Want to Own a Van Gogh for Less Than $1,000? NFTs Are The Answer

Buying an actual painting from Vincent Willem van Gogh (better known simply as Van Gogh) will likely cost millions of dollars, making it an unattainable dream for most art enthusiasts. That is why some are paying close attention to a recent announcement: On October 10, the first-ever Van Gogh NFT collection was released by the Van Gogh Sites Foundation in collaboration with Hong Kong-based Web3 platform Appreciator.


The first part of the NFT collection consists of six multimedia works created by local artists from the homeland of the Dutch Post-Impressionist, Brabant, the Netherlands.


Contrary to what some might imagine, the NFTs are not replicas of existing Van Gogh works.

Born in Brabant himself, Tomas Snels, the 15-member team’s chief artist, came up with the concept for the NFT collection, which focuses on heritage sites that tie into the artist’s life and legacy. Touched by Van Gogh’s passion for nature, he also included a leaf in each token as a homage to the artist.


Snels’ six NFT artworks incorporate music, videography, and 3D technology.


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One of six artworks from the collection


“The work is a collaborative creation with more than 1,000 hours’ effort from a team of 15 passionate collaborators, comprising talented copywriters, visual artists, 3D engineers, musicians and composers, and videographers,” explained Snels.


The Van Gogh NFT collection consists of two editions: the Century and the Millennium. The Century edition, a total of 150 NFTs, features three digital artworks related to heritage sites in Zundert, and is listed on Appreciator. Members of the public are welcome to purchase them for 880 USD a piece.


Meanwhile, the Millennium edition, which sees a limited number of just 75 NFTs, will only be available to members of Appreciator at 9,850 USD per token.


In addition to gaining an NFT, each Millennium-edition buyer will receive a 3D-printed silver leaf in a wooden box crafted from a poplar tree in Van Gogh’s homeland. Corporations that acquire three NFTs from the Millennium edition will have a poplar tree planted in their names.


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Additional items that come with each purchase of a Van Gogh NFT from the Millennium edition


Appreciator received more than 100 inquiries before the official launch of the collection. Additionally, the Web3 company’s website received over 5,000 views in the first 24 hours following the launch, reported CEO and co-founder Emily Cheung.


“Now we have to think of adding resources to handle sales inquiries,” Cheung told RADII. “We are also handling inquiries from extra commercial brands for co-branding requests.”


The Van Gogh NFT collection is Appreciator’s first-ever project — and an ambitious one at that. Although it’s been a hectic year in the NFT market, Cheung believes that NFTs bring countless benefits to multiple parties.


“This initiative can propel Hong Kong to the forefront of the digital art arena,” said Cheung. “Appreciator aims to spearhead the offering of FINE NFT, which is unique and authentic, and drives social impact in preserving cultural heritage and supporting local artists worldwide as they embark on their artistic journeys.”


artworks from the Van Gogh NFT collection

Artworks from the NFT collection


Artists from Hong Kong will stand a chance to contribute to Appreciator’s international projects in the near future. After all, last week’s release is just one of many to come, said Cheung.


Cover photo via Depositphotos; other images courtesy of Emily Cheung

Ferrari’s Luxury Fashion Line to Debut on Chinese Ecommerce Market

Italian luxury sports car manufacturer Ferrari is experimenting in the Chinese market, but not with vehicles. Instead, the brand will soon launch a clothing store on the Chinese ecommerce platform TMall, where a trench coat will sell for as high as 44,500 RMB (about 6,187 USD).


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Two jackets on Ferrari’s TMall storefront. Image via Weibo


The store will open for preorders on October 24, offering Chinese consumers an opportunity to acquire apparel from Ferrari’s high-end fashion line, which debuted in June 2021.


Creative director Rocco Iannone, who previously worked for Armani and Dolce & Gabbana, is the mastermind behind the brand designs.


Ferrari’s fall 2022 ready-to-wear line featured pieces such as a slick motorcycle jacket, a leather bustier dress, and an oversized jacquard print jumpsuit.

As far as we can see, Ferrari’s TMall selection displays similar design elements, such as androgynous styles and bold leather detailing. Prices range from 630 RMB (88 USD) to 44,500 RMB; the most expensive item listed is the aforementioned trench coat.


ferrari luxury clothing

Another Ferrari item for sale. Image via Weibo


The car company’s venture into luxury clothing has caused a stir on the Chinese internet.


Some are poking fun at the brand’s attempt at diversification. “Can you run like a sports car while wearing [their clothes]?” joked a user of the Chinese microblogging website Weibo.


Others are appalled by the company’s cut-throat prices. “Does [Ferrari] really think we are so easily taken advantage of?” wondered a netizen.


Many have also drawn comparisons between the clothing line and other luxury companies’ unexpected offerings, like Porsche’s kitchen knives and Louis Vuitton’s luxury bicycle, not to mention the latter’s table tennis paddles.

Like other brands, Ferrari’s expansion into the fashion world is part of its effort to appeal to young Chinese women. It is no secret that the Chinese market is massive — consumers spent almost 74 billion USD on luxury goods in 2021.


Ferrari’s ecommerce store will open just in time for China’s Singles’ Day on November 11, which is comparable to (albeit much bigger than) Black Friday in the U.S. for its hot deals and discounts.


Cover image designed by the author

New HBO Documentary Chronicles Jeremy Lin’s Landmark 2012 NBA Season

It has been over a decade since Jeremy Lin blew up the basketball world with one of the most phenomenal performance streaks in NBA history. But we here at RADII have not forgotten, nor have his fans, teammates, or, indeed, HBO.


On October 11, the subscription network that brought the world hit series like Game of Thrones, The Wire, and Curb Your Enthusiasm dove into the Jeremy Lin saga of the 2011-2012 New York Knicks season that came to be known as ‘Linsanity’ with a short film titled 38 At The Garden.

Directed by filmmaker Frank Chi (RBG, 2018), the appropriately timed 38-minute film features Lin’s former Knicks teammates Tyson Chandler and Iman Shumpert, as well as several Asian-American actors and media personalities, including Hasan Minaj, Ronnie Chieng, Lisa Ling, and Jenny Yang.


38 At The Garden examines not only the phenomenon of Linsanity but also the cultural impact of Jeremy Lin 10 years later, against the backdrop of a nation plagued by a rise in anti-Asian violence amid the Covid-19 pandemic.


The short documentary, named after one of Lin’s most memorable performances — a 38-point night against Kobe Bryant’s Lakers at Madison Square Garden, initially premiered at New York City’s 2022 Tribeca Film Festival in June.


38 at the Garden HBO Jeremy Lin

Image via IMDb


On the red carpet for the event, Lin said he was “blown away,” adding that the film is “about different groups of people coming together, uniting and moving forward.”


Lin defies the inaccurate and baseless stereotypes applied to Asians in America, and his performance inspired the Asian community in a way that goes beyond athletics.


Or, as Minaj puts it in the documentary trailer: “This moment, it broke the matrix for us.”


Lin led his Palo Alto high school basketball team to a state championship and went unrecruited for college ball. He broke Ivy League basketball records as a Harvard athlete and went undrafted by the NBA. He was passed from team to team and nearly cut from the league before the streak changed everything.


Linsanity Jeremy Lin

Screengrab via YouTube


The Jeremy Lin story is one of transcending adversity and boundaries around every corner, and Lin’s legacy on and off the court remains impactful even a decade later.


“On February 10, 2012, in the middle of a miraculous two-week stretch of basketball, the whole world watched as an undrafted point guard from Harvard University broke cultural barriers, played the game at the most elite level, and inspired fans and nonfans alike,” said producer Samir Hernandez.


“38 At The Garden tells the story of Jeremy’s ascent from anonymity to global superstardom and the cultural significance that he had, and it continues to have for both Asian Americans and Asians globally.”


But the celebrated athlete’s story is not over yet: Lin announced back in September that he would be joining the Guangzhou Loong Lions (广州龙狮) of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) in the upcoming season.


Cover image: screengrab via YouTube

Chinese Coconut Milk Brand Goes Viral (Again) For Tacky Advertising

One of China’s most renowned coconut milk brands, Hainan-based Coconut Palm, is once drawing attention over a tacky campaign on the Chinese version of TikTok, Douyin.


The livestream occurred during China’s week-long National Day holiday and featured curvy women in tight-fitting clothes dancing provocatively to promote the brand’s coconut beverages.


The campaign quickly went viral on Weibo, with a related hashtag gaining more than 42 million views and sparking a tidal wave of comments.


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Coconut Palm’s livestream on Douyin. Clip via Weibo


“How can the CEO not understand? Those who buy Coconut Palm do it because it’s tasty, not because of the advertising!” reads a comment with almost 7,000 likes.


Others have dismissed haters by saying that the campaign wasn’t that provocative: “During the summer, I see many women on the street wearing much less than this.”


Hilda Yu, a Shanghai-based 30-year-old who works in advertising, finds Coconut Palm’s marketing approach interesting rather than offensive.


“It’s clearly geared towards second- and third-tier cities. I am not their target, but I remember drinking [their coconut milk] with my dad whenever we went for dinner,” she tells RADII.


This is not the first time the company has sparked a debate. In 2019, Coconut Palm faced backlash after championing a controversial slogan: “Drinking (Coconut Palm) from childhood to now (从小喝到大),” which can be interpreted as “From small to big by drinking.” To many, it was an apparent reference to the curves of the voluptuous woman featured on the beverage’s packaging, actress Raquel Xu.


coconut palm scandal

Coconut Palm’s classic packaging. Image via Weibo


In addition to essentially alluding that the beverage enhances breast size, the company has claimed that consuming coconut milk makes for a fairer complexion.


After being called out by consumers for false marketing claims and approving sexually-charged ads, Coconut Palm finally admitted that its products had no impact on breast size and was fined twice by local authorities.


Whether or not it was intentional, Coconut Palm’s recent advertisement taps into a global trend, one that even Chinese American fashion designer Alexander Wang went for with his last fashion campaign: Though divisive, Douyin-inspired ‘tacky advertising’ often goes viral on social media. And at the end of the day, that’s what brands want: widespread attention and online hype.


All images via Weibo

New Horror Graphic Novel a Vivid Tale About Otherworldly Family

A joint creation of The New York Times-bestselling novelist Marjorie Liu and Eisner Award-winning illustrator Sana Takeda, The Night Eaters: She Eats The Night is a horror graphic novel about supernatural chaos and family ties in the lives of Chinese American twins.


Published by Abrams ComicArts, the graphic novel dropped on October 11.


the cover of she eats the night the night eaters marjorie liu sana takeda

Cover for The Night Eaters: She Eats The Night


She Eats The Night, the first volume of what will become The Night Eaters trilogy, follows twins Milly and Billy, who are struggling restaurateurs. While restoring a run-down house that was the site of a violent murder, they accidentally unleash grotesque horrors, which reveal hidden truths about the twins and their mother, Ipo.


The comic jumps about in both its setting and timeline. Readers will learn more about Ipo’s youth in mid-century Hong Kong and the twins’ life in present-day America — two separate but connected tales distinguished by Takeda’s elaborate art.


She Eats The Night has thus far been compared to Barry Windsor-Smith’s graphic novel Monsters, Kevin Kwan’s novel Crazy Rich Asians, and Boots Riley’s film Sorry to Bother You.


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Illustrator Sana Takeda’s rendering of Ipo


A definitive highlight of She Eats The Night is the illustrations. Takeda renders the story using sepia-toned watercolors and intricate inkwork, qualities reminiscent of traditional Chinese paintings. She also does a deft job of swiftly transitioning from placid domesticity to a sinister shadow world.


Liu’s fascinating plot backs the illustrations. The writer’s unique take on the classic haunted house tale ultimately transforms Ipo into the star of the story.


Possibly the most dynamic of all the characters, she embodies the mystery and self-sacrifice of many Chinese mothers, a trajectory also seen in Pixar’s Turning Red and Everything Everywhere All At Once, starring Chinese Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh.


she eats the night milly and billy

An illustrated conversation between twins Milly and Billy


Although Milly and Billy’s personalities occasionally fall flat, especially compared to Ipo’s in-depth character development, the comic’s twists and turns are interesting enough to keep readers hooked.


Overall, She Eats The Night is a haunting and heartfelt creation that culminates with a collision between a monstrous underworld and familial love, making it a gripping read.


The Night Eaters trilogy is not the first collaboration between Liu and Takeda. Both are also the masterminds behind Monstress, an award-winning fantasy comic series set in a 20th-century Asian steampunk world.


All images via Abrams ComicArts, courtesy of Superfan Promotions

Chinese Actress Tang Wei Shines on South Korean Film Festival Circuit

Nominations for the 58th Daejong Film Awards are in, and Chinese actress Tang Wei is in the running for the ‘Best Actress’ award for starring in Decision to Leave (2022), a South Korean mystery and romance movie.


tang wei in decision to leave

Tang Wei in Decision to Leave. Image via Weibo


In Decision to Leave, Tang plays Seo-rae, a beguiling widow suspected of murdering her husband. Throughout the film, the detective on the case (played by Park Hae-il) gets unwittingly drawn into Seo-rae’s orbit, ultimately leading to chaos.


The character of Seo-rae is a Korean-speaking Chinese woman who occasionally relies on a translator app. Film reviewer Brian Tallerico commented that the directorial decision highlights how Seo-rae and the detective “aren’t really speaking to one another in a direct manner.”

This sort of obfuscation, along with themes of desire and regret, reverberates throughout Decision to Leave, which has been well-received on the international film festival circuit and by South Korean audiences.


The Korean Film Council even selected Decision to Leave as South Korea’s submission for ‘Best International Feature Film’ at the 95th Academy Awards. The film has made almost 14 million USD at domestic box offices.


decision to leave promotional poster

Promotional poster for the film. Image via IMDb


Chinese netizens have celebrated Tang’s nomination, with many calling her a “goddess.” The hashtag for her nomination garnered more than 76 million views in less than 24 hours on the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo.


Tang first gained fame for playing the female protagonist in Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution (2007), a period film based on Eileen Chang’s book of the same name.


Since then, she has starred in popular films like the 2013 romcom Finding Mr. Right and the 2015 action thriller Blackhat (with Chris Hemsworth). Decision to Leave isn’t Tang’s first time working with a South Korean director: she also starred in Tae-yong Kim’s Late Autumn (2010).


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Tang and Tony Leung in Lust, Caution. Image via IMDb


A decade and a half later, Tang is back in the spotlight for her acting skills. Earlier this year, she was the first foreign actress to win ‘Best Actress’ at two smaller South Korean film awards (Chunsa Film Art Awards and the Buil Film Awards), also for her outstanding performance in Decision to Leave.


Also known as the Grand Bell Awards, the Daejong Film Awards is the most prestigious of the three and has been dubbed ‘South Korea’s version of the Oscars’ by The Wall Street Journal.


Fans will finally find out if Tang will take home the ‘Best Actress’ award again during the award ceremony on December 9.


Cover image via IMDb