Surface and Hans Ulrich Obrist discuss the cross section of art and design with musician FKA Twigs and artist Alex Israel

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Dec 06, 2014, 01:08 ET

MIAMI, Dec. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Young creative leaders gathered at the new Miami Beach EDITION hotel to hear emerging British pop star FKA Twigs and L.A.based artist Alex Israel discuss creative influences and the importance of fearlessness in popular art and culture with curator Hans Ulrich Obrist. The event was attended by notables including Klaus Biesenbach, Gavin Brown, China Chow, Jeffrey Deitch, Dev Hynes (Blood Orange), Kesh, Bettina Korek, Robert Pattinson, John Pawson, Julia Peyton-Jones, Almine Rech-Picasso, and Norman and Norah Stone among others.

Surface and Hans Ulrich Obrist discuss the cross section of art and design with musician FKA Twigs and artist Alex Israel at The Miami Beach EDITION

The conversation topics ranged from the challenges that accompany innovation to the importance of letting go of self-criticism. "Growing up, I was allowed to be whatever I wanted to be," Twigs said. "If I wanted to be a cat for a day, my mum would set a bowl of milk on the floor and I'd crawl around for the afternoon. I felt creative freedom at a young age." Israel touched on the importance of maintaining autonomy as an artist. "Doing things myself is a freedom that I don't want to lose," he said.

Obrist challenged both artists to discuss what embracing technology means in the era of social media and comment culture. While Twigs felt it was liberating as an artist, referencing the impact that YouTube and the Internet has had on helping young artists develop without the costly overhead or control of record labels, Israel said that digital technology has given the general population a set of tools that allows for new levels of creative expression. "You can take a video and put it on the Internet and potentially more people will see it than if you put it in a gallery," said Israel.

Before and after the discussion, attendees viewed an exhibition from Pratt Institute, curated by Peter Patchen, chair of Pratt's digital arts department, featuring digital artwork by Pratt students and recent graduates. The work was displayed on LG Electronics USA's Ultra HD 4K and OLED TVs. Select pieces in the show were created for LG Electronics USA's 2014 "The Art of the Pixel" competition in which students from nine of the country's top art schools were challenged to create cutting-edge digital artwork. Another of the event's sponsors, Corzo Tequila, presented an art installation by New York-based designer, and Pratt alumnus, Alvaro Uribe.

Surface
Surface is the definitive American contemporary design magazine. Launched in 1993 and published 10 times a year, the publication has become known for producing engaging editorial content on architecture, art, design, fashion, and culture. Surface offers incisive writing, a clean aesthetic, and engaging visuals with a distinct emphasis on process and craftsmanship. Under the leadership of CEO Marc Lotenberg and executive editor Spencer Bailey, Surface remains an influential voice in the design world. Elizabeth Diller, Frida Giannini, Peter Marino, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Aby Rosen, Mario Testino, and Kris Van Assche are among those to be featured on the cover over the last year. Surface's contributors include architect and designer David Rockwell, Museum at FIT director and chief curator Valerie Steele, Ben Pundole (A Hotel Life), Bettina Korek (For Your Art), and Josh Rubin and Evan Orensten (Cool Hunting).