in line with its ambition to support the UAE as a business and cultural hub.