The Frame by Yves Behar for Samsung

I have had so many clients over the years tell me that while they may require a television in a family or living room, they don't want to have to look at it when it is off. And I don't blame them: a big, yawning, black rectangle is a waste of visual space.

But now, renowned product and commercial designer Yves Behar has created a new kind of television called The Frame for electronics manufacturer Samsung. Behar's company fuseproject outlines the new TV:

A home is an expression of personal taste, functional needs and interests. Every piece of furniture, every work of art on the wall, every object, becomes part of an aesthetic and style. The television is no exception. Whether it is small or large it has a strong visual presence in a room, even if you try to hide it. In our smaller homes and apartments, when a television is off its black square takes up valuable real estate.

As part of an ongoing collaboration with Samsung, we began to think about the television not as a consumer electronics product, but as part of our home and of our daily life. What if the TV display in my home delivered a different experience? What if the TV disappeared in the décor when it’s not in use?

The Frame is a beautiful display designed specifically to bring walls to life whether it is in use or not. When someone turns entertainment TV off, rather than going to black, the display goes into ‘Art Mode.’ We worked with world-renown curator Elise Van Middelem to find stunning works of art exclusive to The Frame – more than 100 pieces across 10 diverse genres, scanned at 4000K resolution and shown in Ultra High Definition (UHD). The Frame is not just another television, but a new experience of displays in the home.

For The Frame’s physical design, we looked to the art world experts – ensuring that every aspect of the display properly presents the work. Rather than built-in matting, we have added this in digitally: in ultra high-definition, it appears absolutely real. We consulted with expert framers from some of the most prestigious museums to format digital matting and display details. The Frame’s physical bezel is customizable, with white, black, and wood veneer available at launch. The smooth visual transition from Art mode to the entertainment 16:9 aspect ratio, is both beautiful and a magical moment in the Frame experience.

The digital interface of ‘Art Mode’ became as important a design challenge as the form itself. The platform needed to be accessible for any user, while still respecting the integrity of the art. We designed a gallery-style platform utilizing a clean, minimalist aesthetic similar to a traditional gallery. In the gallery setting, users can explore art by artist or genre, selecting which pieces get displayed. At launch, we’re providing Frame customers with 100 pieces of extraordinary artwork, from 38 different artists, in 10 genres. And of course, if you’d rather display your own artwork or family photos, there is an option for that as well.

Each artwork is converted to a digital media through the highest scanning standards and looks stunning and real. Artworks can be shown with white or color mattes and other framing conventions according to the artist’s preferences. In addition, the brightness sensor adjusts the image based on the room lighting, making artworks closely resemble the original. The result is art that blends in the environment in the same way that printed photography or a painted canvas would look. When you buy The Frame, you are also investing in these artists – pulling work specifically for this display, and presented as a piece of stunning artwork in your home.

Happy designing!