Every night in March, London-based Italian artist Quayola takes over Times Square with Storms, a mesmerizing depiction of deep-sea waves that engages and reimagines canonical imagery, particularly landscape painting, through the use of contemporary technology. Recognized for a multifaceted practice employing custom-made computer software spanning audiovisual performance, immersive video installation, and works on paper, Quayola’s poetic portrayal of the ocean employs technology as a lens to explore the tensions and equilibrium between seemingly opposing forces: the real and the artificial, the figurative and the abstract, the old and the new.

Storms comes to life with high-definition footage of Cornwall, England's stormy seas, captured by state-of-the-art tools. This recording thus serves as a dataset which Quayola transforms into a digitally rendered landscape painting. Within the video artwork, waves unfurl across an ethereal expanse and storms paint themselves over the flow of time. By melding human ingenuity with technological prowess, the artist investigates the long-contemplated social hierarchy between nature and technology with the development of a fresh aesthetic dimension.

Storms is presented in collaboration with Artnet, an online art market platform dedicated to exploring the possibilities of digital art and enriching dialogues at the intersection of art and technology.

Artnet’s co-presentation of Quayola’s March Midnight Moment marks the launch of an ongoing partnership that celebrates digital art in the heart of New York City. "Lending artists the iconic canvas of New York City's Times Square, Midnight Moment stands as one of the most distinctive digital art programs. Artnet is thrilled to join forces with Times Square Arts to bring this immersive experience to our global online community," said Jiayin Chen, Vice President at Artnet.

Produced by Quayola Studio
Giulia Olivieri (algorithmic paintings and recordings, editing, data-management)
Andrea Santicchia (tech research)
Maria Elena Brugora (production and logistics)

With the support of
Cinematography: Marcus Domleo
Shoot assistance: Henry Keep
Behind the scenes: Matt Robinson
Sound Design: Riccardo Marsana
Software Development: Nikolai Matviev, Kyle McLean, Natan Sinigaglia, Sebastiano Barbieri
Printing & Framing: Artproof

Developed with the support of Aesop