“elrow’art is not just another elrow theme,” says Juan Arnau Jr., CEO and co-founder of elrow. “It is a full new platform that puts together contemporary art and electronic music. The first theme we created under its umbrella is completely different from the rest of the themes we launched before. If you come to a Kaos Garden show, you will feel like [you’re] dancing inside a massive art masterpiece and part of it.”
The new concept is a collaboration with Desigual, techno legend Paco Osuna, Okuda San Miguel of art collective Ink and Movement and, of course, elrow. The concept has been touring under the theme Kaos Garden, which places attendees in a mystical and fantastical world full of color, in true elrow style, but it also boasts geometric designs and colors by San Miguel, fashion by Desigual and beats curated by Osuna.
“[elrow’art] originated from the need of exploring new boundaries, and we thought that art was the best playground to do it,” Arnau says. He adds that he felt “the same attitude and curiosity drive” with San Miguel and Ink and Movement, making them an ideal match for the project.
The Kaos Garden stage was created by Okuda San Miguel. Courtesy of Eric Cunningham.
ERIC CUNNINGHAM
According to San Miguel, he created around 60 pieces of art for the concept, 40 fabric prints and 800 inflatables. Arnau notes that while San Miguel brings lively and colorful art to the event, Osuna brings a “dark side with his signature techno music style.” To Arnau, this contrast is key, and together the two create a theme based on “The Garden of Earthly Delights” by Hieronymus Bosch—a painting that represents heaven and hell.
“elrow and especially elrow’art is a concept of events with a lot of color, light and life, so the music has to be very upbeat and make people enjoy themselves constantly,” Osuna says of how he curates the music for the show.
The event also features fashion by Desigual. Courtesy of Eric Cunningham.
ERIC CUNNINGHAM
Desigual is the brand partner for the project, and Arnau says their “daring attitude” makes them an ideal partner for the project.
“At Desigual, we are actively looking for levers to reconnect the brand to creative and fun communities, and [we] found in elrow’art a partner that merged art and music in the global arena in creative and unexpected ways that no other players are,” says Guillem Gallego, chief marketing officer at Desigual.
The event, which originated in Spain, has been touring Europe and also making stops in Miami and Brooklyn. Michael Julian, head of elrow in North America, says both the New York and Miami elrow’art premier shows sold out. "It was apparent that integrating art, music and theatre together in such a unique way, elrow’art was able to create a lot of excitement from the fans in the United States, while attracting a new audience that consisted of both fashion trend setters and art tastemakers,” he says.
As for what’s next: “elrow’art is not only a way to create shows of a new kind, it is a platform that will translate into many different forms, like interactive exhibitions, object creation and design and many other things to come in the near future,” Arnau says.