Drop Date: October 20
Platform: ONBD x SuperRare Space
Featured Artists: BK Voxel; Farnaz; Johana Kroft; Kefan404; Larry Huang Rui; Lemony.
We are at the crossroads of a new digital revolution. An exciting time, where AI technology is becoming increasingly integrated into our everyday lives, and entirely new, experiential digital ‘metaverses’ are enabling new ways of ‘being.’ Web3 has gone beyond idealism, and its principles of decentralization are acted upon in discord communities and DAOs. If it is done well, this technological advancement can have a positive impact on the evolution of humankind. The artists in this exhibition are visionaries that build worlds and inspire us to dream of that better future by creating alternative realities, conceptualizing ideal states, sharing the idea of what utopia can be for each. Farnaz and Lemony, both from Iran, and BKVoxel, based in Canada, are masters of voxel art, creating mini-worlds that take their inspiration from myth. Kefan, Rui Huang (both in China) and Johana Kroft, based in New York City, build otherworldly landscapes that are informed by their experiences within the Web3 space, and inspired by their boundless imagination. All of the artists have generously pledged to direct proceeds from the sales of their work to benefit Iranian women, either by collecting Iranian women artists’ work, or by donating to United For Iran, a non-profit organization working to empower the voices of women and girls in Iran through mobilization, technology, and education.
Voxel Visionaries
Farnaz and Lemony, both from Iran, and BKVoxel, based in Canada, are masters of voxel art, creating mini-worlds that take their inspiration from myths and imagined futures. Lemony’s “#3- the temple” imagines a Japanese temple known for its unique material: voxels. Farnaz has created a miniature city inspired by the ancient legend of The Lost City of Atlantis, and BKVoxel’s “RUTS, STEPS, DOTS” depicts a ‘shelter’ set within a future world that is trying to rebuild.
Otherlands
Kefan, Rui Huang and Johana Kroft build otherworldly landscapes that are informed by their experiences within the Web3 space. Kefan’s mountainous, alien world was inspired by his connection to nature, and he felt this piece also illustrated a solidarity he felt with those being persecuted in Iran. Rui Huang is well-known for his unique, real-time 3D rendered science fiction art. “The Infinite Wonder” reflects his journey into the unknown as a cryptoartist. Johana Kroft is originally from the Czech Republic and currently based in New York. She builds surreal 3D worlds in her colorful, immediately recognizable style.
Wait and Hope
Many of us, including these artists, continue to search for a way to utilize Web3 to solve critical social issues at hand. We not only envision the change we hope to see, but have been incrementally working toward it in a much more realistic manner: on-chain charitable giving, artists supporting environmental causes, and DAOs raising money for those in need; a great deal of good has been done already, facilitated by Web3, expressed in the metaverse, via fine art NFTs. To quote the final line of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas: “His last words exhort us to follow a different path than he did, a path of contentment in Providence: Live, then, and be happy, beloved children of my heart, and never forget that until the day when God shall deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is summed up in these two words — ‘Wait and hope.’”
Hear “In Search of Otherlands ” from SuperRare Lab CEO and artists:
GetONBoarD Episode 13: In Search of Otherlands
Date: Oct 15, 2022
Hosted by ONBD (Masako Shiba)
Speakers: SuperRare John (CEO at SuperRare Lab); BK Voxel; Farnaz; Kefan404; Larry Huang Rui; Lemony (Artists).
Recording (1h)
