A deep dive into Audrey Ou and TRLab’s effect on the fine art industry
Audrey Ou, co-founder and CEO of TRLab, is laser-focused on creating a new fine art experience for buyers and lovers of art. By leveraging NFT technology, Ou is interested in making the traditional fine art industry more accessible to a new generation of collectors.
Audrey Ou has always loved art, beginning when she was a child and growing up, as she worked at the Rockbund Art Museum, which her parents founded in 2010. Through experiences at various technology companies, Ou ended up becoming involved in TRLab, a fine art platform designed to work with technology.
NFTs, or Non-Fungible Tokens, are digital assets that use blockchain technology. Blockchain technology ensures that each NFT is unique and not interchangeable. Unlike cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, NFTs are unique digital tokens, meaning each one has a specific identity and value that cannot be swapped one for one with another. This makes them perfect for certifying the authenticity and ownership of fine art.
TRLab’s first collaboration was with renowned Chinese contemporary artist Cai Guo-Qiang, known for his gunpowder paintings. The NFT project, titled Transient Eternity – 101 Ignitions of Gunpowder Paintings, was made by capturing 100 explosions from a previous work, Individual’s Journey Through Western Art History. The NFT captures the explosions, which the artist thought as the birthing moment of his works, in a way that was never done before. The piece was commissioned by the Rockbund Art Museum for its tenth anniversary and the launch of its new digital platform, garnering a successful $2.5m. TRLab ended up further collaborating with Cai to create a small surprise for the NFT community: Exploding the Self.
The Calder Question was another notable collaboration with the Calder Foundation, who represents the works of Alexander Calder, a renowned sculptor. The mission of the Calder Foundation is to preserve Calder’s legacy and share his works. This partnership took the form of a choose-your-own-adventure educational experience, with people who put time and effort in being awarded access to special NFTs. TRLab facilitated the Calder Foundation’s collaboration with award winning digital artist Raoul Marks (represented by Triple X).
TRLab’s mission goes beyond the hype of cashing in on the crypto-art mania. Ou hopes to create a real community for art lovers. TRLab allows artists to realize their vision, creating the art they wish to make. Even more importantly, artists retain their rights to their works.
TRLab has launched several high-profile NFT art projects and secured over $6 million in funding to expand their fine art collections and technology infrastructure. Removing the economic and geographic barriers to art collection allows new collectors to interact with art in new ways. Audrey Ou will continue to influence and impact the art world with her innovative ideas and deep passion for art.
Audrey Ou is CEO and co-founder of TRLab, acting as business leader and art liaison. She is a frequent speaker on fine art NFTs. She holds a B.A. in History from Princeton University and a M.S. in Applied Analytics from Columbia University. She has been named to the 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 List, the 2022 Apollo Magazine 40 Under 40 Asia Pacific List, and the 2022 Tatler Gen. T list. Audrey Ou is a member of the Guggenheim Museum’s Young Collectors and Asian Art committees.
About the Author
Arnulfo Hooper, “Hooper” to everyone who knows him, is an avid art fan and self-proclaimed WAGMI. He is a freelance writer and lives in Burbank with his partner and their two dogs.
