New Zealand art on display through Samsung Frame TV
SAMSUNG HAS put New Zealand’s art heritage in the frame of its newest TVs. The second generation of its Frame TV has just gone on sale with a curation of artworks from Te Papa Museum.
The Frame is one of Samsung’s most popular models because of its lounge-friendly pictureframe appearance and an Art Mode that turns it into a digital art gallery.
Among The Frame’s new features is a 13-part Art Store collection of several New Zealand artists.
It includes a painting of Kororareka Beach, Bay of Islands by Thomas Gardiner (1840), a watercolour of the extinct Huia bird species by Johannes Keulemans (1900) and a piece of Mount Cook by Charles Barraud (1884).
There also are macro photographs of two butterfly specimens dating to 1773 and 1839.
‘‘Te Papa is always looking for new ways to share our collections,’’ Te Papa chief executive Geraint Martin says.
‘‘This is a great way for people to have artworks from New Zealand’s national art collection on display in their own home.’’
The works join more than 750 masterpieces from museums and galleries, including the likes of Saatchi (London), Albertina (Austria) and Lumas (Berlin).
The Samsung Collection of 100 art pieces is provided with The Frame. Owners can subscribe monthly to additional content from the Art Store or buy artwork for a ‘one-off’ fee.
Jens Anders, director of Samsung New Zealand’s Consumer Electronics division, says it was time for Aotearoa to make its mark on the Art Store.
‘‘Kiwis have truly embraced the Art Store, with New Zealand being one of the top five countries globally when it comes to Frame TV owners activating their subscription.
‘‘With consumers clearly appreciating the artistic merits of the pieces in their homes, the next natural step was to put some of our New Zealand works on the platform.
‘‘The Frame has really redefined the way many think about the role of the TV in their home, whether it be enjoying a piece from the art selection or displaying one of your own photos.’’
Another improvement is an enhanced user interface for choosing art based on the colour scheme of a room or by a particular medium, such as drawing or photography.
And the new Slideshow and Favourites options let homeowners curate a gallery of their mostloved pieces to display on the screen at intervals.
The Frame TV now comes with Slim Fit Wall Mount and a One Clear Connection cable, to hang more neatly without cord clutter, while optional interchangeable frames (white, beige wood, black, walnut) and the Studio Stand mean it can be customised for any space.
Even better, version two of The Frame is a superior TV to the original that elevates it towards the higher end of Samsung’s 4K range, with HDR10+ technology and Samsung’s market-leading smart TV capabilities.
It’s also for sale in a wider range of sizes: 43 inch ($1,999.95), 49 inch ($2,599.95), 55 inch ($3,199.95) and 65 inch ($4,299.95).