Art that speaks the language of the time

Particles - Pattern 8 by Damien Borowik

NFT is a polarizing word. For some, it encapsulates a newfound libertarian freedom where individuals can create and monetize without the need for central authorities. For others, the word has been tainted by scams, rug pulls and false promises. When associated with the word “art” it could become downright offensive.

Digital art is not new. Monetizing it at scale is.

Artists have been using computers to produce art on screen since the 50s. The struggle since has been its monetization. Unless they were selling their art with a physical display, whether printed out or bundled with a screen, digital artists had a hard time making a living. Most used their talents in the commercial world instead. Here is the irony: While our life became more digitised and virtualised, what would make digital art naturally more valuable was missing: scarcity and authenticity. Why should I pay when I can just get a free, identical copy?

Then NFTs came along and solve this problem for artists. It quickly became a gold rush, rife with speculations, hits and a lot of misses. Many have been burnt and are still reeling. Some decided to sit on the fence, others developed an allergic reaction, and a few have profited handsomely.

Real art touches people and that is universal, regardless of technology.

Sylvain Levy, of the eponymous DSL Collection wisely said: ”Art should be seen, and for that to happen it needs to speak the language of its time.”

Whether we argue that BAYC is art or not is irrelevant to the fact that we are spending more of our time and money on virtual assets. It follows that while there are hundreds of millions of people happy to purchase in-game upgrades, exclusive profile pictures or swanky villas on the metaverse, there will be a few among them that will be looking for art for art sake. The kind you don’t buy just to flip but because like all good art, what you saw, what you read and what you heard touched you.

This is why we are passionately developing Block Meister. We think that beyond the quest for “utility” and “quick riches”, they are a few NFT-savvy collectors who are curious about art, or already committed to it, and there are a few traditional art collectors who are keen to keep up with the times.

These two groups have more in common than what they think. As a prelude to our platform launch, in the next few weeks, we will feature some digital artists we like and respect to help bridge that gap.

Expect to read about established artists like Miguel Chevalier, Refik Anadol, Tyler Hobbs or Du Zhen Jun and emerging ones, digitally natives or not, all keen to explore new virtual creative territories.

And if you believe in our vision, we would invite you to spend 15 mins with us for an exclusive preview, to help us put the finishing touches to what we hope will make a meaningful and beautiful dent in the universe of Art.