The future of wall art is E Ink, expansive – and out of my price range

Artworks that can be swapped with a swipe aren’t so sci-fi now that colour E Ink frames are a thing, but it takes more than simply going big if you want real wow factor. InkPoster’s latest isn’t just the world’s largest digital color art poster – the A1 installation sits in a fame hand-crafted by legendary Italian design house Pininfarina.

At more than a meter wide, the InkPoster x Pininfarina Duna is a proper statement piece. The 40.5in/A1 dimensions put every other ePaper poster to shame, while its E Ink Spectra 6 screen can show 60,000 convincing colours without the need for a backlight. Sharp’s IGZO tech and a unique rendering method help add a sense of depth, at a high enough resolution to look like a real printed page.

The paper-like surface has zero glare, doesn’t emit any light, and operates silently, meaning the Duna’s built-in battery can kick ticking for a full calendar year before it’ll need plugging in – unlike smart displays or art TVs such as the Samsung Frame, LG Gallery or recently announced Amazon Ember Artline, which need a 24/7 mains connection.

Pininfarina then shaped the bespoke frame out of curved metal, in a nod to some of the iconic sports cars it helped design, and wrapped it in hand-stitched Alcantara. It’s set to launch in a trio of colour options: black, beige, and brown.

The app-enabled poster can be set to show your own snaps or any of InkPoster’s thousands of licensed artworks, but motoring fans will want to head straight for the Pininfarina collaboration. It includes a curated selection of original sketches from the studio’s most well-known creations, including the outlandish 1970 Modulo concept supercar.

The press release suggesting the InkPoster x Pininfarina Duna would suit “hotels and restaurants” as well as private homes should give a clue that it isn’t a pocket money purchase. Pricing starts at $6,000. Indecisive art collectors can order directly from the InkPoster website.

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