I’ve seen LG’s $60,000 transparent OLED TV a couple of times before: at tech shows, in hushed demo rooms, or plunked down in mostly-sterile setups with nothing behind it but... a wall. Which, let’s be real, that kind of defeats the whole point, and definitely didn’t help in convincing me that transparent TVs have a place in our homes.
A see-through screen is supposed to be magical after all, right? I hadn’t seen it used in a way that actually sold the fantasy.
That’s all changed thanks to a collaboration between LG and artist Steven Harrington. Partnering on an installation for the Frieze gallery that just hit New York City, LG’s OLED and lifestyle TVs bring Harrington’s work to life in a way I haven’t quite seen before.
Harrington’s work, which you’ve probably spotted even if you don’t know his name (he's the one with the googly-eyed dog and psychedelic palm trees), animates across LG’s OLED lineup in a colorful burst of motion.
But instead of framed canvases contrasting with the otherwise-greyscale space, LG’s TVs filled in the color, moving, glowing, and transforming the space with the kind of vivid tones the best OLED TVs are known for pulling off.
The real scene-stealer was the LG Signature OLED T, a 77-inch transparent TV, finally doing the one thing it was designed for: blending in.
The case for owning a transparent TV
The harmony between Harrington’s quirky LA-pop sensibility and LG’s display tech seemed effortless.
Standing in a brightly-lit room surrounded by art, this TV felt more to me like a sculpture than a screen. It played a looping animation of Harrington’s dog-like mascot, blooming flowers, and candy-colored moments that drifted in and out of view.
And the kicker? You could see through the panel to the art behind it, and in some cases, to other TVs in the room (different orientations of the LG StanBy ME 2, to be specific.) It was like the animation was floating in space.
It’s the first time I’ve seriously considered that a transparent TV might actually be worth owning for a reason other than flexing on your friends. It’s obviously not for everyone, and it’s well out of the average budget, but if your space leans a little whimsical this could be a functional art piece.
For comparison, most “art TVs” like Samsung’s popular Frame TV (side note: including the Frame TV Pro that I'm quite impressed with) live on walls, trying to blend in by pretending to be framed paintings. This, on the other hand, could sit in front of a window. Or, right in the middle of your living room.
There’s also a bit of tech practicality that makes it more usable than it seems. The OLED T has a rolling contrast film that rises up when you want to watch something, turning it into a regular OLED panel. It also pairs with LG’s Zero Connect box, so you can stash all your ports and inputs elsewhere, keeping the display clean and cable-free.
And while I wouldn’t call myself an art aficionado (casual admirer is generous), I walked out of the Frieze gallery genuinely impressed. The harmony between Harrington’s quirky LA-pop sensibility and LG’s display tech seemed effortless. It wasn’t a TV trying to be art, instead it was art accentuated by a TV.
That’s what made the Signature OLED T click for me at last, and now, it’s easy to admit I actually want one.
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