Giving Back Is Dead: Audrey Ou

On a chilly morning during Frieze Art Week in Los Angeles, Audrey Ou sat by the fireplace at Scott's home to discuss her groundbreaking tech platform, TRLab, and how she Gives to the Arts.

TRLab was established in 2021 with the vision of using technology to broaden the audience for art collecting and education among millennials and Gen Z. The platform integrates gamification and game mechanics to engage the NextGen audience in a familiar and captivating manner. By expanding the audience, enhancing the enjoyment of the art experience, educating, and demonstrating the relevance of art in our lives, TRLab takes critical initial steps towards supporting Giving to the Arts.

Among the first projects undertaken by TRLab is highly inventive and creative support for artist-endowed foundations’ mission: Calder Foundation and Chris Burden Estate. Despite the decline of the NFT market, TRLab utilizes generative NFTs to allow users to experience firsthand the artistry of Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang, particularly his use of fireworks, demonstrating their enduring relevance independent of market trends.

Audrey explores the potential of NFTs as a revenue model benefiting artists, artist-endowed foundations, and art institutions. TRlab has also collaborated with David Ariew and Tatler China on a philanthropic initiative, donating 50% of proceeds to Save the Children.

During our discussion, Audrey shared insights into her legacy philanthropic activities as a Global Patron of LACMA and a member of the Guggenheim's Asia Art Council.

Finally, we explored the distinctions between philanthropic practices in Asia and the U.S., a topic we plan to delve deeper into in future conversations.