China-based smartphone maker Oppo is continuing its art and design campaign by announcing the fourth iteration of the Oppo Renovators Emerging Artists Project, inviting both professional and non-professional creatives to submit interdisciplinary artwork that revolves around the theme art and technology’s fusion in the modern era.
The submissions will be based on either the aesthetic language and concepts surrounding the brand’s lifestyle tech Reno series, or its very own mascot named Ollie. To date, roughly ten thousand artists have actively participated in this campaign, and Oppo hopes to grow this community of creatives even further.
Since its inaugural launch three years ago, the program has been able to develop partnerships with learning institutions situated in 230 cities across 40 countries, continuing to build its database of ‘Future Renovators’ and ‘Brand Renovators’ in exploring the amalgamation of art and technology.
“Through the Oppo Renovators, we aim to build a global platform for future-oriented art and design practices. We want to encourage young creators to engage in the creative process of integrating tech and art, contributing to building a better world through the power of innovation,” said William Liu, president of Oppo’s Global Marketing division.
Entries for the Reno Artwork category will be centered on concepts and design applications for the Oppo smartphone series while the Ollie IP application design encourages participants to explore how to use Oppo’s mascot in more creative mediums.
The submissions will be assessed by a panel of expert judges from the School of Intermedia Art (SIMA) at the China Academy of Art, the independent curator community, and the Kyoto University of Arts. The artworks are designed to address social issues like smart living technology, promoting sustainability, the utilization of new materials, reduction of carbon emissions, the importance of security and privacy, innovations in multimedia, and connectivity among others.
By the end of the program, Oppo will name a single awardee each for Future Renovator and Brand Renovator, four Renovator Creativity awards, four Renovators Emerging talents, 10 Renovators New Concept awards, and 80 shortlisted Renovators.
Oppo will begin accepting submissions on May 31 and the deadline is set for August 18. After the results are tallied on September 1, the announcement of awarding ceremonies will take place seven days later.
“We look to inspire young creators to share their thoughts and stories through artistic expression supported by science and technology, and to reach a global audience. Combining science and technology with art makes genuine innovation possible. It also allows driven people to live smart lifestyles, while promoting the latest technology and enhancing society. This is a call to the upcoming young talent that can change our world,” the company said in a statement.
Oppo will be awarding winning submissions with almost P800,000 worth of prizes and products, and will feature them in international platforms like the London Design Festival, the Shenzhen Sea World Art Center, and Oppo Inno Day. The company is also open to forging business partnerships and career opportunities to exceptional creators and designers.
Meanwhile, Oppo recently revealed the new imaging technology behind its Find X5 Pro flagship, a self-designed neural processing unit (NPU) which is tasked to handle the computational and AI photography workloads of the smartphone where it is installed.
With Marisilicon X, the Find X5 Pro series is able to keep up with the necessary operations per second to make 4K quality night recording with dynamic range and detailing possible.
This process is backed by combining AI-powered noise reduction and 3D noise reduction (3DNR), producing enhanced details and dynamic range in poor lighting conditions.
The photography capabilities, on the other hand, are based on the performance of its SLR-level 5-axis optical image stabilization. The HDR fusion algorithm is also essential for daytime stills by allowing up to 20 stops in dynamic range delivery.
Currently, the official prices for the Oppo Find X5 Pro series are yet to be announced.
