Gucci Reveals The 2nd Chapter Of #24HourAce
Gucci launches the second phase of its Instagram-based project – #24HourAce – built around the House’s famous sneaker, the Ace. The first chapter, which debuted in 2016, invited a group of creatives from around the world to participate in visual collaborations with Gucci inspired by the Ace’s codes, colors, graphics and design elements. From its launch, the Ace sneaker has served as a canvas for Alessandro Michele’s eclectic imagination, and is part of the Gucci Beloved collections—accessories enamored by the Creative Director and the wearer, designed to be returned to season after season.
This time a collective of participating artists made a short film or animation using the Ace sneaker as the theme, an exercise designed to reflect the way in which the digital landscape has evolved over the past three years, since #24HourAce was first undertaken.
Among the creatives involved are multimedia artists, collagists and directors with an expertise in stop-motion and animation as well as the creation of animated artworks. Their work has a different spirit to the project’s first chapter, reflecting the changes made in the digital sphere with technology and, in particular, the rise of stimulating ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) shaped content.
This joyful sensation people feel by audio and visual stimulation is something that the Ace sneaker lends itself to on account of its playful design and use of materials, color and, in particular, decorative details. ASMR is characterized by a physical tingling feeling that starts in the scalp and then spreads down through the body, accompanied by a sensation of relaxation and well-being. The interpretations of the Ace sneaker featured in 2019’s #24HourAce initiative are particularly created with ASMR in mind.
Hailing from diverse countries, the artists behind this chapter of #24HourAce include the Argentinian motion graphics designer Esteban Diacono, whose work is strangely disconcerting and Daniel Lam from Hong Kong, a 3D animator whose colorful, stylized universe is hypnotic and satisfying. Some, like New Yorker Didi Rojas—who makes ceramic sculptures of shoes—work in a representational way, while others adopt a more surreal approach, like Japanese artist Kensuke Koike, who makes photographic collages. A traditional ASMR creator, Laura Lemurex, creates ASMR videos through microphone brushing, scratching and touching, as seen in her work for #24HourAce featuring the sneakers being touched by manicured hands.
By setting all the artists the same challenge—where the Ace sneaker is the common point of departure—#24HourAce becomes a message of self-expression, an idea richly woven into Gucci’s contemporary creative vision.
The project will be showcased across all of Gucci’s social media channels and will also have a dedicated microsite online 24hourace.gucci.com with official hashtags #24HourAce and #GucciASMR.
