An application similar to Airbnb exclusively connects painters, photographers, sculptors, designers, tattoo and graffiti artists, and video artist with hosts around the world that appreciate art and are willing to offer artists a place to stay in exchange for their work, not for the sake of money but as a way to nurture and take advantage of their creativity.
The initiative to develop the Art Travel app (or Artrvk: acronym for art travel) was inspired by a trip to Africa taken by Hong Kong artist Luanna Lee. Having just left her job in Luanda (Angola), she found herself stuck in town as she waited for the necessary visas to be issued so she could resume her trip. But Lee just did not have enough money to continue paying for accommodations while she waited. While sharing a taxi with the owner of a hotel, she jokingly offered the owner to paint a mural on her property in exchange for lodging. After consulting with her family, the owner said "Let's do it!
"They offered me a place to stay, fed me and drove me to the airport. In exchange, I painted tree murals on the walls of her hotel," explained Luanna Lee, whose artistic signature is Hikki10. The idea completely formed in her mind when, after returning home last February, she learned of similar experiences from other artist friends. So she decided to close the gap: the one that separates the world from those wishing to turn it into their canvases. "These stories and the hospitality shown by my host inspired me to start Artrvl, so all those creative people who love to travel and those who appreciate art can share this wonderful experience."
The application was officially launched on July 31 and today is used by more than 1,000 persons. One of them is Peter Yuill, a Canadian painter and urban artist who recently visited Hong Kong. "I think that if more people took time to travel and learn from other countries and cultures, many of the social problems that afflict the world could be prevented," said Yuill. His host, Rocky Yip, an entrepreneur and art lover, decided to host both Yuill and a local artist "to see how they would interact and how they could influence each other's work."