Valuart x NFT Fest Lugano 2023: A Retrospective

GM, the Valuart Newsletter is out! ☕

This week’s issue is a retrospective on the recent NFT Fest in Lugano, where Valuart showcased the works of Skygolpe, Jesse Draxler, Nazareno Biondo, and Fabio Giampietro.

Valuart x NFT Fest Lugano 2023: A Retrospective

As anticipated in last week’s issue, starting from September 7th, Valuart took part in the Lugano NFT Fest in the beautiful setting of Villa Ciani, showcasing the works of Skygolpe, Jesse Draxler, Nazareno Biondo, and Fabio Giampietro throughout four unique installations.

Following, is an overview of the installations:

Skygolpe’s "Paint on Pixel II" Series:

First unveiled during Art Basel 2023, Skygolpe's “Paint on Pixel II” series offers an exploration into the human psyche in today's tech-dominated era. This installation, featuring 3 works of the series blended classical painting methods with digital nuances, providing attendees with unparalleled viewpoints.

During the NFT Fest, Skygolpe also held a talk with art curator and founder of BREEZY, Eleonora Brizi.

Jesse Draxler’s NFT-Authenticated Art Prints:

Jesse Draxler, celebrated for his liminal artistic style, was presented through a curated selection of his newest NFT-authenticated fine art prints. These works depicted a fascinating interplay between reality's deconstruction and its subsequent reconstruction — a window into the layers of life’s rawness.

Nazareno Biondo's NFT Debut & Physical Works:

Nazareno Biondo's installation featured an array of his marble works, including the iconic “Bitcoin” and the newest "Fossil Punks" — respectively “Fossil Punk Adam” and “Fossil Punk Eva” which in addition to the physical pieces marked his foray into the NFT scene with the “Fossil Punks” collection on objkt.com.

Accordingly, from September 7th-9th he released his first open edition of “Fossil Punk Adam”, which saw a total of 123 editions minted.

"Fossil Punks" represents Biondo’s endeavor to capture stories on the verge of expression; it's both a reflection of our present and an homage to the forward-looking spirit of crypto-art that speaks to his enduring connection to marble now reimagined in the limitless digital landscape.

The holders of “Fossil Punk Adam” will have exclusive access to “Fossil Punk Eva” upon its future release, yet to be announced.

"The Lift" by Fabio Giampietro NoMa Edition:

Outside Villa Ciani, with NoMa's cutting-edge tech infrastructure fusing with Giampietro's artistic vision, "The Lift" provided a transcendent experience, transporting attendees from the tangible realm of canvas straight into the vast cosmos.

An Overview of This week’s FW LOG Features

FW CURATION

Yazid: The Art of Simplifying Complexity

In a landscape where art and technology are often viewed as disparate worlds, Yazid leverages technology to convey elements of autonomy, randomness, and repetition, expanding the horizons of artistic exploration and innovation. In his creations, creativity thrives amid binary syntax, illuminating tangible aspects of the digital world and breathing life into the abstract.

His work is a dynamic interaction between the structured world of algorithms and the fluidity of art, continuously challenging our conventional understanding of art, ultimately urging us to recognize the poetic quality that lies within the logical rigidity of code.

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FW ROOMS

Sasha Katz in conversation with Karmacowboy: Hyperreal Heroines

These heroines are the light of my life. They draw inspiration from the remarkable women I have encountered, both in person and in the digital realm. They symbolize my diverse and unconventional beauty standards. In total, I have conceived seven since 2020, a pivotal year when my creative attention shifted toward the human being.

Each possesses her unique appellation and stands as a mirror of my own identity and voice. The process of their creation is one of profound affection, and it is this love that breathes life into their being. Without that love, they wouldn’t exist.

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Dance with Innocence - Meet Rocco Gallo

Rocco Gallo is part of the recently published curated drop “Digital Na(t)ive” on objkt.one which aims to provide a vibrant platform for exploring the symbiosis between digitally crafted Naïve Art and Web3, featuring a diverse array of Digital Naïve Art. The shared values of Naïve Art and Web3 lie in their commitment to democratization, inclusivity, and individual creativity, fostering environments that defy traditional norms, encourage innovation, and establish direct, personal connections between creators and audiences.

In the exhibition, you’ll encounter a wide range of mediums, backgrounds, subject matters, and visual styles to represent contemporary digital Naïve Art in its full spectrum showcasing Art that breaks free from any norms.

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FW INSIGHTS

Debunking the Myth: Not All NFT-Based Art is Crypto Art

Any digital artwork tokenized via non-fungible tokens (NFTs) is often branded as ‘Crypto Art’‘. However, using this label indiscriminately leads to confusion and misrepresentation, diminishing the broader scope of digital art. For this reason, it’s crucial to differentiate between the medium and technology; NFTs act as containers that encapsulate various art forms, not as artistic mediums.

Consider an analogy: similarly to how the printing press is not considered a literary genre but rather a technology that revolutionized literature, likewise NFTs should qualify as a breakthrough technology that enables new ways of creating, owning, and trading art. The danger lies in confining all the diverse potential of NFT-enabled art under the Crypto Art umbrella, which can restrict perception and devalue the immense creative diversity in the space.

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That wraps up this week’s issue of the Valuart Newsletter. Look out for next week’s with even more art-driven insights from our ecosystem!

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