StageBlock Studio
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Sir Ian McKellen, All the world's a stage... (As you like it. ), 2023 -
Sir Patrick Stewart, We few, we happy few, we band of brothers... (Henry V), 2023
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Sir Derek Jacobi, To be, or not to be: that is the question (Hamlet), 2023
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Dame Harriet Walter, Ye elves of hills, brooks, standing lakes and groves (The Tempest), 2023
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Sir David Suchet, Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day (Macbeth), 2023
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Charles Dance, O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend. The brightest heaven of invention (Henry V), 2023
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Juliet Stevenson, To whom should I complain? Did I tell this, who would believe me? (Measure for Measure) , 2023
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Simon Callow, What is honour? a word. What is in that word honour? what is that honour? (Henry IV, Part I), 2023
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Adrian Lester, O, that this too too solid flesh would melt thaw and resolve itself into a dew! (Hamlet) , 2023
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Frances Barber, Give me my robe. Put on my crown. I have Immortal longings in me. (Anthony & Cleopatra), 2023
StageBlock’s inaugural exhibition at the Red Eight Gallery in November 2024, presents The Shakespeare Portraits (Act I). A collection of 10 living portraits unlike anything else in the space, featuring iconic actors such as Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Patrick Stewart, Sir Derek Jacobi and Dame Harriet Walter amongst others.
Each living portrait captures the true essence and spirit of the sitter, and recreates the quintessential experience of the actor’s intimate connection with their audience and the text. Infusing frozen moments of traditional portraiture and modern cinematography with the powerful brushstrokes of Shakespeare’s language, curated by renowned RSC Honorary Associate Director, Ron Daniels.
The result is a timeless and captivating visual experience. The physical piece is authenticated on-chain, and enables the performing arts to finally enter the wider art market, ensuring authenticity, exclusivity and collector benefits.
Led by creative director and producer Arsalan Sattari-Hicks, co-founded with Dr. Francesco Pierangeli, StageBlock pioneers a new chapter for performance and digital collection, with a new IP and an ethical production model.
StageBlock Studio, brings the performing arts into the wider art market. Having captured the imagination and attention of both the performance industry and the art market, they craft original, exclusive and collectable artworks featuring some of the most revered actors in the world. Their approach merges artistic expression with emerging technologies, and serves as a testament to ongoing innovation in this age of collecting. Co-founded by Arsalan Sattari-Hicks and Dr.Francesco Pierangeli, StageBlock’s established new IP and ethical, streamlined production model is primed to showcase and replicate diverse collections globally; while building a high quality Web3 ecosystem to benefit the talent and collectors, and to give back to the live performance community.
ARSALAN SATTARI-hicks
Creative Director and Co-Founder, Arsalan has over a decade of experience as a creative producer in the London theatre and live performance industry, and as a creative director and designer of visual and live arts. He has commissioned, produced and fostered the growth of projects by globally acclaimed artists in the UK to great commercial and critical acclaim. He has conducted extensive research in commercial live and visual arts audience development and production, while at Goldsmiths University of London, and holds an MSc in Creative and Cultural Industry Management and a BA in Economics and Management from University of Sheffield.
FRANCESCO PIERANGELI
Dr. Francesco Pierangeli is an academic at the University of Birmingham working on the integration of emerging technologies into socio-economic processes. He is a patron of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts and co-founded several projects within the creative industries. Francesco is the Deputy Director of the UK Centre for Blockchain Technologies where he is currently building an extensive network of researchers interested in making value exchange more efficient, transparent and equitable. Francesco holds a PhD in Economics jointly awarded by King’s College London and the National University of Singapore. Before joining academia, he worked at J.P. Morgan and UBS.