https://nftnow.com/features/how-to-know-if-your-nfts-will-stand-the-test-of-time/

In recent weeks, the NFT space has seen a large amount of regulatory pressure from the SEC coming to a head, with examples like Stoner Cats being charged raising concerns around the longevity of digital assets and what happens to them if a company is shut down.

On top of conversations and speculation around what is and what is not a security, the NFT space is also starting to become increasingly curious as to what it means to have an asset be truly on-chain.

To dig deeper into all of this, we recently spoke with artist Patrick Amadon, a thought leader on these subjects and a proponent for truly on-chain art or at the very least, an advocate for a standard level of education in the space that would have participants know the difference.

Below, we look at a few crucial aspects to consider when collecting digital assets, primarily knowing what it is you’re collecting, as well as where and how it’s stored.

Classification

Before we go deeper into the technical side of things, we need to first take a look at the specific type of digital asset we’re looking at collecting, as a PFP collectible and a digital artwork represent two entirely different assets.

This has recently been made evident in the case of the Stoner Cats, an NFT project co-created by actress Mila Kunis that has since been removed from major NFT marketplaces like OpenSea, Blur, and Rarible following charges by the SEC for conducting an unregistered offering of crypto asset securities.

However, despite trading being disabled for Stoner Cats, platforms like OpenSea still have the collections project page online, largely because it, like other marketplaces, acts as a blockchain explorer for NFTs — something we’ll get into in a bit when we discuss storage.

Continuing on the topic of what classifies as a security, however, is something Amadon has further highlighted and brought attention to in one of his most recent works, This is a security, which, while satirical in nature, reflects an actual securities contract that meets the criteria set out by the Howey Test. Notably, a test used to determine what qualifies as an investment contract was created and first saw use in 1948.

However, despite the title of the work, Amadon plainly shared with us that Art isn’t a [security]. Explaining “That’s quite clearly defined by precedent law.”

He further shared “As for PFP land, there is a very strong case they are in fact securities and that’s not helped by the recent history of companies using drops as capital raises,” adding “I believe the question should be whether or not we need to amend the definition of security in this case.”

As for the longevity of certain types of digital assets, Amadon shared that “Collectibles have a lifespan of months and only on the rare exception, years. Feel like most confuse the gambling game we’ve created here for actual value. They’re all going to die except Cryptopunks and even that isn’t a given. Art, on the other hand, the prognosis is much better.”

Summarizing what we’ve just covered, it becomes extremely important to pay attention to the fine print or underlying details of what it is you’re collecting, as well as recognizing the risk that comes with an unregulated and emerging asset class. With these considerations in mind, you can more precisely analyze a digital asset’s associated risk and potential longevity.

Storage

The next and possibly the most important aspect to consider when collecting a digital asset is knowing where and how it’s stored, with a common misconception in the Web3 space being that all NFTs are in decentralized storage or truly on the blockchain — when many are in fact, not.

This becomes important, because if a digital asset is not stored properly, a collector runs the risk of hardship and potential loss of it in the case of a company shutting down, something we’re hopeful you can avoid altogether by knowing what to look for.

A recent example of this associated risk was shared by Axios, who highlighted that even art collections like Artblocks’ Squiggles by Snowfro and Fidenza by Tyler Hobbs are hosted via Amazon Web Services (AWS). As seen in the URLs of Squiggle #5604 and Fidenza #78000283 — which in this particular case is understandable due to the early nature of the projects.

However, this does bring up the topic of longevity or durability, with Amadon sharing that “For art, one of the biggest questions among many collectors from the traditional world is ‘How durable are NFTs?’. The tech is opaque to many and there are valid questions around decentralized storage links like IPFS/Arweave over long time horizons // 20+ years. On-chain addresses that breakable element but it’s not necessarily that big of a deal.”

To understand why this is important and for the unversed, IPFS or InterPlanetary File System, is a system that by its simplest explanation allows for many copies of content, in many places, including copies stored by the content owner offline, all of which can be verified as the authentic digital asset. This acts as a means of decentralized storage and doesn’t rely on a centralized storage solution like AWS.

With this in mind, we asked Amadon if it would be possible, or rather worthwhile for significant projects or artists to move their works to decentralized means of storage if they currently aren’t.

He explained “Generally no. Provenance matters,” and that “Burning something to remint it elsewhere breaks the provenance.”

The artist added ” a majority of projects are built on immutable contracts with IPFS/Arweave pointers,” but that “If it’s hosted on AWS… run.”

Education

So if storage, as we discussed above, is so important, why aren’t all NFTs stored truly on-chain?

Well, Amadon explained that “NFTs aren’t the simplest medium to understand and a lot of our community isn’t coming from a tech background.”

He added “I think it just comes down to education. The challenge being that we have people in this space for years who still don’t know the difference of this… it really underscores the distance we still have to go for the mainstream to understand what we are doing here.”

So with all of this in mind, it’s our hope that you have a better grasp on what to keep an eye out for when selecting the digital assets you choose to collect and that you’ll lean into the expertise of thought leaders like Amadon and others who would see this space fully and truly utilize the decentralized solutions in which it is prided for.

Whether you’re collecting art or PFPs, always aim to be as educated and aware as you can be in the asset’s current classification from a legal standpoint, the basis of its online storage, and the overarching volatility that comes with an emerging sector.

The post How to Know If Your NFTs Will Stand the Test of Time appeared first on nft now.

https://nftnow.com/features/clownvamp-on-how-ai-has-unlocked-a-new-era-of-storytelling/

We recently caught up with Clown Vamp (CV), a New York-based, self-described “recovering vampire,” that specializes in AI integrated art and storytelling, particularly in the realm of Web3.

Our conversation takes a behind-the-scenes look at his ongoing Detective Jack series, specifically its latest installment, a prequel titled The Close Case set to release via BrainDrops on September 18.

Notably, the adventure is making a move from Tezos to Ethereum, although, CV envisions a multi-chain world and says Jack isn’t disappearing from Tezos anytime soon.

In our conversation, we discuss various inspirations, aspirations, and processes that went into the creation of the latest installment, as well as how other artists and creators can use AI-integrated storytelling to further elevate their craft.

The Story

In Detective Jack: The Cold Case, CV takes participants back in time to explore the only case Detective Jack could never solve, the disappearance of the love of his life, Tiffany Abbington, in 1961.

On the night Jack plans to propose, she goes missing, which isn’t unusual as she’s an adventurer, a daughter of globe-trotting diplomats, and one of the first female helicopter pilots.

As the story unfolds it turns into a full-blown conspiracy, involving the KGB, CIA, a Cowboy gang, strange letters with cutouts of John F. Kennedy, and the involvement of a female helicopter group called the “SkyGirls” — inspired by the real-life Whirly Girls from the same era.

Dazed, confused, and otherwise defeated, Detective Jack has given up hope, however, participants in this choose-your-own-adventure (CYOA) story have a chance to solve the mystery of what happened to his would-be fiancé Tiffany Abbington and put this cold case to rest.

The Inspiration

“I grew up loving CYOA mystery books and the Hardy Boys. As an adult, I loved reading pulp mysteries like James Patterson and Daniel Silva,” shared CV.

He added “Detective Jack started in 2022, I got really interested in the idea of using the blockchain to do a CYOA series using burn mechanisms. I also had been spending more time in Los Angeles and loved the sort of whisper of glamor that so much of LA has. These things all came together for the story of Detective Jack Crimson, a pink-washed adventure through the underbelly of Los Angeles.”

CV explained that two seasons later, an entire universe of lore emerged, which brought about inspiration to explore a new storytelling mechanic and further dig into some of Jack’s past that had been hinted at in the other installments.

As for specific character inspiration, he shared “I love big, straightforward characters in the style of Tyler Sheridan and James Patterson.

The artist and storyteller shared that a lot of his inspiration comes from his childhood, which he admits was often lonely but accredits that loneliness to the exploration of world-building, transitionally achieved using stuffed animals, legos, and computer games over the years.

Now expressed through the form of AI-integrated art, CV’s inner child is able to visually share stories that might have otherwise only existed in his dreams or in a novel from writers’ passed.

The Process

Having been working on Detective Jack: The Cold Case since February, CV shared that the project started with outputs in the “many tens of thousands,” which were then filtered down to 11,000, and ultimately curated to a collection of 500 works.

Speaking to the criteria for the curation, CV shared “I wanted every piece to add to the story. That could mean something very straightforward like character or plot development but also something like atmospherics. I wanted to paint a picture of what Jack’s Los Angeles-based world was like in 1961 so there are vibe-forward pieces of beaches, donut shops, and even urban sprawl! The true LA experience.”

Give everyone the clues and pieces to solve the mystery and see if they can work together to figure it out. The case file has seven types of pieces that you can get: Memories, Locations, Evidence, Mugshots, Portraits, Scans, and even Dreams.

As for the rarity of the items in these categories, CV shared “I wanted to really leverage the idea of non-fungibility and make the pieces all unique.”

He explained “In the past with large collections, you had to rely on some level of repetition, but with AI getting so fast and powerful, I wanted to focus on pushing the fact that it is a 1/1/x to the max with a lot of uniqueness. So while I’m sure there are people who pursue math-based rarity, it’ll be a bit different as some may also want to collect certain characters, teams, plot threads, or particular aesthetics.”

Despite largely employing the use of advanced technologies like AI and various blockchain tools, CV maintained a literal paper trail during the process of crafting Detective Jack: The Cold Case.

“I printed out all the images [my local FedEx definitely thinks I’m crazy], as part of the curation and story plotting,” he explained, adding “First off, my eyes started to hurt after a while! So that was an issue. Secondly, I found it hard on a screen to do the sort of story mapping work you need with such a large set of pieces. I would end up laying out pieces across my dining table and start to find groupings and connect visuals to the narrative points I wanted to make.”

Convergence of Skillsets

Outside of the story itself, we asked CV what interests him the most about AI-integrated storytelling right now and how other artists might take advantage of these rapidly advancing systems.

“In particular, I’ve been interested in the idea of being able to complete grand projects with a ‘one-man-band.’ We’re probably 6-9 months away from reasonable quality feature-length films that one creator could create, not only all by themselves, but probably in a much shorter amount of time than a traditional production process,” he explained.

The artist added that this unlocks an increase in content and creative output as well as a push for bigger and more expansive creative endeavors.

“For me as someone who has always loved world-building and writing, creative AI has unlocked a new ability to bring these things together and express them in a way I could never have imagined. The crazier thing to me is that the speed and breadth at which we can do it is expanding, not shrinking.”

As for advice to creators looking to use AI, he said “One of the neatest parts of creative AI tools is that they can meet you where you’re at. You can use many of these tools purely with text input but you can also use image prompts, keyframes, custom models, and more.”

Solving The Mystery

Aside from the satisfaction of knowing what happened to Tiffany, CV shares that participants in Cold Case will become part of a “networked mystery.”

“For the two previous seasons of Detective Jack, we had people zooming in, cropping, and trying to code-break in Discord. I’m curious and excited to see how this one unfolds,” he said.

Giving our readers what can only be presumed to be a clue, CV said “The key is knowing that Detective Jack Crimson is an incredibly good detective. This is the only case he never solved. So the fact that he couldn’t solve it must speak to something specific both about this case and about Jack himself. Dun-dun-dun.”

The post ClownVamp on How AI Has Unlocked a New Era of Storytelling appeared first on nft now.

https://nftnow.com/next-up/next-up-dear-nostalgia-a-translator-of-alternate-realities/

In this week’s next up, we speak with an artist whose foray into the Web3 world is a natural evolution of their existing artistic expression, which is driven by their deep immersion in the art realm as a digital artist, woman, and advocate for creative freedom.

During a candid conversation, shared in detail below, the artist expresses how the landscape of art is dynamic and constantly evolving alongside the progress of technology and society — identifying NFTs as the gateway to a digital renaissance that is radical, unpredictable, and ruthlessly transformative for the art world as it stands now.

Every week, nft now’s Next Up unveils a new artist from our curated list of ascendant talents who have been making significant waves throughout Web3. This week, we’re excited to feature dear nostalgia and her story.

dear nostalgia

Adra Kandil better known by her artist moniker dear nostalgia, is a Lebanese-born multidisciplinary artist who is known for her hybrid worlds that boast alternate realities — achieved through the use of photography, collages, typography, and digital montages. Her objective, blend modern-day truths with the romanticism of collective nostalgia.

What’s more, dear nostalgia was recently selected as adidas second RESIDENCY artist, joining MonkeeMoto, who was featured in last week’s Next Up release.

To understand what brought her to the Web3 world, how she views her art, and the process behind the creation of these surreal alternate realities, we spoke directly with the newly minted adidas artist in RESIDENCY, dear nostalgia.

nft now: How did you first become interested/involved in NFTs?

dear nostalgia: My journey into the world of NFTs was a natural evolution driven by my deep immersion in the
art realm as a digital artist, a woman, and an advocate of creative freedom.

When we ponder the concept of art, the quintessential image of a masterpiece by a renowned Renaissance artist
often comes to mind, hanging gloriously in a museum. While this portrayal isn’t inaccurate, it’s essential to recognize that:

“The landscape of art is dynamic, and evolves in tandem with the progress of technology and society.” (Make Block Quote)

As I delved further into the art world, I found myself drawn to the vibrant pulse of innovation. The digital realm offered a canvas unbounded by traditional constraints, allowing creators to harness the power of technology to express their impulses, instincts, and authentic emotions. However, it was my encounter with NFTs and blockchain technology that truly revolutionized my perspective.

NFTs brought forth a paradigm shift in how we perceive and engage with art. They dismantle the traditional barriers, eliminating dictation, restrictions, and censorship that often stifled artistic expression. NFTs empower artists to create with uninhibited authenticity, driven by their innermost passions and sentiments. This breakthrough has created an open avenue where art flourishes as a pure and unrestricted representation of creativity, and authenticity.

For me, NFTs signify a digital renaissance—a radical, unpredictable, and ruthlessly transformative narrative. It’s a revolutionary movement that has shattered conventions and offered a platform where every individual can contribute their unique creative voice. This is a community of credibility, belonging, and boundless freedom—a place where every artist aspires to be and create.

nft now: How would you describe your art?

dear nostalgia: My art represents my voice and serves as a solace to dreams, tragedy, nostalgia, and euphoria. It’s my love letter, signed, sealed, and delivered to the past, present, and future, intricately fueled by emotion. A unique hybrid of retro and contemporary images, I cut and paste scenes from my dreams, constructing collages from collected archives and encompassing experiences.

A romance of memories lived and unlived. The result is a fusion of encompassing nostalgia, home, identity, women empowerment, culture, a yearning for community, and culture over clout any day.

An homage to my alter ego, ‘dear nostalgia,’ encapsulates the very sentiment and words I longed to hear as a woman growing up, as well as the intense emotions I’m compelled to express in today’s world. I blend dreamy and cosmic images, with pastel hues, bold typography and culturally relevant cues, delving into controversial discussions through powerful visuals and thought-provoking mediums.

At first glance, my digital art exudes an ethereal reverie. However, upon deeper reflection, viewers uncover its profound resonance and grasp the message my work endeavors to convey.

nft now: What’s your process like? And where do you usually find inspiration?

Dear Nostalgia: It’s strangely organic; it began when I lived in Barcelona and started collecting magazines and newspapers, cutting and pasting them on my living room floor. Back then, I was also writing a lot of poetry and using analog cameras to capture memories or things I found beautiful. My creative process is anything but linear – I feel so much, so intensely. Jean-Luc Godard expressed something that perfectly encapsulates my inspiration:

“It’s not where you take things from, it’s where you take them to.” (Make Block Quote)

I draw inspiration from old films, new films, my obsession with indie music, as well as books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, heartbreak, romance – the list goes on and on. With old magazines and collected archives, I use digital tools to explore my inner world through digital surrealism, creating a world of my own as a result.

The post Next Up: dear nostalgia, a Translator of Alternate Realities appeared first on nft now.

https://nftnow.com/features/title-is-staking-crypto-on-artists-and-collectors-a-good-idea/

Recently, SuperRare Labs, the group behind the SuperRare NFT art marketplace, known for its expert curation and affluent collector base, has launched what it’s calling the Rare Protocol.

By its simplest description, the Rare Protocol, which operates on the Ethereum mainnet, is an open curation protocol for NFTs that allows users to stake the platform’s native RARE token on artists, collectors, or curators that the user feels deserve recognition, with a chance to be rewarded as the selected individual finds success.

In this exploration of the protocol, we speak with the SVP of SuperRare Labs, Zack Yanger, and look at details on how the protocol works, why it was created, and what the broader Web3 space stands to gain from its existence, as well as the plans SuperRare Labs has for it in the future.

What Is Rare Protocol?

At its core, Rare Protocol is designed to act as an open curation protocol for NFTs with the concept of forming a Web3 native creator economy and on-chain social graph that reflects reputation and promotes discovery.

This is achieved through what the protocol calls “Curation Staking,” which is powered by two main components, Community Pools and Curated Lists.

Designed to operate as a peer-to-peer system, any participating user can stake their RARE on another, be it an artist, curator, or collector — signaling that they value that individual. In terms of financial incentive, this contribution admits the staking party into the artist, curator, or collectors Community Pool, where they’ll be represented amongst other stakers and potentially yield rewards as the individual they’re staked in finds on-chain success.

Beyond financial incentivization, the owner of the pool will also be able to engage with stakers as they see fit as well as use data like wallet addresses and staking ratings to determine and set access for specific community benefits.

As a byproduct of users staking, they’ll begin to form a “Curated List,” which Rare Protocol describes as an on-chain reflection of the artists a user has staked in, that “Link pools to other lists in order to uncover and connect similar tastes.”

Why Is It?

Aside from the potential to gain RARE, the protocol is designed to transform the way discovery is gone about in the Web3 space, navigating away from social platforms that largely rely on likes, comments, and shares — into a more natural and digitally native experience.

“Through Community Pools and Curated Lists, discovery becomes a logical and engaging game of following signals down well-lit routes from your existing connections to nearby communities of art, artists, and taste preferences,” shared the protocol.

Other inspirations behind the protocol were to help nurture a space that provides improved discoverability, security, and seller reputation. This is achieved through the broader ecosystem or a sort of social graph that is a byproduct of staking but simultaneously one of the protocol’s best features.

Additionally, in a comment to nft now, Yanger shared “We’ve seen hundreds of marketplaces, thousands of creators and collectors, and millions of NFTs having been birthed in the past five years. It’s a new paradigm for creators. We now have on-chain royalties, auctions, and self-sovereign minting smart contracts that lower the barrier to entry and create new economic opportunities, he expressed, adding “However, this market is still in its nascency, and has significant challenges. Scams and rugs are prevalent and discovery is challenging. Rare Protocol is a new system for onchain curation that aims to solve the reputation and discovery problems that have become so prevalent in web3.”

Is It Equitable?

While all of this sounds well and nice, what’s to stop the rich from getting richer, the creation of yet another walled-off garden or exclusive group being formed in a space that is meant to embody democratization — as we’ve seen time and time again.

The good news is, the Rare Protocol takes that into consideration, in fact, the rewards are on a curve that rewards early contributions as well as early discovery, meaning a staker stands to gain a higher RARE yield by staking their tokens on artists or individuals that have not yet been discovered or have a less densely populated community pool.

Explaining this in a response to a question by X user Danil Pan, Yanger said “I guess nothing can really stop people from staking on already successful artists but the system is purposefully set up in a way that incentivizes people to stake on emerging/unknown artists that aren’t yet popular.”

He further explained that “If you are the only staker (or one of a few) in an emerging artists pool when they make their first big sale the rewards are going to be better than if you are say part of a popular artists pool with 1000 other people that will all split the rewards.”

That being said, Yanger wanted to drive home the point that the system, to him, is less about rewards but “largely about being able to prove on chain that you supported an artist earlier than others did,” as he explained “In 5 years I want to be able to point back to my staked list and prove that I discovered artists x y and z before they became huge. Long term the real opportunity here is in staking emerging/lesser known artists.”

Looking Forward

As it charts a path to decentralized curation, the Rare Protocol has announced that its mission is to “revolutionize the economics of human creativity.”

It admits that it will need the help and adoption of others who are passionate about art and curation and that together they’ll be able to build an interconnected ecosystem of creativity and value.

“Rare Protocol is rooted in the belief that much of blockchain’s potential lies in its capacity to remove bottlenecks in the flow of capital that have long existed solely for the benefit of society’s affluent. In doing so, blockchain enables wealth to grow and spread to where it’s most deserved,” shared the protocol.

Sharing what he’s most looking forward to as the protocol gains traction, Yanger said “I’m personally most excited by the democratization of access for curators.”

He added ” A young curator in a remote area of the world that would otherwise have no ability to gain respect in the art world can now log onto the internet, tap into this system, and start staking artists they believe in. In the future, if any of the artists they staked go on to be a big success, the curator will get credit for discovering and supporting that artist early and in theory building up their name and reputation as a great curator with a keen eye.”

While still largely experimental, the protocol provides engaged users with an opportunity to express their unique taste, connect with like-minded individuals, showcase their eyes, and potentially earn rewards, recognition, or both as a result — which in essence creates a win-win scenario for creators, collectors, curators and the Web3 space as a whole.

For a full technical breakdown of the protocol and a step-by-step guide on how to start using it today, check out the Rare Protocol’s developer docs.

The post Is Staking Crypto on Artists and Collectors a Good Idea? appeared first on nft now.

https://nftnow.com/features/stay-amidst-300-art-pieces-at-marrakechs-izza-hotel-museum/

In Medina Marrakech, you can now stay amongst 300 thoughtfully curated works of art, including a significant exhibition of physical NFT artworks. This is all made possible by boutique hotel group IZZA, at its debut House of Friends location that also encompasses its Museum in The Medina (MITM) curated by Studio137.

The grounds are made up of seven ancient homes that host 14 unique bedrooms, three tranquil courtyards, a pool, a restaurant, a bar, and a sprawling rooftop terrace — which is said to feature Refik Anadol’s Machine Hallucinations: Mars on a 6-foot screen.

As for the rest of the collection, MITM has shared that it has specifically exhibited works that relate to four main categories, Generative Art, Photography, Contemporary Art, and Bill Willis archives, a leading light of Moroccan-style interior design in the mid 1900’s.

It’s worth noting, that the attention to detail that has gone into this curation is reflected by the presentation of each work, with NFT-based works including information like title, edition count, date of creation, description, links to the artist’s site and socials, as well as who collects the work and its contract address.

Generative Art

Of all the categories collected and curated, the generative art section of MITM is the most substantial, featuring multiple works from each of the following artists: William Mapan, Dmitri Cherniak, Matt DesLauriers, Refik Anadol, Tyler Hobbs, Dandelion Wist, Kjetil Golid, Michael Zancan, Manoloide, Monica Rizzolli, Emily Xie, Iskra Velitchkova, Tara Donovan, Che-Yu Wu, Osinachi and a set of punks and Autoglyphs from LarvaLabs.

Notable generative art collections highlighted by MITM include Fidenza by Hobbs, Ringers by Cherniak, Meridians by DesLauriers, Anticyclones by Mapan, and Memories of Qilin by Xie.

Photography

Photographers featured in the collection include Leila Alaoui, Sebastião Salgado, Ismail Zaidy, Ziad Naitaddi, Anass Ouzziz, Diana Lui, Daoud Aoulad Syad, Yatreda, Zhou Peng, and Reuben Wu.

MITM mentions large-scale photographs from Alaoui’s Les Marocains series as one of the notable pieces of the collection alongside motion portraits by Ethiopian prodigy Yatreda

Contemporary Art

On the contemporary art front are names like Khadija Jayi, Mouhcine Rahaoui, Hicham Benohoud, Hassan Hajjaj, Rachid Bakkar, Hafid Marbou, Nabil Boudarqa, Ahmed Bibaoune, KRM, Tibari Kantour, Hafid Marbou, and Yassine Mekhnache.

Some of the most notable works that MITM highlighted include those by Hajjaj, Jayi, and Rahaouian.

Bill Willis Archives

Last but not least are the Bill Willis Archives, which hold a special place at the heart of IZZA, as they act as an underlying inspiration for the overall concept and design of the hotel museum.

IZZA shared that it “Draws from the life and aesthetics of Bill Willis. His distinctive style and eclectic designs are evident throughout the hotel. Guests can marvel at intricate zellige details and a plethora of photographs and memorabilia showcasing his life among stars like Grace Jones, Mick Jagger, and Yves Saint Laurent. These precious items were sourced from his former home, Dar Noujoum, a property that IZZA’s proprietors take pride in owning.”

A Unique Place and Space

Of all the rooms available at IZZA, Grace stands out for its diverse art collection and Parisian textiles. Named after the renowned musician and actress, Grace Jones, this bedroom is adorned with a custom-made textile and hardwood bedhead. The detailing continues with bespoke taupe floor tiles complemented by a hand-cut zellige border inlay.

Inside the room and its adjacent private sejour, guests will find works from DesLauriers, Xie, Boudarqa, and a host of Bill Willis archives.

You can book a stay now at any of the rooms, with prices ranging from $150 USD to $770 USD per night, based on current rates and availability at the time of writing.

Beyond the beautiful surroundings and rooms, IZZA represents a unique space in time for digital art as a whole, as the represented works take on the physical form, further cementing their significance in the overarching traditional art world.

The post Stay Amidst 300 Art Pieces at Marrakech’s IZZA Hotel-Museum appeared first on nft now.

https://nftnow.com/features/shavonne-wong-on-art-and-fostering-diversity-in-web3/

Recently, we caught up with Singapore-based artist Shavonne Wong, known for her expertise in 3D virtual modeling and surreal environments, that stem from her years of experience in fashion photography.

In this conversation, Wong shares with us a glimpse into her journey so far in Web3, as well as how she ended up becoming a co-founder of the nonprofit community builder, NFT Asia, that is empowering Asian and Asia-based NFT artists.

Additionally, she touches on aspects of The Gateway Korea that she feels are exceptional and that align with her own personal objective of fostering diversity in Web3.

A Canvas of Challenges and Triumphs

Having first been introduced to NFTs via her husband, Wong shared that “Being someone who easily dives into passions, I went all in. The learning curve was steep but equally exciting.”

Despite her talent and success outside of Web3, Wong shared, that like anyone just starting out in a new space, maintaining visibility and “countering the social media algorithm” were two of her biggest challenges. Put quite humbly, she added, “On the brighter side, the ability to sell my art is an incredibly positive outcome.”

Fast forward just a few years later and Wong, at the time of writing, is currently hosting her first European solo exhibition, taking place at NFT Factory Paris and utilizing Foundation’s new Moments update that we recently covered.

Just a few days into the exhibition, which runs until September 9, Wong has already received a 5 ETH bid on one of three new works featured at the show in collaboration with Marie Claire Arabia.

Highlighting one of her favorite aspects about the show, Wong shared “I believe that during bear markets, physical exhibitions help promote my work beyond the confines of the Twitter circle.”

A Beacon for Asian Artists

Beyond finding her own success in Web3, Wong has also become a champion for other Asian or Asia-based artists, with an aim to assist them in their journey through NFT Asia.

Speaking on how she became a co-founder, Wong said “I found myself part of a small group during the early days, where we recognized a glaring need for support and a safe haven for Asian artists within the NFT space,” adding “We decided to initiate NFT Asia to address this gap.”

Wong admits that she and her co-founder never anticipated the current magnitude of the nonprofit but that she’s thankful for it. Pulling data from 2022, Wong shared that the group has showcased the works of over 93 artists from 21 countries through 8 different exhibitions.

She also explained that one of the simple, yet effective things NFT Asia does is RT and share artists’ works daily with its growing audience of 21,000 followers on the X app.

“The most rewarding aspect has been the exposure our artists have gained. They now have opportunities to exhibit their work globally and even have pieces auctioned on platforms like Sotheby’s,” she shared. While past its deadline now, a recent example of these opportunities can be seen in the NFT Paris open call featured by the page and supported by the Joyn platform.

Exiting the Echo Chamber

With NFT Asia and our Web3 arts and culture festival The Gateway: Korea drawing so many parallels, we asked Wong what she thinks of the event and what aspects of it excite her the most.

She shared that “The event seems extremely promising” and highlighted the fact that with Asia poised to see substantial growth in the next bull market cycle, an event in Korea could turn out to be an excellent strategic move, especially for introducing new artists artists, and collectors to Web3.

Of everything we have going on at The Gateway: Korea, Wong amplified that the artist open call is potentially one of the most significant aspects of the event, sharing that “Displaying artists’ works at such events expands their visibility beyond their immediate circles.”

Beyond breaking out of the echo chamber, Wong highlighted that another “remarkable quality” of the event was the aim to not only highlight but embrace more diversity. Check out the list of participating artists in the post below.

The post Shavonne Wong On Art and Fostering Diversity in Web3 appeared first on nft now.

https://nftnow.com/next-up/next-up-monkeemoto-a-creator-of-digitalworlds/

In the dynamic and rapidly evolving world of Web3, few have charted a journey as captivating as that of MonkeeMoto. Their introduction to NFTs began as early as 2016 with the Rare Pepes, making the commencement of a passionate adventure that has witnessed the rise of iconic digital collections and innovative artistic expressions across multiple blockchains.

While the allure of digital ownership piqued their initial interest, it was the potential of the technology to redefine virtual interactions and ownership that solidified their dedication to the craft. After a brief hiatus in 2019, MOTO’s return to Web3 in 2021 was both triumphant and influential.

Every week, nft now’s Next Up unveils a new artist from our curated list of ascendant talents who have been making significant waves throughout Web3. This week, we’re excited to feature MOTO and their story.

MonkeeMoto

Besides just being named as one of the first two artists to participate in adidas new digital art program “RESIDENCY by adidas,” MonkeeMoto, also known as MOTO, is a Tokyo-based artist who boasts skills from digital artistry to game development and more.

MOTO identifies as a “Creator of Worlds,” a moniker that aptly encapsulates their ability to bring entire universes to life through storytelling and design. In addition to art, MOTO has expressed a passion and unique creative approach towards the gaming and fashion industries.

The artists’ expertise and influence has been solidified in their professional life, having received acknowledgments like their recent inclusion on the Fast Company’s Top 20 under 30 list.

To get to know MOTO better and gain insight into their journey to date, we spoke directly with the newly minted adidas artist resident.

nft now: How did you first become interested/involved in NFTs?

MonkeeMoto: My journey into the world of NFTs started back in 2016, during the early days of the Rare Pepes on counterparty.io. The allure of genuine digital ownership through the implementation of blockchain technology immediately caught my attention.

Witnessing pivotal moments like the CryptoKitties phenomenon, the emergence of remarkable collections like bored apes and punks on Ethereum, and the incredible artistic expressions on alternative chains such as SOL and XRPL further solidified my fascination.

After navigating through one of the most challenging years of my life, I chose to take a brief hiatus from the public crypto and NFT landscape in 2019. This pause allowed me to embark on a profound spiritual journey of self-discovery and introspection, seeking to find deeper meaning and purpose in my life.

In 2021, I made an exciting return to the scene. During this resurgence, I not only contributed by providing consultancy services to other projects but also channeled my creative energy as an artist and web3 game developer. The concept of digital wearables and genuine ownership of in-game assets is an aspect that deeply intrigues me and ignites my excitement as a creator.

nft now: How would you describe your art?

MonkeeMoto: My art is a reflection of my journey as a socially awkward nerd and a lifelong world creator.

From a young age, I found solace in disconnecting from the surroundings of a classroom and immersing myself in hours of writing and drawing expansive worlds complete with functional ecosystems and diverse character rosters.

This creative process was profoundly influenced by my passion for immersive storytelling mediums like JRPGs—think Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Digimon—as well as nostalgic, wondrous, and thought-provoking anime such as Digimon, Hack, Bleach, Sonny Boy, and Yu-Gi-Oh. Overall, it is heavily inspired by the artistic flow of Japanese culture.

A central driving force behind my artistic endeavors is the pursuit of evoking genuine emotions within the viewer. I aspire to create artwork that has the power to impact, inspire, and motivate individuals. One prime example that resonates with me is the conclusion of Kingdom Hearts 2—pure perfection, in my opinion.

The culmination of the narrative, the synergy between storytelling, 3D graphics, and beautifully composed music, results in an overwhelming flood of emotions. This is the kind of experience I strive to encapsulate in my own work.

Ultimately, my art is a tribute to the intricate set of emotions, stories, and inspirations that have woven themselves into my life. It’s an attempt to channel the magic of captivating narratives and visual aesthetics to draw viewers into a world where they can connect with their feelings and find their own sources of motivation and inspiration.

nft now: What’s your process like? And where do you usually find inspiration?

MonkeeMoto: My creative process is deeply rooted in my personal journey and fueled by a passion for immersive storytelling. One of my main processes is weaving complex narratives and crafting emotional connections with characters. The nostalgic anime that I grew up with also played a significant role in shaping my artistic direction.

As for my creative process, it often starts with introspection, where I tap into my own experiences and emotions. I then translate these emotions into visual narratives, beginning with rough sketches and concept art and gradually refining them into detailed compositions. Translating that into art into either 2D or 3D graphics, which I admire from the world of gaming.

Lastly, I aim to enhance the emotional impact of my artwork through the careful selection of music, drawing from my love for beautifully composed soundtracks. In essence, my process is a blend of personal introspection, digital art techniques, and a fusion
of inspiration from JRPGs, anime, and impactful storytelling.

It’s a method through which I strive to capture and convey genuine emotions that resonate with others, just as I’ve been moved by the media that has shaped my artistic journey.

The post Next Up: MonkeeMoto, a Creator of DigitalWorlds appeared first on nft now.

https://nftnow.com/art/the-top-10-best-selling-nft-artists-right-now/

If you’ve been in the Web3 art space for any amount of time, chances are you’ve heard about a majority of the artists on this list. Whether you have or not, the movements of the Web3 market are in constant flux, so we thought we would show you where everyone’s at currently, refresh you on their background, and give you a glimpse into what they’re currently working on.

It’s worth noting that the financial data, represented as “Current Artwork Value,” is based on the current USD values of ETH, XTZ, and RARE and does not reflect the total amount of sales based on historical pricing from the time of accumulated sales — which would likely be millions of dollars higher considering a majority of these artists thrived in the previous bull run.

1. Pak

Current Artwork Value:

$290,981,271 USD

What they’re known for:

Murat Pak or simply Pak, is known for creating the curation platform Archillect, an AI-powered bot that reshares media based on user interactions with content hosted on various social platforms and for launching a platform for burning NFTs to receive tokens of the cryptocurrency Ash.

Additionally, the anonymous artist has also become well-known for their highest-selling NFT collection “The Merge,” which netted $91.8 million USD in December of 2021. Pak is also credited with playing an integral role in onboarding our second artist on this list — Beeple.

What they’re doing now:

With Pak, it’s difficult to know their next move as they don’t really share all that much detail via social media — adding to the mysticism of their character. What we do know, is that they appear to be focused on continued efforts via their media experiences studio UNDREAM as well as the aforementioned content creation platform Archillect.

2. Beeple

Current Artwork Value:

$172,902,414 USD

What they’re known for:

Mike Winkelmann, better known to the Web3 world as Beeple, is best known for his “Everydays” series, which was started in 2007 with the practice of creating one artwork a day. The artist was forever etched into NFT history when his “Everydays: the First 5000 Days,” collage sold at Christie’s auction house for $69 million USD — the highest sale for a single NFT to date.

What they’re doing now:

For starters, he’s still carrying on the “Everydays” series, making one work of art a day that touches on anything from popular meme culture to sociopolitical topics and touchpoints. Additionally, he’s constructed a massive physical space for community activations and artist’s workshops to further advance the Web3 space.

Last but not least, he’ll be showcased by us at The Gateway: Korea this week, keep an eye out for more, or check out our chat with him if you missed it.

3. Snowfro

Current Artwork Value:

$93,017,141 USD

What they’re known for:

Erick Calderon, aka Snowfro, is most well known in the Web3 space for his generative art project Chromie Squiggle and for his founding of the generative art platform Art Blocks, which has championed and become a foundry for success for countless artists in the Web3 space.

What they’re doing now:

Most recently, Snowfro has partnered with Jordan Lyall and his platform ProhibitionArt to launch an inclusive generative project called “Heart + Craft” something he shared represents “my present curiosity towards demonstrating value for NFTs beyond scarcity, FOMO, and promise of future value utility…” but rather “…my vision of a digital optional/physical optional future that I believe can be appealing to a broader consumer audience.”

4. Tyler Hobbs

Current Artwork Value:

$73,230,141 USD

What they’re known for:

Tyler Hobbs is regarded by many in the Web3 space as being a pioneer for generative art via NFTs, with his most notable set of outputs being his Fidenza collection, minted in 2021. The series of 999 generated images have now become highly sought-after fine artworks and have been sold at famed auction houses like Sotheby’s and Christie’s for millions of dollars each.

What they’re doing now:

Based on a recent X post, Hobbs is celebrating the one-year anniversary of his project QQL, created in partnership with Indigo aka Team Dandelion on X. This celebration is set to include a few surprises for September as well as the offering of physical prints.

5. XCOPY

Current Artwork Value:

$63,112,183 USD

What they’re known for:

XCOPY, the anonymous, London-based digital artist, is most well known for their glitch-style works that have seemingly inspired an entire subset of artists. Topics of their works are often focused around themes of dystopia or apathy and littered with memetic nods to crypto culture.

One of their most notable works is “All-Time High in the City,” which is subsequently their highest-selling work, minted for 0.5 ETH in 2021 and sold for $6.1 million USD in 2022.

What they’re doing now:

While the artist is active almost daily on the X app, they’ve shared little on what they’re currently up to. However, their works are still finding plenty of representation around the world and in various digital galleries across the Web3 space. Although no official projects in the works have been shared, there is some speculation around a recent post that has some fans believing an open edition release could be around the corner.

6. Dmitri Cherniak

Current Artwork Value:

$61,938,324 USD

What they’re known for:

Dmitri Cherniak is a Canadian-born, New York-based generative artist known for creating a unique p5js script stored on Ethereum via Art Blocks, which produced a unique generation of art automatically — this would lead to his Ringers series, consisting of 1,000 NFTS of different combos of strings and pegs to create unique geometric artworks.

Since the creation of this series, Cherniak has gone on to see the works resold for astronomical amounts, with one of the most significant and recent sales being that of Ringers #879, aka “The Goose,” which was sold through Sotheby’s for $6.2 million USD to Punk6529.

What they’re doing now:

Based on a recent X post, it would seem Cherniak is getting closer to launching a physical art book for his collection Light Years, to be produced in partnership with the photography platform Fellowship. Another post from Cherniak hints at his increased interest in physical prints, as he’s right-click saved and “tested” a few for his own viewing pleasure.

7. Hackatao

Current Artwork Value:

$31,477,949 USD

What they’re known for:

Hackatao, a personal formed by Italian artist duo Sergio Scalet and Nadia Squarci, first formed in 2007, has been a long-time contemporary art practitioner.

Finding their start in Web3 via SuperRare, the duo quickly found success and community resonance for their works, with subjects often touching on major societal issues, the environment, humanity, crypto, art history, and more.

What they’re doing now:

While the duo hasn’t shared any major announcements as of late, they did post a 10-minute animation that was first featured at NFCsummit Lisbon, showcasing their artistic journey to date.

8. Matt DesLauriers

Current Artwork Value:

$30,198,366 USD

What they’re known for:

Matt DesLauriers, known in Web3 by his X handle Mattdesl, is a Canadian-born artist living in London, most well known for his generative art projects Subscapes and Meridian, both of which were originally released on the Art Blocks platform.

In addition to NFTs, DesLauriers has done a substantial amount of commercial work, including interactive installations featured at various events and integrated into various shows worldwide.

What they’re doing now:

While we admittedly don’t understand most of what DesLauriers posts on X, we did see some stress test works that could possibly be an indicator for new works to come or just the artist and coder having fun. Additionally, although sold out now, the artist did notably release a stunning art book showcasing his work in partnership with Monopo and VertoEditions.

9. FEWOCiOUS

Current Artwork Value:

$28,541,690 USD

What they’re known for:

Victor Langlois, better known in the Web3 world as FEWOCiOUS, is an American digital artist and painter who found his rise in the NFT space between 2020 and 2022.

Notably, Langlois has worked with the LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, the estate of the late musician David Bowie, and Billboard magazine — as well as recently released a collaboration with adidas.

What they’re doing now:

Recent announcements from FEWOCiOUS include updates on his Fewos collection ecosystem, set to mint in mid-September.

10. Trevor Jones

Current Artwork Value:

$23,498,672 USD

What they’re known for:

In his own words, Jones describes himself as “a traditional painter but one who is also very much fascinated with art and tech collaboration. I enjoy exploring how new technology can be used with my work to more actively engage the viewer or to be incorporated to enhance or alter the viewer experience.”

Some of his most notable works include “Bitcoin Angel” and “From Palette to Canvas” which amassed several million dollars in total sales during their release in 2021 — in a matter of minutes.

What they’re doing now:

Based on a recent X post, Jones is getting ready to host his IRL “Castle Party 2023” event, which runs from September 3 to 5 and includes local eats, an open bar, DJs, games, debates, fireworks, an artist charity exhibition seemingly linked with MakersPlace, and more.

The post The Top 10 Best-Selling NFT Artists Right Now appeared first on nft now.

https://nftnow.com/features/exclusive-look-at-foundations-latest-worlds-update-moments/

Foundation, a leading NFT art platform, known largely for its Web3-native tool and ecosystem Worlds, has just announced its latest update, Moments. This new tool, or rather an expansion that elevates the capabilities of Worlds, enables worldbuilders to spotlight specific themes, creators, live events, and more within their existing Worlds.

To further understand Moments, its inspirations, aspirations, and how it’s poised to benefit artists, curators, and collectors alike — we spoke directly with Foundation’s CEO and co-founder Kayvon Tehranian.

Superpower

“Worlds represents Foundation’s unique superpower,” said Tehranian, highlighting that “No one has baked curation into their protocol as a base layer concern.”

He explained that the platform has identified that creative work sells best in a curated context and that through Worlds, the Foundation community is enabled to build those contexts rooted in strong onchain technology.

“Foundation isn’t a monolithic, curatorial context with a singular voice, even though that’s how we initially started,” shared Kayvon, adding that instead, “We’ve been marching towards a vision of decentralized curation.” He outlined that through this approach, the platform ultimately ends up supporting a wide range of voices while at the same time benefiting from a shared infrastructure.

He added, “It enables Foundation to be an expansive platform in Web3, while still upholding community, context, and curation as key pillars of the experience.”

Longevity

With the continued expansion of Worlds through updates like Moments, Foundation has shown that this ecosystem is one designed to provide longevity to artists, curators, and collectors alike.

However, Tehranian pointed out the underlying value of onchain design, explaining that “Worlds are designed to be portable, ownable, Web3-native objects,” adding “We wouldn’t want curators and worldbuilders to simply trust us — that’s not a web3-native approach to product design.”

Instead, he shared that “We’re designing Worlds to be an onchain protocol. Anyone can build on top of it. Your world is yours, and if we ceased to exist, everything valuable about it would be onchain and fully in your control.”

Putting it concisely, he shared that “Yes, we’re committed to Worlds. You can expect Worlds to grow even more powerful over time,” and that at the same time Foundation is “Committed to ensuring that Worlds is a protocol that doesn’t introduce platform risk for those building on top of it.”

Breakdown and Benefits

Taking a closer look at Worlds latest enhancement, Moments, three key aspects stand out, the ability to schedule, promote, and track performance.

Scheduling aspects enable worldbuilders to curate a Moment within their Dashboard by selecting items from
their inventory and setting a specific date and time for its unveiling.

Additionally, Moments allows useful promotion and performance tracking capabilities. Once a Moment is created it becomes an independent event that can be shared and added to calendars. As for performance tracking, worldbuilders can keep real-time tabs on sales and the overall pageviews a Moment has received.

Tehranian explained that these aspects benefit artists specifically by drawing greater attention to releases and in turn getting more eyes on their work. He added that “Artists thrive in Moments. The spotlight is on them and everyone’s paying attention!”

As for collectors, Moments acts as a signal that cuts through the clutter and noise that can often be found in Web3, whether that’s an onslaught of notifications from X, Discord, Telegram, etc or the sheer volume of constant releases.

“Moments are clarifying. They create focus amidst the noise,” Tehranian shared, adding “They’re scheduled at a specific moment in time, they’re represented by a single page and you can add them to your calendar — these are the ingredients that allow collectors to pay attention with ease.”

It’s In The DNA

As for design, Foundation has shown itself to be very particular when it comes to how it crafts its user experience (UX) and user interface (UI), with Tehranian expressing its an aspect that is encoded in the platform’s DNA.

Speaking on why this is, he shared “You have to go back to our founding. The space was stark. It was designed for hardcore technologists, those interfacing with the technology at a base level. The UI was almost an obstacle in and of itself.”

He added that, at that time, it was better to simply use smart contracts directly and that the idea of creators and artists wanting to use “crypto” was an alien concept. “This was the context in which Foundation emerged,” he explained, adding “Our founding — and subsequent rise — marked the emergence of a new, cultural era in Web3, an era that massively expanded who was interested in the technology, and for what purpose.”

Tehranian explained that this didn’t happen by coincidence and that design was a key factor in it all, something he touched on in a blog post from early 2021, titled Crypto wants to be seen.

Through its design approach, Foundation has made the idea of Web3 art more accessible, inviting, and appealing, particularly for artists. “As we’ve grown the company, we’ve maintained a commitment to Design, we’ve encoded it into our DNA,” Tehranian expressed.

Forever

In addition to Moments, Foundation has revealed another initiative, Forever Projects, that speaks to its origins as well as acts as a testament to its Worlds ecosystem and design-focused approach.

While an official rollout and greater detail around Forever Projects is expected Thursday, August 31, Foundation provided us with a bit of insight as to what the initiative entails.

Primarily, Forever Projects will act as a highly curated, in-house World, run by a dedicated team, designed to enable Foundation to engage with the broader community as a worldbuilder on equal footing with other curators in its ecosystem. While those new to the platform might not know, Foundation began with only 50 hand-selected artists at its launch in 2021, with curation playing a significant role in its early success.

However, as the space and platform grew, its positioning shifted as well — going from a tightly curated roster of artists to tens of thousands of artists in less than a year, ushering in the development of Worlds to harness decentralized community curation.

To understand the return of in-house creation at this specific point in time, we spoke with Jaysa Alvarez, Foundation’s Chief of Staff. She shared “We’ve always cared about art and curation, just as we’ve always cared about creating strong technology.”

She further explained “We’re in this interesting moment in history where technology is moving at an unprecedented pace and interest in Crypto/Web3 has cooled. However, just because the speculators are gone doesn’t mean that there aren’t ideas worth exploring in our space. If anything, it presents us with an opportunity to engage directly with a subculture of people who share the same passion for these ideas as we do and do so in a way that’s much more resonant.”

While details surrounding Forever Projects are still somewhat scarce, the initiative’s dedicated X page has revealed some of the design inspirations behind it, including names like Issey Miyake and Andy Warhol, which we asked Alvarez about.

“That mood board represents a confluence of transformative ideas and attitudes,” she said, explaining “Issey Miyake is iconic for his technology-driven designs and innovative use of materials, with his collections inhabiting the space between art, clothing, architecture, and technology,” while “Andy Warhol’s concepts revolutionized how we think about contemporary art and its role in our society.”

She exclaimed “Through Forever we want to highlight art and ideas that push boundaries and challenge conventional understanding, ” adding “We wholeheartedly believe that the values and beliefs at the fringes will usher in the values and beliefs of the next generation, and therefore find inspiration in people and art that have embraced this forward-thinking mindset even when it’s been countercultural.”

For more information on Forever Projects, keep an eye on Foundation’s official channels, with upcoming updates said to include a closer look at its first curated show Between Heaven and Earth, as well as details on participating artists.

The post Exclusive Look At Foundation’s Latest Worlds Update: ‘Moments’ appeared first on nft now.

https://nftnow.com/features/exclusive-look-at-foundations-latest-worlds-update-moments/

Foundation, a leading NFT art platform, known largely for its Web3-native tool and ecosystem Worlds, has just announced its latest update, Moments. This new tool, or rather an expansion that elevates the capabilities of Worlds, enables worldbuilders to spotlight specific themes, creators, live events, and more within their existing Worlds.

To further understand Moments, its inspirations, aspirations, and how it’s poised to benefit artists, curators, and collectors alike — we spoke directly with Foundation’s CEO and co-founder Kayvon Tehranian.

Superpower

“Worlds represents Foundation’s unique superpower,” said Tehranian, highlighting that “No one has baked curation into their protocol as a base layer concern.”

He explained that the platform has identified that creative work sells best in a curated context and that through Worlds, the Foundation community is enabled to build those contexts rooted in strong onchain technology.

“Foundation isn’t a monolithic, curatorial context with a singular voice, even though that’s how we initially started,” shared Kayvon, adding that instead, “We’ve been marching towards a vision of decentralized curation.” He outlined that through this approach, the platform ultimately ends up supporting a wide range of voices while at the same time benefiting from a shared infrastructure.

He added, “It enables Foundation to be an expansive platform in Web3, while still upholding community, context, and curation as key pillars of the experience.”

Longevity

With the continued expansion of Worlds through updates like Moments, Foundation has shown that this ecosystem is one designed to provide longevity to artists, curators, and collectors alike.

However, Tehranian pointed out the underlying value of onchain design, explaining that “Worlds are designed to be portable, ownable, Web3-native objects,” adding “We wouldn’t want curators and worldbuilders to simply trust us — that’s not a web3-native approach to product design.”

Instead, he shared that “We’re designing Worlds to be an onchain protocol. Anyone can build on top of it. Your world is yours, and if we ceased to exist, everything valuable about it would be onchain and fully in your control.”

Putting it concisely, he shared that “Yes, we’re committed to Worlds. You can expect Worlds to grow even more powerful over time,” and that at the same time Foundation is “Committed to ensuring that Worlds is a protocol that doesn’t introduce platform risk for those building on top of it.”

Breakdown and Benefits

Taking a closer look at Worlds latest enhancement, Moments, three key aspects stand out, the ability to schedule, promote, and track performance.

Scheduling aspects enable worldbuilders to curate a Moment within their Dashboard by selecting items from
their inventory and setting a specific date and time for its unveiling.

Additionally, Moments allows useful promotion and performance tracking capabilities. Once a Moment is created it becomes an independent event that can be shared and added to calendars. As for performance tracking, worldbuilders can keep real-time tabs on sales and the overall pageviews a Moment has received.

Tehranian explained that these aspects benefit artists specifically by drawing greater attention to releases and in turn getting more eyes on their work. He added that “Artists thrive in Moments. The spotlight is on them and everyone’s paying attention!”

As for collectors, Moments acts as a signal that cuts through the clutter and noise that can often be found in Web3, whether that’s an onslaught of notifications from X, Discord, Telegram, etc or the sheer volume of constant releases.

“Moments are clarifying. They create focus amidst the noise,” Tehranian shared, adding “They’re scheduled at a specific moment in time, they’re represented by a single page and you can add them to your calendar — these are the ingredients that allow collectors to pay attention with ease.”

It’s In The DNA

As for design, Foundation has shown itself to be very particular when it comes to how it crafts its user experience (UX) and user interface (UI), with Tehranian expressing its an aspect that is encoded in the platform’s DNA.

Speaking on why this is, he shared “You have to go back to our founding. The space was stark. It was designed for hardcore technologists, those interfacing with the technology at a base level. The UI was almost an obstacle in and of itself.”

He added that, at that time, it was better to simply use smart contracts directly and that the idea of creators and artists wanting to use “crypto” was an alien concept. “This was the context in which Foundation emerged,” he explained, adding “Our founding — and subsequent rise — marked the emergence of a new, cultural era in Web3, an era that massively expanded who was interested in the technology, and for what purpose.”

Tehranian explained that this didn’t happen by coincidence and that design was a key factor in it all, something he touched on in a blog post from early 2021, titled Crypto wants to be seen.

Through its design approach, Foundation has made the idea of Web3 art more accessible, inviting, and appealing, particularly for artists. “As we’ve grown the company, we’ve maintained a commitment to Design, we’ve encoded it into our DNA,” Tehranian expressed.

Forever

In addition to Moments, Foundation has revealed another initiative, Forever Projects, that speaks to its origins as well as acts as a testament to its Worlds ecosystem and design-focused approach.

While an official rollout and greater detail around Forever Projects is expected Thursday, August 31, Foundation provided us with a bit of insight as to what the initiative entails.

Primarily, Forever Projects will act as a highly curated, in-house World, run by a dedicated team, designed to enable Foundation to engage with the broader community as a worldbuilder on equal footing with other curators in its ecosystem. While those new to the platform might not know, Foundation began with only 50 hand-selected artists at its launch in 2021, with curation playing a significant role in its early success.

However, as the space and platform grew, its positioning shifted as well — going from a tightly curated roster of artists to tens of thousands of artists in less than a year, ushering in the development of Worlds to harness decentralized community curation.

To understand the return of in-house creation at this specific point in time, we spoke with Jaysa Alvarez, Foundation’s Chief of Staff. She shared “We’ve always cared about art and curation, just as we’ve always cared about creating strong technology.”

She further explained “We’re in this interesting moment in history where technology is moving at an unprecedented pace and interest in Crypto/Web3 has cooled. However, just because the speculators are gone doesn’t mean that there aren’t ideas worth exploring in our space. If anything, it presents us with an opportunity to engage directly with a subculture of people who share the same passion for these ideas as we do and do so in a way that’s much more resonant.”

While details surrounding Forever Projects are still somewhat scarce, the initiative’s dedicated X page has revealed some of the design inspirations behind it, including names like Issey Miyake and Andy Warhol, which we asked Alvarez about.

“That mood board represents a confluence of transformative ideas and attitudes,” she said, explaining “Issey Miyake is iconic for his technology-driven designs and innovative use of materials, with his collections inhabiting the space between art, clothing, architecture, and technology,” while “Andy Warhol’s concepts revolutionized how we think about contemporary art and its role in our society.”

She exclaimed “Through Forever we want to highlight art and ideas that push boundaries and challenge conventional understanding, ” adding “We wholeheartedly believe that the values and beliefs at the fringes will usher in the values and beliefs of the next generation, and therefore find inspiration in people and art that have embraced this forward-thinking mindset even when it’s been countercultural.”

For more information on Forever Projects, keep an eye on Foundation’s official channels, with upcoming updates said to include a closer look at its first curated show Between Heaven and Earth, as well as details on participating artists.

The post Exclusive Look At Foundation’s Latest Worlds Update: ‘Moments’ appeared first on nft now.

https://nftnow.com/features/exclusive-how-hug-is-empowering-artists-through-discovery-opportunity-and-education/

In an era where technology is driving the evolution of everything, including art, at an unprecedented pace, artists are in search of platforms where they can not only exist but thrive despite ever-changing algorithms.

One such platform, born amidst the tumultuous backdrop of a global pandemic is HUG, which has shown itself to be a beacon for equal representation and opportunity for all – a platform that provides a platform.

To fully understand the gravity of what HUG is doing for artists in and outside of the Web3 space, we caught up with its co-founders, Randi Zuckerberg and Debbie Soon, and like any story worth hearing we thought it best to start at the beginning.

One Message and One Mission

While HUG may have been formed in 2022, it really started several years earlier as the world faced a global pandemic that would bring forth changes in the lives of nearly everyone on Earth, including Zuckerberg and Soon.

“Many may not know this… but after Facebook and before NFTs, I was a Broadway actress, and then producer,” shared Zuckerberg, adding “Covid shut down many of the shows that I was working on, and that resulted in me immersing myself in NFTs as a way to marry my passions for both arts and technology.”

She further explained “Before I knew it, I ended up becoming a mentor to many digital creators. All of them were struggling with the same thing – feeling challenged by the algorithm, and in general feeling unseen and at times lost on how to scale their artistic business.”

Eager to scale the existing support she was offering to creators, Zuckerberg set out on a search for a co-founder with a vision for creating a “thriving and sustainable ecosystem that would allow artists and art lovers to support each other.”

As fate would have it, Soon was also on that very same search. Having fallen in love with Web3 when navigating a mid-pandemic move from Singapore to LA, she decided to put her background in the finance and start-up sector to the side for a moment and sought out kickstarting a career in the NFT space.

“I put a wish out in the Meta Angels Discord,” she explained, adding “To my surprise, Randi found and responded to my message there one whole week later! We both are passionate about leveling the playing field for anyone to succeed in arts and technology, so this really was a match made in heaven.”

Are you a creator looking to get discovered?

Are you ready to connect with collectors like never before?

Over 3K artists have a free artist profile on HUG.

Sign up to join them todayhttps://t.co/S8bzwoudvV pic.twitter.com/TCz2lvK5V8

— HUG | Apply for an Artist Profile (@thehugxyz) August 25, 2023

Sharing her side of the story, Zuckerberg explained how Soon was still going by an anon identity when they first met but if you know anything about early Web3, that was often seen as a plus! “We got onto a Zoom call a few days later, and immediately hit it off,” Zuckerberg shared, adding “As I was getting to know Debbie, I was blown away by all of her thought leadership pieces that she was putting out on Twitter, and knew that there could not be a better person to embark on this journey with.”

Embark on a journey they did. Zuckerberg expressed, “In a nutshell, HUG’s mission is to help all artists become creative entrepreneurs, and we are doing that through discovery, opportunity, and education.”

What started as two like-minded individuals with a shared vision eventually grew into 200 people with a shared cause, and from those 200 passionate individuals, has emerged a diverse community of over 3,000 artists from over 85 different countries.

Soon explained that “We’ve intentionally flown under the radar and avoided being surrounded by moments of hype. Instead, we’ve been consistent with our mission from day one, and have adopted a really intentional and inclusive approach to building our community.”

Community Resources

In a space where nearly everything of value is hidden in secret alpha groups or housed behind a token gated club, HUG has dared to do something radically different, providing free resources for both artists and collectors alike.

These resources aren’t quick threads on X that you should bookmark for later or a halfway-finished hook to get you to buy into something at the end. Instead, HUG has dedicated a significant amount of time and resources to provide full-length guides and documents put together by its research team.

Explaining why this was and is important, Zuckerberg shared that “I have always been a firm believer that trust has to be earned, not given. We never want to extract value before we provide it, and offering these free resources is one of our ways of building trust within our artist and collector community.”

Further driving the significance of this decision home, Soon shared that “Accessible education has always been a core belief of ours. Particularly in Web3, where the technology is evolving faster than the average person can keep up with, we believe it is our responsibility to demystify these trends and make them easy for everyone to understand.”

At the time of writing, HUG has seven full-length guides and workbooks up on its site under the Resources tab. These range from “The Ultimate Artist Marketing Handbook Vol 1.” to  “The Art Collector’s Companion: An Interactive Workbook” – again, available free of charge, as HUG believes anyone building in the space should be stewards and not gatekeepers.

To this end, the platform has recently had the opportunity to partner with TransientLabs, one of its many like-minded partners, and ran a six-week-long Innovation Lab program that introduced over 200 artists to dynamic NFTs via Transient’s no-code tooling.

Ready for a crash course in all things arts & tech?

Dynamic Art
Collaborative AI
Diversifying your income
….and more!

Check the latest edition of Creator Royalties, our weekly source for education, news, & opportunities for digital artists https://t.co/I0nYVwYLFH

— HUG | Apply for an Artist Profile (@thehugxyz) August 22, 2023

Following the release, Soon shared “We saw several artists landing their first-ever commissions through HUG. The outcome of that was many happy artists, and even happier collectors, who were delighted to acquire a personalized, one-of-a-kind artwork” – which includes Soon herself, as she commissioned a hand-painted football from artist and Women and Weapons founder, Sara Baumann.

Power in Profiles

While discoverability can often be used as a buzzword in the Web3 art realm, HUG has seemingly embraced every aspect of the word and made it part of its core mission. This has been done not in a broad manner but rather through a very specific and thought-out approach.

“From day one, we set out to build the inclusiverse, which was really our way of describing a universe… or metaverse if you will? Where everyone feels included,” shared Zuckerberg, adding “I’m proud that at the top of the HUG homepage, you will see a banner calling for us to celebrate diverse creators from all walks of life. These communities should be celebrated and feel supported 24/7, 365 days a year, and not just in specific months.”

This mission also strikes a chord close to home for Soon, who shared that “As a recent transplant to America and a woman of color, this is deeply personal as well.”

She further expressed “I know many people like to say that Web3 doesn’t care about race, gender, etc., but the reality is that many unconscious biases still carry on from the traditional arts and technology worlds. By acknowledging that from day one, we can be intentional about the way we design HUG, both from a product and community standpoint.”

This has been exemplified since the inception of HUG, as it continues to operate as a community-curated platform. Soon explained that this has been achieved through a thesis of community-driven and decentralized curation in which the members vote for which artists should be onboarded to the platform and which artists should be selected for various sourced opportunities.

Early on, HUG recognized the need for a platform that provides a platform. As a result, it has developed comprehensive profile tools that help artists to get eyes on and also benefit collectors looking to keep up with their favorite creators.

“We are biased, but we definitely believe that [artist profiles] are an artist’s best tool to getting seen, shared, and celebrated,” said Zuckerberg, adding “Not only can you collect the most amazing, thoughtful reviews from appreciators of your work, you can also showcase your entire portfolio of work, both within and outside Web3. We can’t wait to keep upgrading these Artist Profiles, and bring additional functionality and interactivity there.”

In addition to this, HUG boasts an “Artist Updates” tab, which Soon “Allows artists to share important updates directly to the email inboxes of their followers.”

She joked “While we love the gm vibes and community discourse on X, sometimes artists and collectors just want a dedicated place to share and discover art for sale. Today, hundreds of artists are posting their updates to HUG every day.”

Highlighting one of the most significant aspects of the Updates tool, Soon called out that a majority of NFT marketplaces tend to showcase creators that are trending based on trading volume, which in turn unfairly disadvantages emerging artists.

Beyond the Digital

With the royalties aspect of NFTs being yet again at risk due to shifts in stance from a variety of major marketplaces and loopholes created by aggregators, we asked HUG what they’re doing to prepare their artists for this change and to our surprise, it’s something they’ve almost anticipated in a sense, from inception.

“Artists didn’t wake up one morning because of NFTs and decided that they were artists,” said Zuckerberg, adding “Instead, they have been artists for years, even decades, before NFTs existed! As such, our view has always been that NFTs should be one of many ways that artists should look to monetize their artwork and that it is completely okay to shift priorities from one way to another depending on the market or even what inspires and excites them.”

She further explained, that in support of this, not only has HUG published a variety of resources on the topic but it has also introduced mechanisms like its commission feature, where artists can opt-in to receive commission requests through their HUG profile.

Other initiatives include merchandising opportunities as well as Open Call opportunities for both physical and digital exhibitions, like its most recent and ongoing call in partnership with the Seattle NFT Museum.

ARTISTS WANTED

We want to share your art that shares your heritage!

HUG is partnering with the monumental @seanftmuseum, the world’s first NFT museum, for our debut collaborative exhibition “Cultural Kaleidoscope”

RT to tell your friends
Submit below pic.twitter.com/erP2TMquiG

— HUG | Apply for an Artist Profile (@thehugxyz) August 15, 2023

A Bright Future

As exciting as all the growth detailed above is, Zuckerberg and Soon have shared that HUG is just getting started. In fact, thanks to a $5 million USD seed round led by Ohhsiny’s VC fund with participation from OKX and L’Oréal, HUG is now positioned to accelerate its growth.

“These funds help us build out our product further, and to really turn HUG from a place of discovery to one of social commerce,” explained Zuckerberg, adding, “We already feel like we are helping artists and collectors connect on an emotional level like never before, and these funds will help us extend that relationship from one of appreciation to one of patronage, and help artists build sustainable businesses out of their work!”

Looking forward, Soon described HUG as “the Facebook meets Etsy for a new generation of creators who are curious about blockchain and emerging technology,” joking that, how could they not be with Randi in their corner?

Soon further explained that as creators shift into an era where they are no longer selling their work in one single medium but rather in a range of mediums, on-chain or otherwise, HUG wants to help them explore those options and provide a one-stop shop.

“Similarly, we believe the consumers of the new generation will also purchase art across multiple mediums,” shared Zuckerberg, adding that “Purchasers of NFTs still buy prints for their wall, and similarly, we hope that by allowing artists to express themselves through multiple mediums, we can convince every single art lover to also become art collectors and curators on the blockchain.”

Encouraging words from the “Mother Hugger”

“First off, I will say that bear markets come and go. When I was at the frontlines of Web2, there was the same amount of uncertainty and extremes of euphoria and despair. Being in the world of emerging tech is always scary and overwhelming, but it is also an incredible opportunity to learn. My advice is to keep exploring, keep learning, keep creating, and more importantly, remember to have fun.” Zuckerberg continued.

The post Exclusive: How HUG Is Empowering Artists Through Discovery, Opportunity, and Education appeared first on nft now.

https://nftnow.com/features/exclusive-behind-the-scenes-look-at-agoria-the-sandbox-collab/

Sébastien Devaud, better known to the Web3 space as Agoria, is a multi-disciplinary artist who wears many hats. He is a DJ, composer, record producer, and digital artist known for his science-based generative works, referred to as BioGenArt, that feel like living organisms.

Agoria is now expanding even further into the digital realm through a partnership with The Sandbox that combines a variety of his worlds into one, including digital art, physical experiences, and his love for music.

Agoria x The Sandbox

On its official HeyMint page, The Sandbox describes the AGORIANS Avatar Collection as “the first-ever Web3 avatar collection that brings the deeper meaning of duality to life through dynamic appearances,” as every six hours, the avatar transforms, aligning itself to the day or night.

The collection is set to be brought to life through a variety of accompanying quests and prizes, including a pool of over 100,000 SAND tokens up for grabs. Characters in the Agorian collection feature a diverse set of traits and notably support LGBTQ+ and minority communities, as part of Agoria’s vision to create a “safe space for the transcendence of our virtual selves.” 

In a conversation with nft now, Agoria explained how the collaboration came together in the first place, stating that “Sebastien Borget, the co-founder, started to collect my pieces on SuperRare and Foundation in 2021. With his partner Arthur they invited me to play for the Sandbox shows at NFC Lisbon and Cannes Film Festival – we had so much fun!”

Agoria further iterated that Bertrand Levy, the CEO of The Sandbox, loved his vision of merging art, science, music, and fun in the metaverse and gave it the green light.

One week before {𝑨𝒈𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒔} get reel

{Agorians} will be the first-ever Web3 avatar collection that implements an automatic appearance transformation to reflect the real-life time of day

Snapshot has been taken for my collectors

The allowlist will be able to… pic.twitter.com/bXIravCcGa

— {agoria} (@agoriamusic) August 22, 2023

Inspirations: “How many lives will you live?” – Agoria 

Speaking on the dynamic nature of the avatars featured in the collaboration and the inspiration behind it, Agoria expressed “I’m a night bird – I used to sleep during the day and party at night.”

“What I realized is that we have many personalities but the night one is the closest to your true self,” he explained, adding “People are more sincere by night than by days. During the day your boss is watching you, you have things to honor, you’re on a duty, you are shaped by an algorithm.”

The artist went on to state that as night comes around, there is seemingly less of a barrier to the true self and that people can better present who they are at their core. It is for this reason that Agoria decided that his avatars with The Sandbox “will be double,” reflecting his views and experience of human nature.

2/ You proved that you like art, music, science, party and fun! Day and Night!

So will your avatars be multiple!
They will have one life but two bodies.
They’ll change over the clock

{agorians} are not 1/1, they are 2/1!

Be prepare to be more than yourself!

More details… pic.twitter.com/esUYTwPsDP

— {agoria} (@agoriamusic) August 14, 2023

“When I came up with my idea of {One Life Two Bodies} questioning what is reel, what is virtual, The Sandbox introduced me to Julien Carbon, a fantastic scenarist. I wanted to design a game that couldn’t exist in the physical world but most of all a place to reconcile body and mind, physical and digital,” Agoria said, expressing his hopes for the collaboration.

He added “We came up with the mandala idea to build the whole experience. A place to unify, to connect us on a deeper level. One sure thing I love is our daily collaboration, being creative is being surrounded and inspired by brilliant minds.”

Agoria admitted that navigating the links between the physical and digital is a relatively new field for him but that it’s one he’s excited about. Aspects he said he’s particularly looking forward to include quests and prizes that will activate physical rewards for users, including lifetime VIP access to his shows, exclusive access to upcoming BioGenArt exhibitions, and more.
Those looking to score an avatar from the AGORIANS Avatar Collection will have to wait until the public mint on August 30 or meet any of the criteria listed in the X post by Agoria below for inclusion in early access on August 29

{Agorians}

More details about (y)our first ever dynamic avatars collection @TheSandboxGame

You will be granted a privilege access to the allowlist if you are:

1/1 holders
200 #tezos leaderboard
200 {comp-nd} leaderboard
{Compend-AI} holders
{Coutures} holders
{Agorians}… pic.twitter.com/5DkvCVXl1F

— {agoria} (@agoriamusic) August 15, 2023

While you wait

With patience not being something overly present in the Web3 space, we figured we’d give you something from Agoria that you can check out now. A dynamic artwork and collaboration with HOFA that follows in the footsteps of Refik Anadol.

Speaking on the piece, Agoria shared “I’ve been playing for a few years in Scorpios Mykonos, my sanctuary, my haven. It’s like a living, breathing entity—a philosophy, a family, a connection to something deeper,” adding “I was very grateful to combine both my disciplines for art and music! Most of all following the path of ser Refik Anadaol there. What an honor!”

Agoria further explained that the piece is meant to raise awareness of “the dangers surrounding our oceans and ecosystems.”

7/ {Bohem-IA} series follows the path of iconics @refikanadol @ivonatau @orkhan_art drops

Drops Aug 24 Exclusively on https://t.co/HnjWGK03Qf

Whitelist now via HOFA DAO Discordhttps://t.co/RT9xhKcGmK pic.twitter.com/O0u4VwpHxD

— {agoria} (@agoriamusic) August 20, 2023

Agoria further explained that the piece is meant to raise awareness of “the dangers surrounding our oceans and ecosystems.”

The post Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Look at Agoria & The Sandbox Collaboration appeared first on nft now.

https://nftnow.com/features/friend-tech-genuine-game-changer-or-just-another-passing-trend/

Head over to X, formerly Twitter, and the first post you see will likely be about Friend.tech, the latest gamified social media offering, backed by Coinbase and Paradigm.

The opinions and commentary on the app are vast in their approach, with some touting the app as a paradigm shift, others uncertain if they should join, and others still, calling it out as the next BitClout that is doomed to fail.

Given the app’s early stage, each of these perspectives carries weight and may reflect the true trajectory of the latest craze.

Paradigm Shift or Doomed to Fail?

With hype for the new social platform seemingly at an all-time high, there are undoubtedly early adopters and supporters who will profit from the shares they’ve purchased and sold. These same individuals will also likely share testimonies of how great and innovative the app is, in that it’s driving value back to the community – with euphoria fueled by significant amounts of volume.

Absolutely insane.

FT has generated more fees in the past 24 hours than Tron, Uniswap, and BTC. It’s not far away from Lido, which has 13.8B ETH staked!

While the initial hype from the airdrop may fade, FT gives us a glimpse of what crypto mass adoption feels like. pic.twitter.com/PXKuuNARmk

— Ignas | DeFi Research (@DefiIgnas) August 20, 2023

However, the underlying concept behind Friend.tech is not entirely new, in fact, it very closely resembles BitClout of 2021 and while that application gets a lot of flack now, it once raised over $200 million USD at its peak and was championed by highly regarded social influencers and celebrities.

X user Alex Valaitis, who shared he worked with DeSo, the project behind BitClout, expressed why he feels Friend.tech won’t last. He largely assigned this to the platform’s bonding curve mechanic, which simply rapidly accelerates price, however, Valaitis outlines that this is where the “rug pull” comes from, as someone early in the bond curve will cash out, leading to a cratering price.

Controversial Web3 personality beanie further illustrates this, calling the platform a “high stakes game of musical chairs” where the only retailers that make it out with any gain are the first ones in that are also the first ones out. He further shared that influencers, Coinbase and Paradigm will of course come out on top and marks it up to the nature of the game, stating “This is how things are done and there’s nothing new here to see,” but that retail users should proceed with “extreme caution.”

Uncertainty & Skeptism

The uncertainty around Friend.tech lies in a few different areas, namely its privacy policy or lack thereof, potential regulatory issues, and a recent API compromise that saw data of 100,000 accounts leaked.

However, the latter has since been refuted by Friend.tech, who said that it was just someone scraping their public API and that “It’s like saying someone hacked you by looking at your public Twitter feed.” Furthermore, information like wallet addresses are already publicly available, as is the nature of the blockchain.

The other concerns remain valid though, when navigating to the app’s privacy policy, a pop-up window will appear that says “coming soon.” This has been understandably off-putting for a variety of users, considering financial systems are being linked to the app.

Additionally, reports of regulatory attention have surfaced, following a weekend where the app saw over $1 million USD in fees generated over a 24-hour period. Attention is likely a direct result of the expectation for profit, as creators can share fees with their “shareholders.” While these tokens were originally called shares, Friend.tech has since changed the name of these tokens to Keys – likely to avoid unwanted scrutiny.

We’ve renamed Shares to 𝗞𝗲𝘆𝘀. The original name was a placeholder during development and we think Keys better illustrates their purpose as in-app items used to unlock your friends’ chatrooms pic.twitter.com/phkZky13VL

— friend.tech (@friendtech) August 21, 2023

Things to Consider

While only time can tell the outcome of Friend.tech, there are a few probabilities and considerations to bear in mind. The first is that it is more probable than not, that the platform will experience the same fate as BitClout, that retail users or “Key” investors are undoubtedly in the riskiest position financially, and that creators who choose to use this platform must decide to provide exclusive value to their holders or risk potential reputational damage.

An example of the latter can be seen in popular X personality, Cozomo de’ Medici’s hesitation in joining the platform. When asking his followers if he should join, some said why not while others like artist Bryan Brinkman expressed that it might detract from the value of Medici’s other initiatives. Nonetheless, Medici has shared that he is “Trying it out.”

Numerous artists and prominent community figures have voiced their reluctance to join Friend.tech. The platform, despite its buzz, hasn’t managed to captivate the interest of these key players. Their hesitation raises questions about the platform’s potential for mainstream adoption or simply feeling exhausted with the amount of other decentralized platforms like BitClout, Mastodon, and Bluesky, which in the CT community were short-lived.

While this is a simple statement, it is important that creators trying the new platform make clear the expectations for their community and that the community proceeds with caution, as alongside the potential for gain is also a potential for loss.

The post Friend.tech: Genuine Game-Changer or Just Another Passing Trend? appeared first on nft now.

https://nftnow.com/features/how-oncybers-world-builder-is-open-sourcing-community-creativity/

OnCyber, the Web3-based multiverse for creators, best known for its virtual environments that enable an elevated experience of digital assets, has recently released a significant update that aims to harness the collective creativity of the broader Web3 community.

Concept to cultural phenomenon

To understand the new tool, WORLD BUILDER, we spoke with the platform’s founder and CEO Rayan, to provide perspective on the gravity of OnCyber’s continued adoption and success, which took us back to its origins.

“OnCyber was started in early 2021, with the premise of being the easiest place to showcase NFTS through immersive experiences,” he explained, adding “While other metaverse platforms allowed people to create within their ecosystem, none had a user experience that truly allowed all newcomers to participate,” as these platforms required either capital or complex design skills.

Rayan further explained that “From its inception, OnCyber quickly grew into a cultural phenomenon in Web3, being used to showcase some of the most impressive artworks and collections in CryptoArt, amounting to around $1.5b of assets value [via purchases] displayed by their owners or creators in OnCyber worlds.”

The CEO, CryptoPunk, and art collector shared that the platform quickly became a place to socialize, as they introduced a chat feature alongside user-controlled avatars. Since the launch of these features, OnCyber has been the go-to platform for a variety of significant immersive experiences, including Takashi Murakami’s Gagosian exhibition ‘An Arrow through History,’ RTFKT’s Space Pods, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and more.

Another aspect that is great about these spaces, is that even after the physical counterparts have been disassembled and essentially lost to time – OnCyber’s virtual worlds live on, available to visit and relive memories at will.

Furthermore, with the release of its new WORLD BUILDER tool, the platform is now putting the entire Web3 community in a position where their creativity is truly the limit.

Introducing

WORLD BUILDER

A revolutionary way to Build a World
from scratch, for free,
directly in your browser pic.twitter.com/Qt64PtxOCs

— ᴏɴᴄʏʙᴇʀ (@oncyber) August 8, 2023

Building with the community

“Open-source” is often a buzzword touted in the Web3 community and sometime’s it’s sincere, other times maybe not. However, in this particular case, whether intentional or not, OnCyber, by offering its new tool completely for free, has tapped into the collective creativity of the Web3 community – which by open-source principles should rapidly accelerate the adoption and growth of virtual spaces.

Speaking on the new tool, Rayan shared that “Ever since the start of OnCyber, the mission has been to offer the easiest tools to build immersive experiences in the browser,” he explained that in version one, this was provided through architects creating static templates that people could use “as is.” However, this came at the expense of flexibility and also saw many of the spaces limited by either mint quantity or paywalls.

Rayan added that “With world building, our community is now empowered to do so much more and can express themselves with worlds of all shapes and dimensions in the most UX-friendly manner.”

Y’all are talented
brilliant
incredible
amazing
show stopping
spectacular

Share the worlds you’ve built pic.twitter.com/VtJyeXolrV

— ᴏɴᴄʏʙᴇʀ (@oncyber) August 11, 2023

Since its launch, just a little over a week ago at the time of writing, OnCyber’s WORLD BUILDER has seen lots of creators step forward and use the tool as well as UX designers and architects step up to develop packs of additional assets that these creators can use to build their dream worlds.

Whether you need a virtual space for a personal gallery, an official exhibition, a place to gather for a keynote, or just to watch a YouTube video with friends while defying gravity, OnCyber is the place for you.

Should you decide to give the new tool a spin, do let us know what you think about it and tag us in your creations on Twitter, we’d love to see them! Happy world-building.

The post How OnCyber’s World Builder is Open Sourcing Community Creativity appeared first on nft now.

https://nftnow.com/features/what-yue-minjuns-liveart-release-means-for-fine-art-in-web3/

LiveArt, a Web3-based platform created by three ex-TradArt experts is making a splash with its recent drop, Kingdom of the Laughing Man, representing the inaugural NFT exploration of celebrated contemporary artist Yue Minjun.

The recently revealed PFP style collection features 999 one-of-one generative examples of Minjun’s iconic laughing visage and has already seen over $1 million USD in trading volume.

Based on the near immediate success of the collection, Minjun’s track record, and the combined experience of the LiveArt team, it would seem that the fine art sector of Web3 seems prime for a major shift.

Yue Minjun

Born in Daqing, China in 1962, Minjun is best known for his oil portraits portraying his own laughing figure, which subsequently are the basis for his collection with LiveArt.

For years, Minjun worked in the oil industry until the Tiananmen Square uprising in 1989, when he decided to join an artists’ colony outside of Beijing. As he developed his craft, Mijun quickly became recognized for his portrait-style works, particularly that of his own smiling visage.

As part of his great success, Minjun’s works have traveled the world and grossed $150 million USD in the public sector, with as much as $300 million USD in volume assumed to be the figure in the private sector, according to LiveArt co-founder and CEO Boris Pevzner, as shared in a recent Animoca Twitter space.

Minjun’s work has also been associated with the Chinese movement “Cynical Realism,” however, this is a label he rejects. One title he can’t reject though, is the artist with the highest-grossing work of Chinese contemporary art in 2007.

While there are other benchmarks to base an artist’s success on, like cultural influence via the presence of works in a city like Beijing and academic or institutional influence via representation in museums – Pevzner shares that economic benchmarks are possibly the most quantifiable.

With Minjun’s record-breaking painting selling for $7 million USD at Christie’s in 2013 and his prints currently going for 5,000 to 20,000 USD each, there is no denying his success.

Discover the value of Yue Minjun’s art

“Take the plunge” achieved $2,629,682 at Sotheby’s, Hong Kong.

Now, you can enjoy his art on a different canvas – NFTs. https://t.co/ekrIX22ZKm pic.twitter.com/1keHC41if3

— LiveArt (@LiveArtX) August 15, 2023

LiveArt’s Mission

Founded by Boris Pevzner, a tech entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience across a diverse set of industries, including a company acquired by none other than Christie’s, has positioned LiveArt to become one of the leading platforms in elevated digital art offerings.

“The way that I got into crypto was by way of the art world. So I’ve been in the art world for many years. In fact, one of the companies I had built was acquired by Christie’s which is the largest business in the traditional art world,” explained Pevzner adding “I have spent a fair bit of time in the art market helping to drag it into the digital age, at first kicking and screaming and now quite willingly. It was clear that this is the place to build and with Web3 truly revolutionizing the art market in just a completely fundamental way, it’s a really exciting time to be building in the space.”

Pezner went on to share that “the company’s DNA is in the premium art market segment,” sharing that one of his two other co-founders was the COO of Sotheby’s and that his third co-founder ran the digital and E-commerce sectors for Christie’s.

“So that’s the three founders, all accomplished entrepreneurs and deeply rooted in the art market,” he exclaimed.

As for the mission of LiveArt, Pezner explained that they feel the platform will make the biggest impact by working with artists that have established careers, large collector bases, and auction house sales that range from millions to hundreds of millions of dollars.

Overall, Pezner explains that the goal is to help bring them into Web3 and in doing so bring in an entirely new collector base that will energize the Web3 art market and create an elevated digital fine art sector.

Kingdom of a Laughing Man

Made up of a now sold-out collection of 999 PFP-style NFTs, Kingdom of the Laughing Man marks Minjun’s entry into Web3, a space the artist is eager to explore.

“I’ve explored numerous media with my art over the years. This new digital frontier excites me the most as I can bring my art to life in a way that I haven’t been able to with physical media,” shared Minjun, adding “In Web3 I can create a new engaging experience and relationship with the next generations of art collectors shaping the art world of the future.”

Now, NFTs!
Unique digital artworks on the blockchain.

From canvas to NFTs, art evolves, and now you can be part of it with Kingdom of The Laughing Man by Yue Minjun: https://t.co/ekrIX22ZKm pic.twitter.com/GLSDV9Zqf2

— LiveArt (@LiveArtX) August 10, 2023

Teasing a bit, Pezner shared that Minjun has lots of plans for future work in the space and that he’s excited to explore innovative offerings in the new medium.  He further exclaimed that by purchasing one of these NFTs, collectors were not buying a speculative asset but instead, a piece of fine art that is “well quantified, well researched, and is liquid.”

He added in a comment to nft now that “Yue Minjun’s involvement in every detail of each NFT in this collection is unprecedented for an artist of his caliber, making each feature in these digital masterpieces stand out. This adds an extra layer of significance and value to this historic drop.”

As expressed earlier, if we are to quantify success based on economic benchmarks alone, Kingdom of the Laughing Man is off to an astonishing start, realizing over $1 million USD in secondary markets since its release and in the middle of a supposed bear market at that.

What’s more, collectors of these works will have the opportunity to purchase a signed physical print of their unique token, and a select few holders with rare traits will be eligible to claim theirs for free. More on the print claim and purchase process are coming soon from LiveArt.

Just sold for 1.21 ETH
That’s a steal

Congrats to one of the lucky owners of one of the extraordinarily rare NFTs!

Collect one of the extraordinary NFTs with the background traits to receive a free print: Black Hole, Brainstorm, Gotham, Pyramid, Younger Dryas:… pic.twitter.com/P6kGWohuwE

— LiveArt (@LiveArtX) August 16, 2023

A Paradigm Shift

Beyond the economic aspects of Minjun and LiveArts release, the drop calls to attention a major paradigm shift in both the fine art and Web3 art worlds and could potentially act as a calling card to other acclaimed TradArt artists who are curious about the space.

Furthermore, it also provides a reason for TradArt collectors to take a closer look at Web3 and the blockchain, which undoubtedly represent the future of digital art.

“This drop signifies an exciting shift in the art world as it illustrates how established traditional artists can bring their art to new audiences through the new digital medium, shared Pezner directly with nft now, he added that “It’s also significant for the rapidly evolving Web3 space as it demonstrates the ‘flight to quality’ in the NFT segment, which continues to accelerate despite the market conditions.”

The post What Yue Minjun’s LiveArt Release Means for Fine Art in Web3 appeared first on nft now.