HONG KONG.- Sino Group announced the winners of the ground-breaking art prize, the Sino x Niio Illumination Art Prizes 2018/19, presented in collaboration with new media art platform, Niio. 157 submissions by 112 young artists from 39 countries were entered into the competition. This international art prize provides the winning artists with the unique platform to display their light designs for Sino Group’s Christmas and Chinese New Year Illuminations on the Tsim Sha Tsui Centre & Empire Centre. The innovative new art prize is the first of its kind in Hong Kong; it aims to promote young talent and provide access to some of the world’s most prominent platforms for digital art, as well as make art easily accessible to the general public.

The winner of the “Artistic Blessing” prize is ONEONE by Daniel Belton and Good Company Arts from New Zealand; their work will be displayed from now until 19th January 2019. The second category winner of “New Life” is The Spring Shrine by SuperCyberTown, from Singapore, whose work will be shown from 20th January 2019 to 19th February 2019. “Sino Group is delighted to have collaborated with Niio on this ground-breaking international digital arts project. We were thoroughly impressed with the exceptional content of work we received, with artists from 39 countries participating. We hope visitors enjoy the outstanding illuminations on the façade of these Hong Kong landmarks during the festive season,” said Nikki Ng, Group General Manager of Sino Group.

Daniel Belton and Good Company Arts, the first place winner of “Artistic Blessing”, designed a display telling an ancient cultural story inspired by the history of the North Otago River in New Zealand. Featuring aspects of nature including stone, water, wind and sunlight, the work was chosen by the judging team for its unique interpretation of the subject matter with dancer Janessa Dufty creating a navigation chart emulating the star maps used by Polynesian ocean voyagers. “This partnership between Sino Group and Niio captured my imagination because of the world-renowned Hong Kong light displays. The Hong Kong harbour site greatly appeals as a grand scale new media platform open to the public. I hope my work will increase the understanding of human movement through new technologies in art,” said Daniel Belton.

For the “New Life” theme, SuperCyberTown’s The Spring Shrine was chosen as the winner for his original execution of the depicted subject. His work is a futuristic utopian take on a winter night and spring day where technology has allowed humankind to return to its zen-like natural surroundings, away from modern day chaos. The artist said, “Hong Kong is one of my favourite cities; it is an endless source of inspiration for my creations. The harbour, with its incredible light show, is one of the many things that makes the city unique; I am honoured to be a part of it. I wanted to illustrate the importance of a place of rejuvenation from hectic, modern-day life. This platform has allowed me to explore the concept of new life emerging, and with it, a new journey beginning.”

“We live in a fast paced, commercially noisy world with countless screens across our urban environments and no more so than in major cities like Hong Kong”, says Rob Anders, Co-Founder & CEO of Niio. “In trying to reach and inspire people everywhere through unique ‘Digital Art experiences’, we are thrilled to partner with Sino Group for the Illumination Art Prize, enabling us to showcase amazing works of moving image art from a global community of artists, to an audience of millions of people every day. It is these types of public art inventions which are driving an entirely new visual culture, proudly led by Niio”