One of the world’s most successful NFT artists invites you to interact with his new installation titled AB Infinite 1. Andrea Bonaceto, an Italian contemporary artist and blockchain pioneer, takes over Flannels’ flagship store on Oxford Street. As an interactive digital installation AB Infinite 1 invites members of the public to become artists themselves, encouraging viewers to alter the digital artwork through a specially designed AI (Artificial Intelligence) mechanism. Andrea’s purpose-built AI collects viewer interactions online through social media channels and turns these reactions or suggestions into visual responses which then appear as part of AB Infinite 1. This represents a new user-friendly form of AI, which does not require the user to be a software specialist or coder in order to manipulate it. Those viewing the installation on Oxford Street, will be able to watch as AB Infinite 1 morphs in appearance as people interact with the piece on social media. Andrea Bonaceto has previously collaborated with Sophia the Robot – the most advanced AI humanoid robot in the world. The NFT artworks that Andrea made with Sophia the Robot represented one of the most successful NFT debuts on Nifty Gateway grossing around $3m between primary and secondary sales. Andrea Bonaceto is inspired by the interaction of technology and art in the today’s word. In 2021 he received the Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts. To make this even more accessible, people can view AB Infinite 1 on the artwork’s website www.abinfinite1.com that will go live on Monday 16th May. There are 2 steps to follow to become part of this piece: Firstly, visit www.abinfinite1.com and share your Twitter and/or Instagram account in the appropriate section of the website. Secondly, use the exhibition’s hashtag #abinfinite1 on Twitter and/or Instagram while sharing content. This will then become part of the piece forever in an abstract fashion following the AI processing. AB Infinite 1 represents a step forward in the field of programmable NFT art. This innovative approach is possible thanks to the efficiency of the Algorand blockchain, which is used as the technological backbone for this project. Algorand is widely considered as the world's most decentralized, environmentally friendly, scalable, and secure blockchain infrastructure. Bonaceto’s digital installation uses state-of-the-art technology – including an 8K resolution system – to create London’s most optically powerful screen that is entirely wrapped around the outside of the Flannels building. This enables 50,000+ people to see the artwork daily and is part of the longest running permanent art installation in Europe, offering the public new ways of accessing art. The piece will also go on tour on major museums worldwide from the end of May until the end of August, visiting countries like Italy, China and the UAE. Following the end of the tour, AB Infinite 1 will be auctioned by a major auction house. A selection of Bonaceto’s portraits will also be incorporated into the digital installation, which honour people part of Andrea’s life and as well as people of influence such as Valentina Tereshkova the first woman in space, the late George Floyd, environmental activist Greta Thunberg, astronaut Neil Armstrong and The Queen amongst others.

Swansea, 13 May 2022: American poet, novelist and essayist Patricia Lockwood has been awarded one of the world’s largest literary prizes for young writers – the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize – for her debut novel, No One Is Talking About This (Bloomsbury Publishing). Also shortlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize and the Women’s prize for fiction 2021, Lockwood’s novel unpacks modern day internet culture and its impact on the individual psyche with immense sensitivity and surreptitious humour. Lockwood was awarded the prestigious £20,000 Prize for No one is talking about this (Bloomsbury Publishing) at a ceremony in Swansea University’s Great Hall on Thursday 12th May, just two days before International Dylan Thomas Day. Chair of Judges, Namita Gokhale, said: “No One Is Talking About This is a vital reflection on online culture today. A deeply timely winner, Patricia Lockwood is the voice of a generation of new writers who grew up under the constant pressures of real-time news and social media. “No One Is Talking About This is a searingly witty and innovative take on modern day internet culture, and the experience of family trauma in the modern world. The book’s flow of consciousness, almost diary-like in quality, is remarkably deft at capturing the psychological impact which simultaneous alienation and ‘group think’ life online has on us as individuals. Lockwood is an astonishing and wholly original new voice. We are delighted that the jury of the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize decided on her debut novel as its choice for the 2022 prize. We cannot wait to see what comes next from this uncompromising talent.” The book was unanimously well received by the wider panel of judges. Author and former winner of the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize, Rachel Trezise, describes Lockwood’s debut novel as “a poignant, witty and genre-defying portrayal of the absurdity of being 'extremely online' as well as an urgent rumination on the necessity of human connection”. Novelist Alan Bilton felt the book was “inventive, smart, and hyper-self aware” describing Lockwood as “the patron saint of digital natives, an explorer who has navigated the Twittersphere and knows: Here There Be Monsters.” Short story writer Irenosen Okojie described Nobody is Talking About This as “a timely, absurdist wonder of a book. Sharp, intellectually dexterous and full of wisdom”, while British poet Luke Kennard, also comments: “Nobody is Talking About This feels to me like a timeless book about a specific moment. It dramatises and analyses our irony and distance before becoming so stricken and moving I was left reeling.” The other titles shortlisted for the 2021 Prize were: A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam (Granta Books), Auguries of a Minor God by Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe (Faber), The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris (Tinder Press / Headline Publishing Group), Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson (Viking Press / Penguin General) and Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor (Daunt Books Publishing). Patricia Lockwood joins an illustrious list of writers to have been awarded this prestigious Prize, including Raven Leilani, Bryan Washington, Guy Gunaratne, Kayo Chingonyi, Fiona McFarlane and Max Porter. Press release: Midas PR

The exhibition titled ‘Revelations - A Portrait of Magic’ explores the lives of some of our favourite characters of the Harry Potter universe. Created over a period of six years, the fine artworks depict some of the Wizarding World’s most popular characters, including Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Albus Dumbledore, Draco Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange. Image courtesy of Crispian Blaize Stuart McAlpine Miller’s multi-layered portraits fuse Pop Art with classical influences from Caravaggion and Hieronymus Bosch in a spectral style previously described as a ‘’supernatural realism’’ by the BBC and Radio 2 art critic Estelle Lovatt, who also applauded its 4D aesthetic. The artist comments: ‘’This collection is something that I have been working on for some time, and I am so pleased that it is now ready for all to see. The subject matter is as iconic as any I’ve interpreted or conceptualised to date. It’s been a true labour of love, six years in the making.’’ Stuart has also explored the literary themes in J.K. Rowling’s work: the ‘good versus evil’ motif that has shaped religious scripture, fables and fairy tales for millennia can be seen in the almost transparent layers of paint. Chiaroscuro - a contrast of light and dark used by the Old Masters - adds an uncanny dimension to his work, exploring facets of humanity and commenting on the choices we must make in our everyday lives. In his work: the layers of text, logos and symbols unfurl around the figures like smoke with the abstracted imagery suggesting fragmented memories. These allegorical portraits hint at an evil force and impending disaster, as symbolised by the negative imagery, which uses an inverted colour palette to create a ghostly sense of unease. The dark forces seen in classical works by artists like Albrecht Drurer, Gustav Dore and Eugene Delacroix are given a contemporary update, with past and present hovering spectrally in apocalyptic unison. The exhibition takes place in the S&P Gallery, which is a London-based gallery specialising in supplying high quality framed art prints from a diverse catalogue of limited edition artworks. Together in collaboration with Zeno Fine Art, a percentage of each artwork’s sale price will be donated to the Lumos Foundation - a charity that fights for every child’s right to a family by transforming care systems around the world. Lumos strives for a future where every child is raised in a safe, loving home, supported by family to help them thrive. Many celebrities and online personalities attended the event to further prove the success of the event organised by WeAreFEP.

On Monday the 4th of April, Ai-Da showcased a new robotics arm which allows her to paint using a palette and a brush like artists have for centuries, marking a pivot point in history becoming the first humanoid robot to do so. This comes ahead of her first major art exhibition in Venice’s famous Giardini area. It will take place during the 59th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. In 2019 Ai-Da robot made history as the world’s first ultra-realistic humanoid robot capable of drawing people from life using the cameras in her eyes, her AI algorithms, and a pencil in her robotic hand. On the 4th of April she left her mark again, when she previewed a new cutting-edge painting arm that uses ground-breaking AI algorithms and robotics, allowing Ai-Da to paint from life using a colour palette as human artists have for centuries - something never achieved before by a humanoid robot. This poses questions that many have been too afraid to ask in the past few years especially seeing how quickly technology has been able to disrupt large sections of society. And this is the same reason why Aidan Meller - the creator of the project decided to go on this venture in the first place. He wanted to not just showcase the artworks of a robot but start the conversations about data harvesting, the future of creativity, and the direction in which humanity has been pointing in general. I attended the presentation at the British Library in a room full of journalists and photographers. There was an uneasy feeling of the unexpected. A group of eyes were dividing their attention between the people walking in and staring back - Ai-Da would look at you as you walk in, look at someone else and then stare at you a bit longer sending you a smile. As an artist one could feel the threat for the first time and question whether robots could become creative and if so, how would the trajectory of evolution of robotics look like. Just imagine a robot like Ai-Da becoming creative enough (as they already possess an abundance of information) that they are able to start producing more robots in the future. Aidan Meller shares with us the famous words of Alan Turing: “Human characteristics could never be imitated by a machine…such attempts and their results would have something like the unpleasant quality of artificial flowers.” On 23rd April 2022, Ai-Da Robot, the world’s first ultra-realistic humanoid robot artist, will open a major contemporary art exhibition in Venice’s famous Giardini during the 59th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. While robot artworks have been exhibited during La Biennale di Venezia in previous years, 2022 will mark the first time an ultra-realistic humanoid robot artist presents a solo exhibition of artworks during La Biennale di Venezia as a human artist would. Titled Leaping into the Metaverse, Ai-Da Robot’s exhibition will take place at the Concilio Europeo Dell'Arte venue, InParadiso Gallery in the Giardini. Presented over five connected spaces, the exhibition will explore the interface between human experience and AI technology, from Alan Turing to the Metaverse, and will draw on Dante’s concepts of Purgatory and Hell to explore the future of humanity in a world where AI technology continues to encroach on everyday human life.

Luis Hidalgo is a fine art and illustration artist living in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. With a strong background in Fashion design, his body of work ( using both digital and traditional media ) deals mostly with humor and his own very caricaturesque point of view. Hi Luis. Thank you for agreeing to do this interview, I am really excited to get to know your practice as an artist. Thank you so much for your interest in my work, this is such an honour. How are you today? Fine thanks, a bit tired after catching up on all Drawing Cabaret Couture´s sessions for London Fashion Week, but overall very happy with all the wonderful results. Tell us a little about yourself I’m an illustrator living in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, right in the middle of the Caribbean. I´m a teacher at my Alma Mater ( Chavón/ La Escuela de Diseño ), where I’ve been teaching Fashion Illustration/ Drawing for the last 20 years. I have worked for many local brands/ designers and also for a few international blogs. Did you study art or are you self-taught? I have an AD in Fashion design, and prior to that, I went to College for Advertising/ Graphic Design. I have always enjoyed drawing and loved fashion. Growing up in the 80s with all the hype about music and fashion made me fall in love with fashion design, and made it possible to attend Fashion school later on. I have always been intrigued by why people wear the clothes they wear and why do they buy them. How the clothes one wears can be a way of self expression. Your style is very distinct and whenever I see photos of your art I can instantly recognise it. What are your biggest influences and how did you develop your style? Thank you. I remember watching a story about Antonio on TV and falling in love with his work, and also realizing that Fashion Illustration, as a career, existed so one could say he is quite an influence. I also look at the work of many contemporary illustrators like Melanie Reim, Carlos Aponte, Helen Bullock, Bill Donovan just to name a few. Instagram has also introduced me to the work of many fascinating artists. As for my style, I draw every day. I´m a Taurus so I´m pretty routine oriented, but I’m also quite stubborn. I like to challenge myself by not doing things the same way all the time, especially when it comes to techniques and materials. I approach fashion drawing with a story in my head, about the clothes or the character wearing them, and try to convey that storytelling through my drawing. It can be as subtle as the direction the figure´s eyes look back at you or as complicated as a really intricate texture rendering. It´s all about creating a story and communicating a feeling. Could you walk me through your art making process? I always draw with music. Most of the time I look for music that relates (at least in my head) to what I want to draw. Also, lighting incense is a plus. For DCC´s classes, I use an iPad, which is relatively new to me but has given me the benefit of saving/ sharing the result in high definition, skipping the hassle of taking photographs or scanning. And since I am in the middle of moving to another apartment, most of my art materials are still stored in a box… somewhere. So the iPad has been a real blessing. Took some time to get the hang of it, but then again, I´m quite stubborn. What is your favourite piece of art you have made? Well, there have been many. I find that I really enjoy when the drawing takes a life of its own, and just flows. Drawing digitally I challenge myself not to erase, and that really has injected energy into my drawings. I really enjoyed the last pieces I did from Drawing Cabaret Couture´s London Fashion Week 5 day classes, mostly because the variety of designers allowed me to experiment with different solutions and graphic approaches to the figure. I also attend a few online figure drawing groups and really love what I have been able to make. Do you have a muse and how do you find inspiration? Many muses, not just one. Quite often I get obsessed with a style, a person, or an era, and begin researching and collecting images. Currently obsessed with German expressionism and the Weimar Era. I read a lot of literature which helps unleash my imagination. Would you share with us some of your artworks from the Drawing Cabaret Couture London Fashion Week classes? Glad to. I think Drawing Cabaret Couture´s classes really encompass what I mention previously - the sets, the playlists, the clothes and the models are always so inspiring. Week after week they have managed to wow me, even though for work/ time zone differences I often have to watch the catchup videos.

Yesterday the line up for the much-loved Henley Festival was announced and I was one of the lucky ones to attend their evening launch party. While some big artist names were dropped - The Script, Tom Jones and Craig David to name a few, the festival has one more reason to celebrate - its 40th anniversary. Henley Festival is a truly unique event, embracing a vibrant programme from pop to world music, classical to jazz, where art and gastronomy share equal billing with music. Across four decades, the Festival’s iconic Floating Stage has hosted a raft of global superstars including Elton John, Grace Jones, Dame Shirley Bassey, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Elvis Costello, Bryn Terferl, Jess Glynne, Will Young, BLAKE, Madness, Burt Bacharach, James Blunt, Rita Ora, Curtis Stigers & Rob Brydon, Lionel Richie, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, The Beach Boys, Tom Jones, The Jacksons, Pet Shop Boys, Jessie J, Tom Odell, Chaka Khan, Goldie, All Saints, Melanie C, Jamie Cullum, and the English National Opera. The 40th anniversary celebrations will take place from Wednesday 6th – Sunday 10th July 2022 and the headline acts, in what is expected to be the best year for the not-for-profit festival yet, will be: Wednesday July 6th – The Script & in the Nightclub Boney M Thursday July 7th – Craig David Friday July 8th – Tom Jones Saturday July 9th – Pete Tong’s Ibiza Classics with The Heritage Orchestra and Jules Buckley Sunday July 10th – 40th Anniversary Celebratory Evening And if that isn’t enough to make you book your tickets as soon as they are released to the public, every evening is topped off with a jaw-dropping firework display. For all ticket information visit the festival website here: www.henley-festival.co.uk