Alice Zhang is the founder of Mischmasch. She graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2006 with a degree in graphic design. After that, she worked as a designer in NYC and London before moving to Hong Kong in 2008.
What is your startup?
Mischmasch is an online artist platform, artists upload their works and people interact with them. We just upgraded it with a brand new design. The new design features a dynamic grid system that algorithmically rearranges based on number of votes and when the artwork was uploaded.
How did you come up with this idea?
I went to some artist run exhibitions in Clerkenwell, London in 2007. I saw some amazing works were but at the time they weren’t getting a lot of attention. A lot of the works were suitable for viewing online so I started a website where artist can upload their works.
Who are you targeting and how big is the market in HK/Asia?
Our target is contemporary artists, and the new generation of young collectors and art enthusiasts. Art is universal, every culture has it, but there is a vast worldwide interest in Chinese art. Chinese artists born in the post 80s are tackling issues such as the challenges of urban lifestyles, commercialism, finding meaning in the disparate material that inundates our lives — themes that dominate the digital era.
What are your future plans for your startup?
The immediate goal is adding a social e-commerce platform where you can buy art online, where artists and collectors can connect directly — like an eBay for art. The majority of the art industry is still brick and mortar, as though every other industry has moved on into the digital era and the art industry has been left behind. That’s because art requires context, not just content. The aim is to bring the subtle nuances of life into the digital world.
1 Benefit and 1 Challenge in the HK startup scene?
Benefit: constantly meeting people that are willing to take risks, people with grit, those that are not afraid to suffer a little for the sake of ‘having a go’.
Challenge: building a good team.
Follow Mischmasch:
- URL www.mischmasch.com
- Twitter @_mischmasch_
- Facebook www.facebook.com/mischmaschonline
Connect with Alice:
- Twitter @alice_zhang
More about Mischmasch:
- SCMP Young Post: http://www.yp.scmp.com/home/website/Article.aspx?id=3772
- Mischmasch case study in Fundamental Accounting Priciples, McGraw-Hill: http://www.mischmaschgallery.com/press/accountingtextbookmischmasch_alicezhang.jpg
- Art Radar: http://artradarjournal.com/2011/07/13/interview-with-alice-zhang-at-mischmasch-gallery/
- Milk Magazine: http://www.mischmaschgallery.com/press/milkmagazineInterviewUrbanMind.jpg
