Features / 303 posts found
NFT100 Spotlight: Julie Pacino’s Web3 Filmmaking Vision
Julie Pacino is leading innovation at the forefront of Web3 filmmaking, and it’s not even close. Her upcoming feature-length debut, I Live Here Now, evolved out of a 2021 photography NFT collection of the same name, and the film is largely being funded by Pacino’s follow-up to that series, Keepers of the Inn. And having recently announced a deal with crypto payments platform MoonPay to co-executive produce the film, it’s become irrefutably clear that few others in the NFT community are maneuvering as deftly as Pacino to push creative freedom forward. In recognition of Pacino’s inclusion in the 2023 edition […]
NFT100 Spotlight: How Richerd and Manifold Empower Artists Beyond Open Editions
The lines between art and technology are more blurred than ever. A successful NFT art career requires as much creative talent as it does technical knowledge. How are artists expected to navigate both worlds? Richerd may have created the solution. As the co-founder of Manifold, Richerd created a platform that not only empowers artists to harness the technical power of blockchain technology — it also enables them to monetize their work through NFTs. While Manifold is just one solution in the growing NFT space, their work highlights the importance of accessibility and inclusivity in allowing creators to fully embrace the […]
NFT100 Spotlight: How Zhuk’s Serene Artistry Makes the Ancient Modern
When you see a Zhuk painting, there’s no mistaking it as anyone else’s work. The Azerbaijani artist’s style has become a staple of Web3 over the last year, injecting a digital-heavy NFT space with some refreshingly ancient aesthetics. A third-generation family artist, Zhuk brings a uniquely modern lens to classical figurative painting, often depicting the human body as if suspended in water or viewed in a dreamy, flow-like state. This approach allows her to play with shape, contrast, and color in fascinating ways. Zhuk’s work has been featured in Time’s NFT initiative Slices of Time, collected by some of the […]
How Roope Rainisto’s AI Photography Redraws Artistic Boundaries
On April 5, Web3 photography platform Fellowship dropped Post Photographic Perspectives, its inaugural group show headlined and curated by designer and AI-collaborative artist Roope Rainisto. Featuring 500 new pieces from Reworld, Rainisto’s latest collection, and a further 1,000 works from 10 AI artists hand-picked by Rainisto and Fellowship, Post Photographic Perspectives is one of the most highly-anticipated NFT drops of the year. The show sits at the center of several exciting technological and cultural developments that have sparked intense debate both within and outside of Web3’s walls in recent months. We sat down with Rainisto and Fellowship’s Co-founder, Alejandro Cartagena, […]
Sotheby’s All-Male Auction Shouldn’t Surprise Web3
Last week, legacy auction house Sotheby’s shut down the latest auction from its NFT initiative just two days after its March 24 opening. The show, entitled Natively Digital: Glitch-ism, featured 17 artists from the glitch art world, an aesthetic known for its distorted visuals, flashing lights, and erratic compositions. However, the show quickly courted controversy, coming under fire for not featuring a single woman artist in the auction’s roster. “Sotheby’s is pausing Natively Digital: Glitch-ism to redress the imbalance in representation within the sale, and will relaunch with a more equitable and diverse group of artists at a later date,” […]
Next Up: Five Ones to Watch in April 2023
In 2021, a new creator economy was born on the blockchain. Since NFTs took center stage, artists have achieved NFT superstardom, billion-dollar brands have been forged in just a few months, and lives have been utterly transformed time and again. Yet, the most inspiring thing about the NFT space is the number of artists of all creeds and mediums who have found community and support by embracing this technology. In keeping with our mission to empower creators, we present Next Up — our monthly franchise dedicated to showcasing rising artists. Although the NFT space has changed significantly over the last […]
Blending Worlds: Is the Future Really Phygital?
The prevalence of the word “phygital” has steadily been on the rise in recent years, with interest growing by more than 57 percent in the past year alone, according to MeetGlimpse. And the trend shows no signs of slowing down. Consumers in this day and age expect to shop and interact with brands in a way that’s quick and secure. By blending physical items with digital assets for seamless omnichannel interactions, businesses and investment enthusiasts can meet these demands and bring convenience to the modern world. Phygital isn’t just a buzzword. In a world that is becoming increasingly digital, and […]
AI Lawsuits Are Here, and They Could Change Everything
In 2021, OpenAI released the first version of DALL-E, forever altering how we think about images, art, and the ways in which we collaborate with machines. Using deep learning models, the AI system output images based on text prompts — users could create anything from a romantic shark wedding to a puffer fish who swallowed an atomic bomb. DALL-E 2 followed in mid-2022, using a diffusion model that allowed it to render far more realistic images than its predecessor. The tool soon went viral, but this was just the beginning for AI art generators. Midjourney, an independent research lab in the […]
Web3 Touches Grass: DAOs and NFT Projects That Incentivize Getting Active
Consider the anatomy of a common degen: Hunched shoulders, disheveled hair, bloodshot eyes, and a complexion as if the sun had ceased to exist. We jest, of course, because this is simply a caricature that even those within Web3 have no choice but to laugh at. Yet, it is still a prominent stereotype of the NFT space — and one that consumers outside of the blockchain surely believe to a degree. The fact of the matter is that both collectors and creators in the NFT space spend a significant amount of time bathing in the pale blue light of a […]
From Rap to Web3: Heno’s Journey to Ignite Social Change
Ethiopian-Eritrean rapper Heno grew up in Takoma Park, Maryland, at the nexus of multiple worlds. As an honor roll student with street smarts, Heno experienced both the privileges and injustices of his environment. His family’s apartment was located next to his elementary and middle schools, a library, and a police station — a combination of places that would shape his perspective on life. As a child, Heno explains that one of his earliest memories involved a traumatic encounter with the police when they unlawfully entered his home, shining a flashlight and pointing a gun at him. He says he was […]