Colecta Magazine 7th Edition

CHROMATICA

Colecta Magazine Edition 7 is a celebration of culture and its diverse expressions during the most important week in art of the United States. This Special Edition for Art Basel Miami 2022 brings forth the colors of “Chromatica” as a homage to the official inauguration of The House, a hybrid gallery located in Miami between the Design District and Wynwood.

CHROMATICA CAME TO BE AS A COMPREHENSIVE THOUGHT. It encompasses all colors, sounds, and walks of life just as they are. Humanity is prone to forget the many ways in which people express their diversity and relate to one another. The planet thrives and coexists as a gamut of colors, races, and species in a symbiotic relationship where one does not survive without the other.

As a true mirror of the human experience, art is just as diverse. It has existed since the beginning of life – all of it. Even before humans inhabited the planet, plants and creatures already coexisted in their own symmetries, laced with patterns and Fibonacci sequences that would long after influence humans and their relationship with the world. Chromatica reflects the diversity within our artists’ expressions and places of origin. It reflects the universal language that has crossed oceans and countries to land in this collective exhibition in Miami and embark on a new journey. Join us in exploring The House, a hybrid gallery that encompasses and fosters the vast array of human expression. Chromatica will mark the beginning of a new era in Miami, creating a new cultural hub that will become the gateway to the world starting at the heart of Wynwood and Design District, inviting world travelers and residents to embark on this new experience.

ART EXHIBITION

C HROMATIC A

Alex Korolkovas

TIME!

THE SPEED AT WHICH WE ARE LIVING IS UNDENIABLY FAST, and it is almost impossible not to pay attention to our time. When I say time, I allude to every possible sense of the word. 2022 was an intense year, full of dramatic and remarkable events in several countries around the world. As a result, we all left our comfort zones and took a step forward in search for real purposes and new possibilities, towards the world, others, and ourselves.

It’s time for reimagination! This is a very special edition of Colecta Magazine, as you will see in the next pages of our seventh issue. In addition to the ‘UBS’ Annual Reporting of the activities and panorama of the art market, you will find several artistic discoveries, memories of unforgettable events, and future projects.

It’s time for activism! We reached the end of this year stronger and more aware of our ability and duty to raise our voices and be active participants in causes that discuss the socio-environmental consequences of our collective actions. We invite you to learn more about the Voice of the Oceans Project, which sails around the world to bring awareness to the preservation of the oceans. Through art, the world’s greatest muralist, Eduardo Kobra, was invited by the United Nations to use his graffiti as a form of artistic activism to spread the message of preserving the environment for the future of coming generations and our planet.

It’s time for exploration! We present a selection of talented artists, people, and places that make a difference in our daily lives, transforming a few hours into unforgettable and timeless experiences.

It’s time for reinvention! Embark on a journey of renewed self-expression using the greatest tool of visual communication in the world. Fashion and all of its nuances and possibilities manifests itself as a special type of art as it is worn everyday. It’s wearable art, and we live our lives in it.

It’s time for celebrations! Chromatica is the name and theme of the opening exhibition of The House’s newest expansion, bringing the vibrant energy of colors and the cultural diversity of artists from various countries.

It’s time for optimism and renewal! A new year is coming full of challenges and new possibilities. We wish you all a 2023 full of achievements, peace, health, and much success. Our time is now.

Enjoy your reading and Happy New Year!

Editor-in-Chief

Giuliana Brandao

ART CURATOR & DIRECTOR

Jade Matarazzo

Graphic Art Director

Vivian Lobenwein

Business Development Managers

Giuliana Brandao Jade Matarazzo

Publisher Flavio Iryoda content director Bruna Amorim

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Contributors

Art Critique Social Art Out & About Art Industry Art Photography

The House Featured Wearable Art Art Expression

Jonatas Chimen Bruna Amorim Alfonso de Hoyos Jade Matarazzo Alex Korolkovas Bruna Amorim

Jay Boggo Giuliana Brandao

CONSUMER SERVICES

COLECTA Magazine is a quarterly digital and print on-demand publication focused on Art Expression, Fashion & Art, Art Editorials, Art & Design, POP Culture, Art Tech, The Art of Living, Art Gastronomy, Art & Purpose, Out & About, and Featured Artist by The House of Arts. Founded in December 2020 with main operations in Miami and Sao Paulo, Brazil with a wide network of collaborators distributed across the globe.

PUBLISHER

AVESSA Media Group LLC Brickell - Miami, FL 33130 United States of America

A PROUD MEMBER OF

© 2021 AVESSA Media Group LLC, a Florida limited liability corporation. All rights reserved. The information contained herein is of a general nature and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although we endeavor to provide accurate and timely information, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No one should act on such information without appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of the particular situation.

Foreword by UBS

ART BASEL & UBS

An Art Basel & UBS Market Analysis

by Dr. Clare McAndrew Founder of Arts Economics

THE ANALYSIS OF ART MARKET IN 2022 PRESENTS THE RESULTS OF RESEARCH ON THE GLOBAL ART AND ANTIQUES MARKET IN 2021. The information presented in this study is based on data gathered and analyzed directly by Arts Economics (artseconomics.com) from dealers, auction houses, collectors, art fairs, art, and financial databases, industry experts, and others involved in the art trade.

UBS has been the Lead Partner of Art Basel for almost three decades, and since 2017 has proudly partnered with

Art Basel to publish The Art Market. In times of profound transformation, expert insight and analysis are vital. The UBS clients adapted throughout the year, with an increasing number expressing interest in art collecting with a purpose. The pandemic and all of its consequences reconfigured how people live, work, and express themselves. And this has forced us to rethink how we collect and engage with art, perhaps giving rise to an increased emphasis on sharing, supporting communities, and establishing platforms for underrepresented artists.

Art has the power to unify us during difficult times, and this has felt more pertinent than ever in recent weeks. Just as the pandemic fog began to lift in some parts of the world, the tragedy of war cast its shadow over Ukraine and Europe. Nothing good can result from such tragedy but art can serve a higher purpose, as it has throughout history, helping us to mourn, to heal, and to remember the people and things we value.

Looking back to 2021, this Art Market report reflects on a year in which the art market proved its resilience. As the global economy rebounded, the art market returned to growth and recouped lost ground. The sector adapted admirably to pandemic-imposed constraints

THE PANDEMIC AND ALL OF ITS CONSEQUENCES RECONFIGURED HOW PEOPLE LIVE, WORK, AND EXPRESS THEMSELVES. AND THIS HAS FORCED US TO RETHINK HOW WE COLLECT AND ENGAGE WITH ART.

even as traditional channels like art fairs and galleries staged a comeback.

We saw the international art community embrace opportunities to come together with innovation and new ideas, collaborating in person once again as the artworld calendar quickly filled with events. Crowds rallied to art fairs, eager to reconnect.

In a sign of resurging confidence triggering pent-up demand, New York auction houses saw the return of billion-dollar sales weeks, with landmark sales such as that of the Macklowe Collection epitomizing the market’s momentum.

We also welcomed the evolution of the digital experience as a positive legacy of the migration online seen in 2020. Trends that were already underway accelerated. Despite the reopening of traditional sales channels, online sales stayed strong in 2021 compared to before the pandemic. NFTs cemented their position in the art market while new frontiers began to open, such as the metaverse.

The shift online also transformed buyer behavior and demographics. Different ways of purchasing art have enticed new buyer segments, with younger, tech-savvy collectors, often unknown to established galleries and fairs,

entering the market and driving demand for rising art market stars. This more diverse buyer base, along with the overall increase in HNWI wealth, contributed to the year’s strong performance and has enriched the sector as a whole.

OVERVIEW OF GLOBAL SALES

The global art market recovered strongly in 2021, with aggregate sales of art and antiques by dealers and auction houses reaching an estimated $65.1 billion with an even denser concentration on fewer artists and businesses in most sectors. While the rapid advance in online sales has been one of the main findings over the last two years, this was the continuance of a trend already underway, and while facilitating more sales and more continuous access to an expanding global audience, it does not yet seem to have radically changed a lot of the structures within the art trade.

The market showed great resilience under continuing uncertainty in 2021, with the recovery buoyed by robust growth in the auction sector, where sales of high-end artworks provided a significant uplift in value.

REGIONAL MARKET PERFORMANCE

The three largest art markets, the US, Greater China, and the UK, continued to account for the bulk of sales in 2021, with a combined share of 80%.

The US market retained its leading position, shifting up slightly to 43% of worldwide sales by value. Greater China maintained its share of 20% and was the second-largest art market, while the UK slipped back to third place.

After losing almost one-quarter of the value of its sales in 2020, the US art market recovered robustly in 2021, with sales increasing by 33% to just over $28.0 billion. While

some changes were expected at the start of the year that might have hampered growth, from increased taxation on wealthy individuals to anti-money laundering regulations on the art trade, few of these materialized and the market was supported by strong supply, particularly at the high end, and ready demand as the base of HNW wealth expanded. The US has been one of the strongest-performing markets of the past decade, driving the art market’s recovery from the global financial crisis in 2010, with continuing growth in sales up to 2015. A contraction at the high end caused the market to fall by 16% in 2016, however, this was followed by a rebound to a historic peak of just under $30 billion in 2018. The next two years saw declining values: a substantial fall in auction sales in 2019 bringing the market down by 7%, followed by a 24% loss of value in 2020 in the challenging context of the COVID-19 pandemic and other wider economic and political uncertainties. The recovery in 2021 made up for the loss of value in 2020 and put the market back on par with sales achieved in 2019. With this growth, the US market had increased by 42% in value over a decade and more than doubled in size from the low point in 2009.

Online Sales

The growth of online sales has been one of the most important developments in the art market over the last two years. While e-commerce was already steadily advancing prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the substantial contraction of sales overall in 2020, online art sales reached their highest-ever recorded level of $12.4 billion, doubling in value from 2019. As businesses, events, and travel were restricted from operating, the pivot to online communications and sales became critical for many businesses’ survival. Traditional

EXPANSION

REACTION

SPECIFIC CONTEXT, THE GROWTH CONTINUED INTO 2021 AND MOST COMPANIES IN THE ART MARKET, HAVING INVESTED MORE IN THEIR ONLINE PRESENCE AND E-COMMERCE FUNCTIONALITY, MAINTAINED STRONG ONLINE SALES

galleries and auction companies increased their engagement in digital sales and marketing, and collectors began to use e-commerce in a more mainstream way. Art fairs’ online viewing rooms (OVRs) and a variety of third-party platforms also expanded the range of digital options for sales within the art market. While some of this expansion was undoubtedly a knee-jerk reaction to the particular context, growth continued in 2021, and most businesses in the art market, having invested more in their online presence and e-commerce functionality, maintained strong online sales alongside their return to live sales and exhibitions. Both dealers and auction houses on aggregate reported a smaller share of online sales in 2021, but the overall growth in values meant that the online market continued to expand, increasing by a more moderate 7% in 2021 to an estimated $13.3 billion.

ALONGSIDE THEIR RETURN. FOR LIVE SALES AND EXHIBITIONS.

producers). However, the impact of disintermediation within the art market has been relatively weak to date, even over 2020 and 2021. Much of the growth of online sales in

The art market has sales conducted directly via existing intermediaries, through dealers’ and auction houses’ own websites and platforms.

Third-party platforms have been important but have simply added another layer of intermediation, acting as intermediaries to the market’s existing intermediaries or even in some cases directing buyers to sales that still take place on dealers’ own websites and platforms.

ART AND NFTS IN 2021

Digital technologies have also had an impact on sales outside the traditional infrastructure of galleries and auction houses. The effect of technologies on cultural markets has been discussed in terms of ‘platformization’ (or the reorganization of cultural work, practices, and creativity around platforms) and ‘disintermediation’ (the potential reduction in the importance of gatekeepers and intermediaries, as online platforms allow more direct communications and exchanges between consumers and

While most dealers and auction houses were generally positive about the impact NFTs have had in expanding interest in art and collectibles among wider segments of collectors, their surge in popularity has, as yet, had a relatively limited impact within these businesses in terms of the value of their sales. The top-tier houses of Sotheby’s and Christie’s sold $230 million in NFTs in 2021 (against gross revenues of over $14 billion). In surveys of the second-tier auction houses, only 5% had dealt in any NFTs, with a similar small minority of 6% of the businesses in the dealer sector (and in both cases at a very limited scale in terms of value).

However, the impact of platforms selling NFTs outside the art market has been notable and generated substantial sales in 2021, creating active primary and secondary markets outside the traditional framework. Although transactions via NFT platforms are not includ-

WHILE SOME OF THIS

WAS AN AUTOMATIC

TO THE

ed in the total value of the art market estimated, as they occur outside of galleries, dealers, and auction houses, an analysis of some of the sales that took place on these platforms shows the rapid advance in activity in 2021.

Data on NFT platforms is supplied for this report by NonFungible.com, which tracks qualified sales of all NFTs on the Ethereum, Flow, and Ronin blockchains. This data shows the phenomenal increase in sales over the past two years, with a huge advance in value in 2021.

NFT platforms trade in multiple categories of collectibles including art, sports, music, and entertainment collectibles and a range of ingame and in-world digital items. In 2019, artbased NFTs made up just 2% of the value of all NFT sales, with a further 16% accounted for by collectibles.

However, their popularity and value escalated rapidly, and by 2020, art-based NFTs had a greater share (24%) than collectibles (12%). By 2021, art and collectibles made up the majority of the value of NFT sales (63%), but art once again was the smaller component of sales of the two (with 14%). Sales of both art and collectibles NFTs have grown from $4.6 million in 2019 to $11.1 billion in 2021.

Accessible entry prices and rising resale values along with the instant tradability of NFTs via SMART contracts have helped to catalyze a booming resale market, with speculators trading in and out of NFTs at a much more rapid pace than would ever have been possible in the traditional secondary art market. In 2020, the bulk of art NFTs were related to primary sales, which accounted for 75% of total values and the majority of transactions (79%). However, in 2021, the context between these two sides of the market changed dramatically, with value concentrated on resales.

Resales made up 73% of the value of trading in art-related NFTs in 2021, while primary

sales fell to 27%. This is notably different from the collectibles segment where resales dominated by value from 2019 through 2021 with an average share of 79% of total values.

Another very significant issue for artists and collectors that has been highlighted in 2021 in relation to NFTs has been the fraudulent replication and theft of artists’ images and intellectual property. As NFT platforms operate on the decentralized, Web3 blockchain, sellers are not required to pass any ‘know your customer’ or other audits before they are allowed to make a sale as they would be on traditional internet platforms. On many NFT platforms, it is also free to mint new NFTs, and this can be done through a series of simple steps and without a limit on volume. Potentially, on many platforms, anyone (or a bot) can mint an NFT, creating a file and turning it into an NFT, even if they have no right to the content, and can put it up for sale without needing to show proof that they own the original image. While platforms are subject to copyright laws, including the 1996 WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT) and the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) in the US, these regulations require that the copyright owner or agent finds or is made aware of the infringement and then prepares and sends a takedown notice to the service provider requesting they remove the material that is infringing their copyright. Intellectual property infringements can be very difficult to discover and time-consuming to fight, and while some platforms have discussed limits and bans on known infringers, due to the relative anonymity permitted by these assets, it is possible for them to continue operating using a different wallet and pseudonym.

Due to the misuse of free minting of NFTs, one of the largest NFT platforms, OpenSea temporarily imposed limits on the number of NFTs that could be minted in 2021 (to five col-

lections and 50 items per collection). However, due to negative feedback, it then removed the limits, but explained that its reasons for putting them on were that they had ‘…recently seen misuse of this feature increase exponentially. Over 80% of the items created with the tool were plagiarized works, fake collections, and spam…’12 This statement in itself shows the very significant extent of this issue on large platforms.

In order to monitor and detect such infringements on behalf of artists and collectors, DeviantArt, one of the largest international content platforms for artists that has existed since 2000, launched DeviantArt Protect in 2021, a new image recognition software that scans public blockchains and third-party marketplaces for potential art infringements in the form of minted NFTs. (This expanded their existing image auditing which had focused only on infringements on their own platform of around 70 million registered users.) Since launching their software in September 2021 to the end of January 2022, they sent 120,000 infringement alerts to their users.

This software monitors over five million NFTs per week, and infringement alerts have grown dramatically: from September to Octo-

ber, alerts grew by 30%, and by November to December the monthly growth rate was over 300%, showing the rapidly expanding nature of this activity. Further, their auditing research has also detected bots that are specifically programmed to scrape the internet, copying artists’ work and automatically posting these copied works onto NFT platforms for sale, made possible by the ease of minting new NFTs without limits.

The occurrence of these practices on NFT platforms creates serious issues for the longterm stability of this market, and the general loose regulatory oversight has created volatility and risk-aversion, undermining the confidence of many existing and potential users in the NFT ecosystem which will undoubtedly inhibit future growth. One major advantage in this marketplace is that the transparency of blockchain data makes it easy to discover these activities and identify their sources, meaning self-regulation, including banning users or applying penalties, could potentially moderate risks to some degree. It seems likely, however, that as the market grows in size and depth that it will come under the focus of government regulations and anti-fraud rules.

ONE MAJOR ADVANTAGE IN THIS MARKETPLACE IS THAT THE TRANSPARENCY OF BLOCKCHAIN DATA MAKES IT EASY TO DISCOVER THESE ACTIVITIES AND IDENTIFY THEIR SOURCES, MEANING SELF-REGULATION, INCLUDING BANNING USERS OR APPLYING PENALTIES, COULD POTENTIALLY MODERATE RISKS TO SOME DEGREE.

THE BEING AND THE BECOMING

of Today’s Formidable Artist

by Jônatas Chimen Dias DaSilva-Benayon, MFA

“CREATIVITY TAKES COURAGE” – these are sensible words by impressionist French painter Henry Matisse –and nearly all artists would agree to the truthfulness of Matisse’s statement, for it takes great audacity to even consider becoming an artist in this world.

That is why I wish to bring attention to this act of “becoming” an artist, instead of the more nativistic concept of “being” one – with the intention to point out that courage is to be found in the former, rather than in the latter.

As Aristotle explains1, “being” is part of the essential nature of an immaterial entity – such as the concept of the “born artist” – while “becoming” is the concrete aspect of bringing this entity out onto the world through Self-actualization, by living as an artist.

Certainly, I am suggesting that only by building upon one’s ideas and visions can one truly become a realized artist. After all, the romanticism innate to the artistic condition can only, at best, reveal potential. Whereas action will ultimately manifest the artist.

1

Woman with a Hat Henri Matisse

From the 1st century treatise known as Aristotle’s Metaphysics made up of various smaller selections of Aristotle’s works.

Thus, it is the struggle to “become” what constitutes an act of courage, especially when contrasted with other lifestyle choices, which often yield more stable, but perhaps less fulfilling life experiences for the artist.

While this Aristotelian understanding is quite dull, there are other aspects that may equally halt creativity: The fear of judgment being at the top of the list. After all, to ignore such fear, according to evolutionary psychology2, one must not only be courageous but also inconsequential: the fear of judgment relates to the need to survive in society, as throughout evolution, our ancestors learned that positive evaluation by others meant a higher chance of survival. In 1983, the Fear of Negative Evalu-

The Pink Studio Henri Matisse

ARTISTS MUST ARMOR THEMSELVES PROPORTIONALLY TO THE HAZARDS THEY FACE, PREFERABLY WITH A HEALTHY AMOUNT OF SELF-CONFIDENCE AND PRIDE – JUSTIFIED BY THE FACT THAT IN A WORLD OF SHAME AND FEAR, THEY STILL CHOOSE TO LIVE BY COURAGE AND INTENTION.

2 Evolutionary psychology is one of many biologically informed approaches to the study of human behavior. Along with cognitive psychologists, evolutionary psychologists propose that much, if not all, of our behavior can be explained by appeal to internal psychological mechanisms.

ation Assessment3 was created by Mark Leary, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University. The test offers a succinct way to measure social anxiety – showing that a higher overall score indicates that you are more fearful of others judging your ability or performance. The test regularly shows that participants who are in positions of public notoriety suffer a lot more social anxiety, precisely due to their constant concern to be liked by others.

Consequently, we must accept that bold action is paramount to the becoming of a remarkable artist – whether we listen to Matisse, Aristotle, or Prof. Leary from Duke University. To remain innovative, the artist must comfortably face appalling risks, mainly in the form of negative judgment that may come from cunning market players, fad-oriented audiences, and virtue-signaling academics – the main critics of the art world.

Hence, artists must armor themselves proportionally to the hazards they face, preferably with a healthy amount of self-confidence and pride – justified by the fact that in a world of shame and fear, they still choose to live by courage and intention.

As an active artist and academic in the art scene of Paris and Miami, I have met an interesting breed of artist and curators who display a new kind of courageous vigor: They are mostly millennials, polyglots, of diverse ethnic backgrounds, educated, and professionally trained. They are fully aware of their power as creators, organizers, and valuable collaborators – and they are focused on linking the Asian, American, and European art cosmos through shorttermed narrative-based art exhibitions in the gallery space, often in conjunction with the virtual world.

Almost monolithically, their projects reveal a focus on bravely shattering paradigms – away from nihilism, and devoted to creating conversation, redemption, and mutual connection. They are eager to amplify the voices of those who provide a critique – both positive and negative – of contemporary society and Western History. And their efforts are aimed at building up their artists and institutions, with a strong emphasis on career sustainability.

They are accomplishing much of this through disruptive technological innovations (i.e. NFTs, the Blockchain, and the Metaverse),

3

Fear of judgment: why we are afraid of being judged, by Dr. Hannah England. https://nesslabs.com/fear-of-judgement

as well as by tightening social links in the traditional ways: By bringing together their patronage, gallery agents, and artists through opening receptions, studio visits, and other small gatherings.

This new patronage is also typically younger and more diverse than the ones from prior generations. They support aesthetically robust works of art regardless of genre, with a surprisingly renewed preference for paintings and non-ephemera media – pointing out an interest in collecting for the long haul. Yet, they are playfully willing to experiment with Non-Fungible Tokens – although many still have difficulties navigating the process of buying and selling in the Blockchain.

These are my most objective observations on the shifts I have seen in the art world from the onset of the Pandemic to today, whether I am in the City of Love or in the Sunshine State. I do believe that these observations reveal a demeanor characterized by artistic bravery, which tends to lead the artist forward in a process that typically advances the becoming of one’s fully manifested Self.

Now I wish to delve even more personally into these dynamics, with a real-world example; by describing a timely movement towards the process of “becoming” via audacity. For that, I must use myself and my closest peers as example, as we are the ideal case-study for an honest, critical, and empirical observation of the times we are living through:

The Jada Art Movement and The New Royals NFT Fraternity are both art-based creations I co-founded: I started the Jada Art movement with US-based artist and entrepreneur Dana Blickensderfer, and The New Royals was co-founded with Blockchain-expert Eros Samec Gonzales (US) and Brazilian marketing guru Thyago Guimarães.

Jada works with an array of collaborating artist from Brazil, Dubai, Iran, Israel, Paris, and the United States, and one of its main builders is Samuel Loetscher – a charismatic and eloquent Miami-based communications expert in his 20s, who has led hundreds of conference panels and interviews with JadaTV and Jada-

Blue Nudes Henri Matisse

Talks at Jada Art Fairs during Paris and Miami Art Weeks, since 2019. And then, there is Hugo Kleinsinger, a newcomer into the conversation with Jada and TNR: Hugo is a Parisian millennial business developer who is deeply involved in the building of Real Estate within the Metaverse. It is through his business-conceptualization skills that Jada and TNR may merge their real-world projects with the Wild Wild West of the coming Metaverse.

Although much of Jada’s and TNR’s plans must remain secret (yes, even artists compete fiercely), it is necessary that I give further details about the interdisciplinarity and cross-pollination levels that have become commonplace in the work and lexicon of contemporary artists – who are now fully merged with the architects of the world of tomorrow:

Jada – as much as possible – has focused on

Jazz Henri Matisse

Mari_C by Getty Images

creating meaningful conversation in all its endeavors, leading to an expansion of its presence in important academic circles (in 2022 Jada appeared at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to present its Manifesto, and in 2023 it already has a demanding academic tour scheduled throughout the U.S.). Jada has included a large representation of scholars in the conference panels of its art fairs and exhibitions since 2019, which earns it constant praise from its hosting communities.

In response to this, JADA ACADEMY is set to debut this year at Miami Art Week (December 2022), as the scholarly branch of the Jada System, led by artist, experts, university professors, and art agents, with a gamified educational model in which points are earned through the collection of badges until certifications are completed. Jada Academy participants will meet through onsite artist-in-residence programs, and in virtual courses taking place at the Jada Academy Campus within the Metaverse.

Besides the Academy, other mortar-andbrick Jada projects aim to enter the Metaverse, such as the Jada Art Museum and the Jada Art Auction House. As for this year, Jada wishes to

be the first art fair of Miami Art Week (after being one of the top 10 art fairs for the past 2 years during Miami Art Week) to have its main presence in the Metaverse – while exhibiting in numerous smaller spaces throughout the city and hosting its collectors and supporters in a mega Yacht party at the shores of Miami Beach.

Concerning The New Royals, the collaborators wish to bring further disruption to an already disruptive innovation: By observing the development of other NFT campaigns, they realized that the success of projects is measured by its ability to form tight communities, honed by constant communication through apps such as Telegram and Discord – with a leadership that works closely with its base. There is a high emphasis on identity-formation, by tying the art (which is usually of low artistic value, and mostly produced by Artificial Intelligence) to an easily recognizable brand style, coupled with exciting events at exotic destinations for its collectors to attend.

The New Royals is doing things differently, by creating a museum-worthy art collection made by a dedicated artist (yours, truly), imbued with an allegorical narrative tied to pre-

The Dance Henri Matisse

vious collections of paintings, museum installations, and performance pieces, which leads into the discovery of a lost world of banished kingdoms and their surrounding nobility. Thus, TNR’s quest is for potentially New Royals to find their own nobility, by challenging themselves into becoming individuals of noble hearts and of brave spirits, focused on rebuilding their own Kingdoms, and in reestablishing the throne of their monarch in exile – the Exilarch.

TNR’s storyline is unveiled through its NFT fine art collection; and by trading these artworks, New Royals can move up the Fraternity ranks, through which new allegories, signs, and privileged information is revealed. And if one does not wish to use fiat currency (dollars), it is equally possible to advance through the completion of impressive acts of charity, or of an intellectual, philosophical, athletic, or artistic nature. The ultimate goal is to build a community that truly understands the value of art, of structures, of fantastic thinking – and that positive change can occur in this world,

when working in association with like-minded individuals.

In sum, we may be just a meager group of millennial artists, idealogues, scholars, and techies – moved by an idealism that may be caused by the trauma of growing up amidst constant recessions and wars; and having recently survived a pandemic that just took the lives of 6.49 million people worldwide4 in less than 3 years. Indeed, we may be simply suffering from delusional thinking and of the hopeful belief that something better must exist beyond the horizon.

But if not…we may be right that it is in the Great Unknown where we find what we seek; as we are fully aware that idleness is much riskier for the spirit of the avid doer – for we are a generation of trendsetters, builders, thinkers, and explorers.

Indeed, Henry Matisse; creativity does take courage – and “the becoming” of an artist is the most petrifying of experiences. But we will do it anyway.

4 Globally, as of 25th of August 2022, there have been 596,873,121 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 6,459,684 deaths, reported to WHO. https://covid19.who.int/

CHROMATIC THE WORLD THROUGH LENSES

OUR 7TH EDITION’S FEATURED ARTISTS section is our most special yet. With a selection of 50 artists, “Chromatica” is The House’s first exhibition! Marking the inauguration of their physical space, The House opens its doors to Art Basel Week Miami 2022 – a fitting setting for such a monumental moment. Each of these artists represent a hue of the kaleidoscope that is the “Chromatica” exhibition. Curated by Jade Matarazzo, this inaugural exhibition opens according to Art Basel Miami’s schedule, and extends to the end of February.

ADRIANA VIGNOLI

ALEX ROCCA

Alex Rocca

“Pele” Collection

Bia Doria Taiguara

ELAINE ARRUDA

Elaine Arruda Adeus

ANDRE MENDES

Andre Mendes Colorflow Series

EDU SILVA

Edu Silva 57

Edu Silva 104

DANIEL RASELLO

Daniel Rasello Caminho de Baobás

ALOIS HUNKA

Alois Hunka

Untitled 006

Zevi G Seated Messenger

Lazzerini Floating Cores

DEE LAZZERINI

Dee

CHRIS PAPITA

FERNANDA FIGUEIREDO

Chris Papita Inclusion

Fernanda Figueiredo Bots

DABUS & THIBES

Dabus & Thibes

Ceci Cuadros Sel

Gilberto Salvador Red River

MATIAS MESQUITA

Matias Mesquita Notivagos Solares IV

CHRYSTIANE CORREA

ELISA ARRUDA

Chrystiane Correa Rhena

Elisa Arruda

Uma casa onde a memória se levanta das paredes

ROSA FERRARI

Rosa Ferrari Arquitetura dos Sentidos

JEANE TERRA

Jeane Terra Gota Sertao

KAZUO WAKABAYASHI

Kazuo Wakabayashi Kabuki azul

VERONIKA FILIPAK

RAG

Veronika Filipak Conforto Liquido

Rag We Are The World

FABIO BAROLI

Fabio Baroli Ipê Rosa

LUIZ ESCANUELA

Luiz Escanuela Carne Viva

HELOISA HARIADNE

Heloisa Hariadne O alto ancorado no baixo, o fisico envolvendo o espiritual, o humano no inumano

CLAUDIO TOZZI

Claudio Tozzi Astronauta

R2 STUDIO

JAMES KUDO

R2 STUDIO Lamina

James Kudo Untitled, 2014

ALEX KOROLKOVAS

Alex Korolkovas Valentina

MIGUEL GONTIJO

MiguelGontijo

Carne Crua

Photo Samuel Mendes

MARILIA SCARABELLO

LAERTE RAMOS

Marilia Scarabello Verdade Ficcao

Laerte Ramos AntiDerrapante series

FELIPE CAMA

Felipe Cama 20170110

Felipe Cama 20161205

RENATO MEZIAT

Renato Meziat Plastic with grapes

JAY BOGGO

VOODO FE

Jay Boggo Japonismo em Mim

Voodo Fe Red Darkness

SANDY SEARCY

Sandy Searcy Untitled

JOAO CASTILHO

Joao Castilho Tudo Foi Feito Pelo Sol

Delson Uchoa Vitrúvio

JOAO ANGELINI

MARCELUS FRESCHET

Joao Angelini rereuq_poder_querer

Marcelus Freschet Corner III

Marcelus Freschet Indigo Square I

JACQUES JARRIGE

Jacques Jarrige Wave

CARLOS ALVES

Carlos Alves Intergalactic World

EVA LE CAMPION

Eva Le Campion Momy

MUNDANO

Mundano Operários de Brumadinho

Photo André D’Elia

YULI GESZTI

Yuli Geszti Sem título

THIAGO TOES

Thiago Toes Narciso

GERSONY SILVA

Eva Le Campon Momy

EVA SOBAN

Photo Manu Oristanio

Eva Soban Fez a Luz

ART

From Zevi G’s Take Over BASEL MIAMI TO THE MOON

2022 HAS BEEN A BIG YEAR FOR ZEVI G., and, as always, he’s steadfast in moving forward onto the next big project. Rising in the art industry first as a visual artist focused on massive sculptures with impactful messages, Zevi has been on a journey branching out into the tech space. His 456 Collectors Club sent shockwaves through the art market as it was released on December 1st of last year, selling out its presale mint. Merging both the experiences of NFTs (digital collectables) in the Metaverse and physical collectors’ items in real life, Zevi pioneers a new concept: the metaphysical art club.

Showing his versatility as a sculptor, Zevi brings a wide and diverse set of 15 sculptures to the newly inaugurated The House, a hybrid art gallery located in the Design District in Miami featuring more than 80 renowned artists, promoting art, culture and business. “When I set out to create 456 Land sculptures, I started off with the idea to create hundreds of characters,” he explains, “and my goal has always been to unite people, make them engage with different groups and interests – but always to come back to fun and positive messages.” Fans of Zevi are familiar with his signature character, and it is even more recognizable when applied to pop culture references like his depiction of Black Panther, Darth Vader, Aquaman, Yoda, and Spider-Man. They are part of an ongoing series based on Hollywood icons, and all five sculptures will be featured at The House’ exhibition.

“I’m inspired by life,” Zevi says as he expands on the inspirations and meanings behind his work. He notes, first, that creating 456 Land is like building an imaginary world. “The goal was to set up pieces together and spark a conversation,” he explains, “but without losing sight of our reality.”

However, the star of the show truly is The Seated Messenger, depicting Zevi’s signature character holding a heart close to its chest. It shows both one’s willingness to love and the gesture of extending that love to others, prompting the audience to spread love as well. This massive metal piece will be displayed outside, becoming a greeting card to all who

enter and pass by the gallery. Following Zevi’s core artistic motivations, it intends to spread a message of love and unity. “It is here to share love in every shape – love without judgment, love without boundaries, love to all people,” he says, “we are all equal; and in these times, this message cannot be spread far enough.” The Seated Messenger will continue to encourage and radiate love all through Art Basel Week 2022 until the end of the year.

Since the week marks The House’s official opening, there is still another surprise the artist wants us to be excited for. As visitors and collectors make their way outside into the ample garden, there will be a pop-up shop bringing Zevi G.’s digital collectables and the Metaverse to Art Basel Miami 2022!

As a bold development in his career over the past years, Zevi is tackling the ever-expanding world of NFTs. From a successful launch and exclusive releases last December, to a partnership with “Diamond Princess” Tina Rockstarr, to having his signature characters lighting up Times Square – Zevi G.’s been an unstoppable force. Within the 456 Collectors Club, his dig-

ital endeavor, Zevi has 7 rare collections with 10 unique pieces for each, totalling 70 out of the prospected 4,560 pieces. The main concept behind the project is to merge the digital and physical art worlds into a metaphysical experience, creating a community of collectors in the metaverse. After such a big year, it is only fitting that one of his last acts of 2022 is to showcase his work at this year’s edition of Art Basel Miami, the biggest week for the art market in the United States and a major international stage. This unique personalized container, focused on the metaphysical experience, will introduce his 456 Collector’s Club collection to the public, inviting them to be immersed in the 456 Land. Let the bright LED screens and exclusive items pull you into Zevi G.’s world! There will also be a one-of-kind selection of merchandise items available to holders only. You’ll be able to mint on-sight and redeem exclusive items –miniatures, hoodies, and prints such as a 16x16 print on paper, numbered and signed by the artist, and the 7” Namaste Sculpture. These are all limited edition, though, so get your one way ticket to the 456 Land while supplies last.

“THE GOAL WAS TO SET THEM UP TOGETHER AND SPARK A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW GOOD THE WORLD WOULD BE IF WE TOOK THE LATTER’S APPROACH” HE EXPLAINS, “BUT WITHOUT LOSING SIGHT OF OUR REALITY, AS SHOWN BY THE FIRST SET.”

MILES DAVIS

True greatness comes only a few times during a lifetime, shaking the very foundations of whatever it touches. There are a few names that exude greatness in music over the past century, but few shine as bright as Miles Davis’ does in Jazz history.

MUSIC & ART

BORN IN ALTON, ILLINOIS, IN 1926, MILES DAVIS had his life touched by music at the age of 13 when he first began to play the trumpet. Years later, a scholarship to Juilliard brought a young Miles to New York City, where he quickly immersed himself into the local music scene, soon working up from small gigs to big bands.

During the latter part of the decade, around the end of the ‘40s, a very special movement began to brew. Gil Evans, an arranger-pianist, began to host jam sessions that attracted quite a crowd of musicians, including pianist John Lewis, saxophonists Lee Knitz and Gerry Mulligan – and, of course, Miles Davis. It was through these meetings that the musician formed the group due to record Davis’ first shake to the industry: Birth of the Cool. What made the record so unusual for the time was the addition of a French horn and tuba to the usual trombone and alto and baritone saxophones present in most horn sections then. Along with the standard bass, drums, and piano sections, the band was able to curate a very unique sound for the record.

However innovative the band was for the time, his first major band only came in ‘55 with musicians Red Garland, Paul Chambers, John Coltrane, and Philly Joe Jones. Through the time between this venture and his last record, Davis had invested time in playing modes as opposed to usual chord changes. Thus was born the best-selling jazz album of all time and his most famous work: Kind of Blue. And the artist was on fire through the coming half decade, as he recorded Miles Agea, Porgy and Bess, Sketches of Spain, and Quiet Nights –four releases executed with his music partner Gil Evans.

By the time 1964 came around, Miles had assembled Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Wayne Shorter, and Ron Carter into another great Quintet. All band members contributed to unforgettable songs as the Quintet recorded mostly original tracks, creating an even richer

artistic environment among the men. In true visionary fashion, Davis once more experimented with his play, creating suspenseful tunes by spacing notes further apart.

Indeed, Miles’ career saw deeply transformative sounds in his manner of playing and technique – and such experiments came fairly quickly between one another. In 1968, In a Silent Way marked Davis’ dive into and pioneering of electric jazz, which paved the way to his final transformation. About a year later, the release of Bitches Brew solidified the rock and electronic elements, giving way to a more mature iteration of Miles’ sound and a new legion of fans.

Tragically, Davis’ flourishing and bright career came to a sudden halt after an injury in an auto accident, which resulted in his retirement from 1975 to 1980. His return in The Man with the Horn still showed a bit of the effects of his time away from the studio, as critics perceived its sound as fairly erratic. However, as he settled back into his talent over the next few years, Miles also took on light experimenting in

his following records. Unsurprisingly, the musician received several Grammy’s over his career, always understood as a visionary and a force to be reckoned with in the industry. His legacy encompasses the growth of several movements and styles – to say he left his mark in music and culture is an understatement.

Celebrating great artists such as Miles Davis is an exercise not only of remembrance, but also of nurturing inspiration within ourselves and others. Connecting artistic mediums, ideas, and history is at the center of many projects, Colecta Magazine’s team was delighted to witness a perfect example of such a connection in September of 2022. Curated by Zaire Baptiste, “Miles Davis + Voodo Fe’,” is a homage to the most influential figure in jazz, who shaped the history and culture that surrounds music, and a remarkable Brooklyn International Artist who has monumentalized the musician in thousands of his original pieces. Voodo Fe’s Miles Davis + Voodo Fé Collection encompasses more than one artistic manifestation, touching upon the areas of music, art, and fashion. It is a constel-

lation of references, breathing fresh life into Miles Davis’ memory. Voodo Fe’ himself is akin to Miles: their defiance of genre constraints, both creating art from their deepest passions, engaging with it as a transformative process.

Voodo Fe’ and Miles also converge in Brooklyn, New York, where both spent long periods of their lives. In fact, the musician is a Brooklyn International Artist, which only serves to ground them even further into Brooklyn. This special exhibition took place at the IW Gallery, facilitated by founder Vida Sabbaghi, where the entire building became the stage for different interventions relating to Voodo Fe’’s collection, creating a truly immersive experience. With a name that stands for “Inclusive World,” IW is a gallery that works with local and international cultural institutions to provide opportunities for artists and designers from around the world. Unsurprisingly, the gallery was the perfect stage for such a bold event!

The show was co-organized by COPE NYC and BK Style Foundation, both working closely with Voodo Fe’ to set up a pop-up boutique at the gallery and create a unique experience that merged art, music, and fashion. A transformative exhibition fit to honor such a groundbreaking artist!

Photo by Manonce

THE SELFFULFILLING PROPHECY OF

THE TORTURED ARTIST

In pop-culture, artists are often depicted as melancholic tortured souls on a constant struggle between themselves, their work, and the world. In the age of curated online personas, breaking free of these stereotypes is essential.

by Bruna Amorim

FROM HIS WORK TO HIS LIKENESS, Vincent van Gogh is perhaps one of the most recognizable artists in pop-culture today. The Starry Night and his sunflowers stand out in particular among his body of work, and his signature impressionist brushstrokes are reproduced on everything from prints to totebags and cellphone cases. However, in contrast to a fair share of renowned artists, his self-portraits emerge as points of fascination among the public. In fact, Van Gogh as a person is an alluring subject to audiences everywhere – so much that, every few years, a writer or director somewhere produces yet another piece of media fictionalizing his life. Loving Vincent

Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear

(2017), which sets its main character off into a quest to investigate what could have happened during Van Gogh’s last few weeks, was nominated for an Academy Award. At Eternity’s Gate (2018) features a particularly tortured depiction of Van Gogh’s (you guessed it) final years by Willem Dafoe, which granted the actor an Academy Award nomination. Even Doctor Who once included him in an episode – The Doctor and Vincent travel through time together, and the artist is finally able to see himself recognized as the acclaimed and beloved figure we associate with him today.

All of these stories and several others, though not identical, generally produce the memory of a miserable Vincent, whose beautiful work went unappreciated during his lifetime, leading him to eventually succumb to his pain and loneliness, killing himself with a revolver in a field. He’s the guy who painted sunflowers and chopped his own ear off. Told time and time again regardless of their veracity, these stories produce the image of the perfect tortured artist.

There are few stereotypes about creatives as romantic as the Tortured Artist. Talented but erratic, they’re misunderstood souls constantly clashing with their own art, their friends and family, themselves, the world, and so on. Some are dedicated to their craft to the point of obsession, some are borderline-unwilling creative forces that naturally produce brilliant works. Most of the time, they create compulsively – their struggle to live up to social or personal expectations in one way or another is an important part of their suffering. We love them for their art, of course, but the pain, the turmoil, the suffering somehow makes their work that much better. Such a thought is so ingrained in our cultural unconscious that one is often inclined to believe that, to produce good art, the artist must suffer.

This assumption is so persistent that research has been done to prove its validity. While research has pointed to a high number of incidences of mental illness among artists, it is not necessarily true that the mentally ill produce more great art. In fact, research conducted by Victoria Tischler from the University of West London confirmed what most already know about the art world: most creatives’ careers are likely to lead to poor mental health due to the low wages and long hours associated with the field.

Still, the tortured artist trope persists in media, futher rooting the idea into our social perceptions, and eventually blooming within the minds of artists themselves. Sometimes, this feeds into a self-fulfilling prophecy, and there are more than enough examples of it on the internet. There has never been a shortage of artists in any field – one could argue the process of creating art one way or another to be intrinsic to humanity. However, an advent of the internet has been the possibility of fostering communities around shared interests, which is, at once, a force capable of beautiful and alarming influence. For those who seek it, social media websites can become spaces dominated by art of the most diverses fields, and users tend to form their own bubbles based on their preferences. Many may assume, perhaps, that art would be introduced only in spaces centered around art history or markets. One could find a community around

Loving Vincent

Van Gogh and other Post-Impressionist painters that shares art of that period, or a community dedicated to a body of particular writer’s body of work, or even community of fans of a TV show who use visual art and literature as a main outlet of engagement with each other and the original media.

The pervasiveness of the stereotype is usually clearer in spheres akin to the former two examples, but certainly not limited to them. Let’s say a young artist who loves Van Gogh makes a Twitter account and often consumes content related to the artist through it. There, they are able to engage with other fans who not only share works and stories about him, but also connect them to similar artists, mediums, and themes. In their own sphere, the young artist cultivates inspiring constellations of information ranging from images by, about, or similar to Van Gogh’s, for example. More than likely, it also includes Van Gogh’s letters to his brother Theo as well as literature similar to them, either in cadence or theme. Then come music, films, and even TV shows that relate not only to Van Gogh himself, but to this general ecosystem of artists and art that they deem Van-Gogh-adjacent. Soon enough, the young artist cultivates a certain aesthetic bubble and immerses themselves in it, often coming to identify themselves by it. Now, Vincent in pop-culture is the melancholic-letter-writing, ear-chopping, revolver-tothe-chest tragic genius – more than likely, the Vincent-adjacent art follows this lead.

Most people have a tendency to unconsciously romanticize what is dear to them, and perhaps even more what inspires them. Our bubbles become sources of inspiration to our creative processes and, to an extent, our perceptions of ourselves. Through these forms of engagement, combined with the added social fabule that good art must come from suffering, it is no wonder that many artists find themselves making crosses out of pens and papers. This is not to say that creatives’ struggles with

themselves, the world, and their art are fruits of their reactive imaginations, much less that their mental states are completely influenced by the art they produce and consume. Once again, it is well-known that a good portion of artists suffer from mental illnesses, and the aim of this critique is not to belittle these personal battles. However, self-fulfilling prophecies do feed off of these ideias – the trouble is not whether artists are suffering or not, but the assumption that suffering is almost an essential driver of the creative process; a suffering with which artists might come to identify themselves and their work.

Though any age range is vulnerable to these ideas, young artists in particular should be wary of these associations as they often rely more on online spaces not just for inspiration and their mediums, but also socialization in general. Every artist aims to create as many pieces that are a source of pride as possible, but it is a delusion to believe this will come through suffering. Of course, creating art is often a cathartic process, and no work should be discarded simply due

The artist Hyon Gyon in her studio at Residency Unlimited.

Image courtesy of RU

to any of its heavy themes. But if one must suffer to create “good” art, then the natural conclusion of such thought is that an artist must be enduring constant pain or struggle. As such develops a phenomenon in which some artists may unconsciously almost hang onto a personal identity centered on their own sorrow. It is an extremely unproductive cycle that hinders one’s growth as an artist, but most importantly as a person. Should these thoughts ever cement into one’s personal perception, it can be even more painful to unleash oneself from it. It is not that they want to suffer, by any means, and their anguish is real. But once art is removed as pain’s raison d’etre, it leaves an open round. How does one destroy the perception of art as suffering without striking down a part of themselves – as a person, an artist? Perhaps it poses a question they might have been making art to suppress: what is this suffering for? All the weight that aches and consumes us, where do we set it down? What do we do with our pain? Worst of all: who are we without it?

Loving Vincent Poster

Young Artists From Ica Miami Courtesy Of Ica Miami

Horizons YOUR Expand

CREATING OUR OUT AND ABOUT SECTION IS AN EXERCISE OF INTRODUCTIONS, and Colecta aims to bridge readers to places and people that tell amazing stories! Dive into expeditions across cities and borders, letting art be your guide as you explore your surroundings and connect with others. For this special edition, we focus on unique journeys that expand our horizons -- from personal stories to art guides across the most important fairs in Miami!

Inga Makarova Ex-boyfriends

1. CASA BRASIL

@casabrasilmiami

Casa Brasil Miami is a Brazilian itinerant platform for business development and experiences in the international market. casabrasilmiami.com

2.ART BASEL @artbasel

Art Basel is the leading global platform connecting collectors, galleries, and artists. Art Basel’s fairs in Basel, Hong Kong, and Miami Beach are a driving force in supporting galleries as they nurture the careers of artists. artbasel.com

3.ART MIAMI

@artmiamifairs

Showcases the best in modern and contemporary art from 125 international art galleries. www.artmiami.com

5.AQUA

@artmiamifairs

@artmiamifairs

Presents international art programs, supporting young and established galleries with strong artists. www.aquaartmiami.com

4.CONTEXT

@artmiamifairs

Features international galleries showcasing emerging, mid-career and cutting-edge artists. www.contextartmiami.com

6.DESIGN MIAMI

@designmiami

Courtesy

Courtesy of Contex

Courtesy of Design Miami

7.SCOPE

@SCOPEArtShow

Selection of contemporary art from 140 international exhibitors will be presented alongside museum-quality installations. scope-art.com

8.UNTITLED

@untitledartfairs

International art fair that focuses on curatorial balance across all disciplines of contemporary art. untitledartfairs.com

9.RED DOT

@redwoodartgroup

Curated gallery-only contemporary art fair during Miami Art Week, featuring works from 75 galleries. redwoodartgroup.com/reddot-miami

10.SPECTRUM

@redwoodartgroup

Curated art fair presenting 150+ independent career artists, studios, and young galleries. redwoodartgroup.com/ spectrum-miami/

11.PINTA

@pintamiami

Focused on Latin American art for collectors, professionals, museums and institutions around the world. www.pinta.art

YERBOLAT TOLEPBAY

LIFE AS A WORK OF ART

Kazakhstan is the biggest of the former Soviet Republics with a relatively young fine art scene nearing one hundred years only. With its post-soviet professionalization and further opening to the international artistic community, the art scene of Kazakhstan transformed and became dynamic and diverse. A towering figure and instrumental artist in this transformation is Kazakh painter Yerbolat Tolepbay.

The work of Kazakh painter Yerbolat Tolepbay (b.1955) is an exploration of the inner self in all its emotional, physical, and spiritual dimensions. It is the vibrant and on-going artistic production of one of the most important and prolific artists of Central Asia, encompasses five decades, thousands of works, and thirty-five countries of exhibitions. One of his most memorable presentations was at the UNESCO’s Headquarters in Paris in 2005, following which the French Ministry of Culture awarded him the title of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

In the USSR, the artist had achieved notoriety by the time he was twenty-seven years-old, when his large oil painting “Artist’s Youth” (1983)—a classical composition blending figuration and elements of abstraction, centered on a realistic figure of a child looking through an open door flanked by the artist as an adult, his wife, and Rembrandt—took first place in the then prestigious Moscow pan-Soviet art competition.

Yerbolat Tolepbay Three Steppe Graces

Tolepbay grew up in the enigmatic and isolated Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, a vast oil-rich territory lying along the Silk Road, at the geopolitical and cultural crossroads between China and Russia.

The youngest of six children, Tolepbay was born in the house of a non-traditional healer in a small village in the south. His childhood was spent observing men and women from all walks of life coming to his home: “As long as I can remember, people were already queuing to see my mother when I would open my eyes in the morning, and they were still there when I was going to bed.” He witnessed firsthand the non-rational events of shamanic practices, the trances, the messages delivered, and clairvoyant insights his shaman-mum was imparting day-to-day; and most importantly—the resulting healings. As he grew up, and his artistic practice developed, his tending to the mysti-

cal awe that caring closely about humans inspires—never stopped. Merging humanity with the divine and translating it over the years at the tip of his knives and brushes, grew to inhabit him as a powerful calling.

During the decolonization process, Tolepbay shared with his peers the will to break free from Moscow’s authority, showing a bravery that is largely recognized as inspirational for many artists of his generation and the next. In his early career, his approach was largely inspired by old masters and concepts grasped from the handful of books available in Soviet Kazakhstan. But pre-independence, his style transitioned along the changes brewing towards the country’s self-determination, to painterly societal critiques foreseeing the coming of capitalism and its materialistic rule.

It is this insight into the feeling of loss and loneliness of the soul—in the context of the

Yerbolat Tolepbay Abundance

Yerbolat Tolepbay

The Light from the Sky

young nation’s continuous erosion of cultural heritage and frame of references by successive waves of Russian imperialism, communist colonialism, and economical uncertainties—that pushed Tolepbay’s practice to make a radical turn in the years after Kazakh independence, and until the present days. The artist took refuge in the spirituality and philosophy of the Kazakh people, and harnessed elements of a pictorial language based on his inner world, the nomadic spirit of the Eurasian steppes, folk shamanism, and animism. Art can be a beacon of light, like a healing practice.

His latest work is a response to this “appeal to the inner world,” featuring elements of his beloved steppes and traditional cultural heritage, which grows brighter and more cheerful in color, carving its own singular language against the grain of the current contemporary artistic scene of Kazakhstan. In his paintings,

the yurt—the epitome of Kazakh culture, which also means homeland or nation—represents the traditional dwelling of nomadic life, the sanctuary-home between steppes and sky, easily displaced yet somehow able to ground itself between several realities, timelines, and spaces. The characters he depicts evoke the absolute and pure qualities of human connection when it’s in a state of being, nearly meditative, in harmony with nature.

“I see colors as a vibration, like a pulsating heart,” says the artist about the radiant mood of his steppe paintings. This latest series, by calling up on an ideal, embodies the essence of the human soul, when that soul manifests itself as benevolent, well-balanced, and in tune with the cosmos. Like poetry, Tolepbay’s artistic language might be esoteric, but similarly to poetry, his use of universal human emotions is a vehicle that can touch every heart.

Grzmehle Dancer and dram

BIOGRAPHY

COLECTA MAGAZINE IS PROUD TO SEARCH FOR INSPIRING ARTISTS AND EVERYTHING THAT INSPIRES THEM ALL OVER THE WORLD. OUR ABOUT SECTION THIS EDITION HIGHLIGHTS TWO PHENOMENAL UKRAINIAN ARTISTS YULIYA GRZMEHLE AND INGA MAKAROVA.

Yuliya

YULIYA GRZMEHLE

Yuliya Grzmehle was born on November 23, 1982, in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. Although she now lives and works in Germany, Yuliya’s birth city, Mykolaiv, lies along the meandering Bug River and has been, since its inception, an important transportation hub for Ukraine and the province of Mykolaiv Oblast.

After successful studies at Mykolaiv Lyceum for foreign languages, Yuliya earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at Petro Mohyla Black Sea State University. Since childhood, Yuliya has been fascinated by art and has been developing her artistic endeavors every day of her life. Her dedication and talent led her to win her first art competitions, such as the MTV Ukraine 1998 Award. Early on, even after these successes, Yuliya hesitated to rely on her talent and skills professionally.

At the age of 20, Yuliya moved out of her home city to Munich to study political science at one of the most influential universities in Germany, the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Here in Munich, one of the global centers of art and culture, she finally committed to what she had always been: a painter. So, after working as a marketing executive for multiple international organizations, such as Siemens and Osram, Yuliya finally began to fulfill her dream as a professional artist.

From 2015 till 2019, Yuliya began taking private lessons with American, German, and Ukrainian modern masters such as Benjy Barnhart, Anette Bley, Wolfgang Müller-Jakob, and Elena Deberdeeva. In 2019, she also attended

Yuliya Grzmehle

Freddie

Yuliya Grzmehle Dancer to the Sky

Yuliya Grzmehle Dancers

the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. But even in 2018, when she began to take private instruction from famous Australian artist Christopher Croft, her talent was being recognized. Mr. Croft was highly impressed by her talent and stated, “Yuliya’s fine drawing skills, her observation of details, her feeling for color, and her special ability to mix and combine colors are deeply intuitive and show the talents of a person born to art.”

Her courage in tackling painting as a profession eventually paid off, and in 2019, she was a finalist at Art Basel Miami. Her artwork “The Heart” is a fascinating study of fantasy world creation. In 2022, Yuliya participated in many group exhibitions as well as personal shows, all over the globe, in Munich, Spain, and Switzerland. She has won many beloved fans with her unique style that veers between fantasy and realism, figurative and abstract. Her paintings and works on paper are devoted to nature’s soul, specifically what nature can teach us. There is no doubt that Yuliya’s art is dynamic. Her work has a certain rhythm and movement that awaken deep emotions in the viewer. This emotional connection through her dynamic style is how she manages to create a bond between her artworks and the viewer.

Nadine Frank, the art historian from the Ketterer auction house in Munich, describes her artworks through the following statement: “Yuliya Grzmehle’s paintings are full of color, verve, and life. Her art of painting manages to give the viewer access to their feelings. It awak-

ens what is in us; it shows us our hidden inner world, a universe full of emotions, a partly forgotten, repressed world like that of our inner child, our dreams, our freedoms, our origins.”

“To draw a portrait, I need an interesting face.” said Grzmehle to Ukraine Art News, “And it should not be impeccable beauty at all, rather the opposite - I am attracted by irregular facial features, as well as a look that catches, past which it is impossible to pass and not look back. And only after I have decided on the character, the plot of the picture appears, and sometimes it takes more time to invent it than for the drawing process itself. And at the same time, I need to be in a good mood so that bad thoughts do not enter my head and no one disturbs me. Inspiration is such a shaky thing, you never know when it will visit you and when it will leave.”

INGA MAKAROVA

Inga Makarova is an award-winning painter, sculptor, and all-around artist from Kyiv who has exhibited nationally. She draws her inspiration from the world around her but emphasizes cinema, music, architecture, and biographies of well-known people. Inga’s work explores new concepts through freedom of expression.

She was born on February 4, 1991, in Kremenchug, Poltava region, Ukraine. The Poltava region is known for its historic monuments, architecture as well as immense natural resources. Inga joined the Kremenchug children’s art school in 1997 and took an interest in piano and choir practice in her teens.

After graduating from Kremenchug children’s art school in 2005 she attended pre-higher art education in 2006. At first, Inga did not consider art as something serious, as a profession. Inga thought that art was something to enjoy in her free time and as a way to express what was in her soul. Consequently, Inga moved to Kyiv and eventually graduated from the Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design with a degree in graphics design in 2007.

Inga Makarova even worked as a graphic designer for a period of time after graduation but it became clear to her that this pragmatic career was not the place where she belonged. She changed her outlook and passionately came to believe that it is impossible to create something meaningful and important if you do not love what you are doing.

Inga Makarova Etude #2

Inga Makarova Dancer to the Sky

Inga Makarova Cosmic Dogs

Inga Makarova Woman

Her early works were often based on subjects from the world of fashion, where Inga had some experience in modeling. Inga quickly became known in the art world and was a member of SLAVA FROLOVE GROUP - one of the largest curators for young artists in Ukraine from 2012 to 2014.

Inga is known for her unusually vivid paintings of sensual characters depicted against bright backgrounds along with animals such as ostriches, flamingos, giraffes, and other exotic creatures. Inga has also been known to use dogs as a central point in her artworks due to her love of these animals.

Inga’s artistic technique is constantly evolving as she searches for new themes, concepts, images, and color combinations. In the past, Inga has experimented with various sources of light, like neon or LED that is used directly in the artwork. She has even utilized objects that are not often linked to art, such as sports jackets, tableware, cutlery, and even cigarette butts.

Inga will continue to search for new topics and ways of expressing herself but one thing is true, Inga will never imitate, instead, she will always try to innovate.

Inga Makarova Lets Go To Me

PHOTOGRAPHY

CHROMATIC WOMEN

BY ALEX KOROLKOVAS

ART

Jumpsuit: FEMGRAPHY @femgraphy

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Earrings: SURTURBAN @Surturbans

Dress: PEDRO JUAN ATELIER @pedrojuanatelier

THE FUTURE is

Eduardo Kobra makes a mural on the UN facade in New York

IT IS AN UNPRECEDENTED ACTION TO BRING STREET ART TO THE OUTSIDE WALL OF THE UN, and Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra made history by creating a mural of about 336 square meters (3606 square feet) on the headquarters’ outer wall. It was approved by the organization’s committee, which recognized that Kobra’s art “is in line with the ideals of the United Nations.” The mural came at a very important moment, as the 77th General Assembly’s High-Level Week took place at the UN from 19 to 26 September, which brought together leaders from around the world. The muralist’s work, which shows a father handing over the planet to his daughter, was completed on September 15. Kobra invites us to reflect on what future we want to leave for future generations through the piece “The Future is Now.”

Under the theme “A Watershed Moment: Transforming Solutions to Interconnected Challenges,” UN representatives from 193 countries, most of them world leaders, discussed issues such as post-Covid reconstruction, the War in Ukraine, sustainable development, and human rights.

“After receiving the invitation, I researched the theme of the Gen-

On the left, Artist Eduardo Kobra, the Brazilian Ambassador, and three of the co-founders of The House. In order: Giuliana Brandao, Eduardo Kobra, Mr. Ronaldo Costa Filho, Jade Matarazzo, and Sam Bernstein. Below, Kobra’s mural at the United Nations Headquarters.

eral Assembly and saw that it converged with the subjects that are increasingly part of my work, especially sustainability. I thought of a mural where a father hands over the Earth to his daughter. In this way, I seek to contribute to the reflection on what kind of planet we want to deliver to the next generations”, says the artist, who, to carry out the work, had the cultural support of The House of Arts, a contemporary business platform that connects all forms of cultural manifestations and self-expression in art and fashion, mixing creators, painters, designers, visionaries and entrepreneurs.

The new mural at the UN follows themes used by the artist throughout his career, such as peace, tolerance, diversity, security, sustainable development, refugees, and human rights. The urban artist was invited to paint the mural by the Mission of Brazil at the UN, as part of the celebration of the Bicentennial of the Independence of the Country, approved by the UN Committee, which recognized that Kobra’s art “is aligned with the ideals of the United Nations”.

Kobra is the author of projects such as “Greenpincel”, where he portrays strong images of the killing of animals and the destruction of nature; and “Olhares da Paz”, where

he paints people who have distinguished themselves in the theme of peace and in artistic production, such as Nelson Mandela, Anne Frank, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Dalai Lama, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, John Lennon, Malala Yousafzai, Maya Plisetskaya, and Frida Kahlo.

The artist also created murals that celebrate diversity, such as the iconic “Ethnic groups –Todos Somos Um”, in Rio de Janeiro, and “A Linha da Vida”, at km 44 of the road. Castelo Branco, São Paulo; and “Coexistence – Memorial da Fé for all victims of Covid-19”, in São Paulo.

According to the artist, indifference is as harmful as hatred and prejudice. “More than ever, the colors I use in my works have a very special meaning here. People, with their origins, cultures, and diverse characteristics, make the country - and the world! - prettier. It is necessary to open the windows, but also the doors,

the eyes, and the hearts to welcome these people who abdicated their homelands and needed, for various reasons, to move.”

ABOUT EDUARDO KOBRA

Kobra, 47 years old, is an exponent of São Paulo’s neo-avant-garde. He started out as a pichador, became a graffiti artist and today defines himself as a muralist. His talent began around 1987, in the Campo Limpo neighborhood with pixo and graffiti, dear to the Hip Hop movement, and spread throughout the city and the world. With the developments that urban art gained in São Paulo, he derived - with Studio Kobra, created in 95 - for original muralism - inspired by many artists, especially Mexican and North American painters, benefiting from the artist characteristics experimenter, good draughtsman and skillful realist painter. His creations are rich in details, which mix reality and a certain graffiti “transformism”.

DOCUMENTARY

The documentary “Kobra Auto Retrato,” released on November 17, 2022, is a celebration of the 35-year anniversary of Eduardo Kobra’s career. Directed by Lina Chamie with photography by Lauro Escorel, the film portrays the story of one of the most influential Brazilian artists, both at home and abroad. “Kobra Auto Retrato” offers a deep exploration of Kobra’s history, from his childhood in Sao Paulo and early encounters with graffiti, to becoming one of the most important figures in street art in the world. Chamie’s documentary had its first screenings at the Mostra SP and Festival do Rio movie festivals, and is poised to earn award nominations abroad as well.

ABOUT THE HOUSE

Sponsoring and creating impactful projects is part of Jade Matarazzo’s life story, as founder and co-founder of several international projects focused on cultural, social and educational issues. As a member of the Matarazzo family, Jade grew up surrounded by art and artists. The Matarazzo family founded the São Paulo Art Biennial and the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art, which houses their former private collection of artists such as Picasso, Candido Portinari and Tarsila do Amaral.

The House, created by Jade and Giuliana Brandão, is an inspiring contemporary business platform that connects all forms of cultural manifestations and self-expression in art and fashion, mixing creators, painters, designers, visionaries and entrepreneurs.

A close friend of Eduardo Kobra and an admirer of his work, Jade supported Eduardo Kobra’s project at the UN from the beginning, as a starting point for a partnership. Artist Kobra has donated an exclusive artwork to The House, which will be auctioned in Miami during Art Basel this December. Proceeds from the sale of the work will be donated to environmental causes.

A longtime patron of the arts, Matarazzo and Giuliana Brandão have expanded The House of Arts and joined forces with equally passionate partners: New Yorker Sam Bernstein and Brazilian Alessandra Gold. The Power House was born, mixing art and fashion in an innovative and futuristic space in Miami.

www.thehouseofarts.com | @thehouseof.arts

Many critics claim that Kobra’s most distinguishing feature is his mastery of design and colors. But what is fundamental for the artist is the outlook.

Today, Kobra has 3,000 murals in around 35 countries and in several Brazilian cities and states – such as “Ethnicities – Todos Somos Um”, in Rio de Janeiro, “Oscar Niemeyer”, in São Paulo; “The Times They Are A-Changin” (about Bob Dylan), in Minneapolis; “Let me be Myself” (about Anne Frank), in Amsterdam; “The Ballerina” (Maya Plisetskaia), in Moscow; “Fight For Street Art” Basquiat and Andy Warhol), in New York; and “David”, in the mountains of Carrara. In all of his works, the artist seeks to democratize art and transform streets, avenues, roads, and even mountains into open-air galleries. Two of these murals entered the Guinness World Record as the “biggest mural in the world”. The first “Etnias – Todos Somos Um”, in Rio de Janeiro, with about 3,000 square meters, and the second, the “Mural do Chocolate”, located on Castelo Branco highway, in Itapevi, in São Paulo, with 5,742 square meters.

Restless, studious and self-taught, he also researches recycled materials and new technologies, such as 3D painting on floors. In 2018, he painted 20 murals in the United States, 18 of them in New York (see list further down in the release).

Increasingly known, Kobra is, of course, proud when he sees a crowd watching one of his murals, but he usually says that what really moves him is discovering someone who stops in the middle of the rush of the city to observe, even if for a moment. a minute, the details of this work. Despite the monumental murals, Eduardo Kobra makes his art to awaken the conscience and sensitivity of each one of us.

“Each person needs to reflect on what kind of surrender and attitude they should have to be light in the darkness”, says the muralist. “Above all, you have to be light in someone’s life and make a difference. It is fundamental, more than just staying in words and on Social Media, listening to the other, thinking about the other, and doing good.”

Waves changeof

With Voice of the Oceans , the Schurmann Family undertakes a worldwide expedition in search of innovative solutions to combat marine pollution.

by Bruna Amorim

In 1984, after ten years of planning and preparation, Vilfredo and Heloisa left Santa Catarina (Brazil) with their children Wilhelm, David, and Pierre - then 7, 10 and 15 years old, - with the goal of realizing a dream: a circumnavigation of the world aboard a sailing yacht. In their first great adventure, the Schurmanns spent ten years at sea and upon their return, became known as the first Brazilian family to circumnavigate the globe aboard a sailing yacht. Since then, there have been three voyages around the world as well as miles of cruising along the Brazilian coast. Now, the Schurmann Family and crew set off on the Voice of the Oceans mission. As with the last great adventures of the Schurmann Family, the new expedition is a monthly highlight of Fantástico (a sunday primetime program of the largest TV station in Brazil), in addition to its presence in other attractions on the same TV station (Globo) and spontaneous media.

TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT TRASH POLLUTION

IN THE OCEANS, the Schurmann Family, the first Brazilian family to travel around the world aboard a sailboat, is leading the Voice of the Oceans expedition, supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) worldwide. Aboard the sailing yacht Kat, the sailors and other crew members set out from Balneário Cambrie (SC), Brazil, on August 29, 2021, and will pass through some 65 national and international destinations between Brazil and New Zealand by November 2023, where the voyage will conclude.

In three sailing trips around the world over the past 38 years, the Schurmann Family has seen firsthand that the oceans are undergoing serious changes as they become increasingly polluted. “All of this has an impact not only on marine life, but on the population in general. The issue is so pressing that the UN has declared the period from 2021 to 2030 as the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. We believe that through a great global chain of good, we can change the scenario together,” emphasizes David Schurmann, CEO of Voice of the Oceans.

In practice, the Voice of the Oceans crew relies on three pillars of action to achieve effective change. The first, entrepreneurial pillar, is designed to encourage entrepreneurs and startups to find solutions to reduce or eliminate the use of plastic in industry. The second pillar, scientific, is led by the University of São Paulo (USP) and studies the different levels of impact that the oceans suffer. The third pillar, education, works with teachers and students to promote oceanic culture in the curriculum.

Throughout this journey, the Schurmann

Family engages scientists, educators, environmentalists, entrepreneurs, major corporate executives, opinion leaders, non-governmental organizations, public administrators, and civil society with proposals to reverse the scenario of ocean destruction and comprises corporations and educational action.

The House is beyond proud to be part of this expedition through art. The first meeting between the two entities took place at Apex in Miami, where local artists and curator Jade Matarazzo set up an art exhibition bringing together nearly fifty works expressing ocean-related themes.

THEIR NEXT STOP – NEW YORK!

On July 1st, the Voice of the Oceans spotted the Statue of Liberty. At the COPENYC gallery, located in Brooklyn, the team presented to the audience the pillar of Art. Curator Vida Sabbaghi and co-curator Jade Matarazzo presented the exhibition “Obsessive Sea”, a partnership between The House and Cope NYC, which featured the works of artists Carla Goldberg, Jacques Jarrige, Alex Korolkovas, Stephen Mallon, and Sui Park. Voice of the Oceans also reached New Yorkers and tourists who strolled through Times Square with a video projection on the iconic facade of the Nasdaq building. The moment replicated previous urban interventions on iconic postcards from Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Recife and Belém, including Christ the Redeemer.

While still in the Big Apple, the crew had an intense schedule with the UN. In addition to meeting with staff from the UN Environment Program’s local office and recording an exclusive interview at UN News studios, the crew

The exhibition featured amazing pieces that evoked the shapes and movements of the oceans and marine life. Above and on the right, Flow series by Sui Park. Below, highlighted works by Carla Golberg.

Photo by Manonce

Photo by Manonce

Photo by Manonce

To

On the right, Alessandra Gold, Jade Matarazzo, and Giuliana Brandao, co-founder and founders of The House, respectively.

met with Peter Thomson, Special Envoy for the Ocean, appointed by the UN Secretary-General in 2017. It is worth remembering that, by 2040, it is estimated that the seas will receive between 23 and 37 million tons of plastic per year, according to the UN report ‘From Pollution to Solution: A Global Analysis on Marine Litter and Plastic Pollution – so the mission is urgent.

“The Schurmann Family has been a key partner in the Clean Seas campaign from the beginning.TheVoice of the Oceans expedition not only gives us the opportunity to observe and document firsthand the state of marine and coastal ecosystems, but also to highlight solutions that are already underway,” said Regina Cavini, deputy representative of the United Nations Environment Programme. “Globally, 63 countries have already committed to Clean Seas, representing 60% of the planet’s coastal areas, and are reviewing their legislation to ban single-use plastics. More than a thousand organizations have joined forces for a circular economy for plastic. Together, we can reverse this tide,”she adds.

From New York, the family made their way to Boston, Massachusetts. With Science, Education, and Innovation among its pillars, Voice of the Oceans visited MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At the institution’s sailing school, Heloisa and Wilhelm Schurmann shared their stories, discoveries and learning –in addition to the Voice of the Oceans mission – with students and teachers. On this journey through this incredible center of education, research and innovation, the crew had the support of another Brazilian: Professor Cassiano Alselmo, a Marine at the MIT Blue Water Program. During the art intervention in Boston, artists Raquel Fornasaro, Katrin Spiess, Sid Degois, and Margarette Mattos composed the ensemble of the special exhibition.

As humanity moves forward, it is more than necessary that people across the world understand the grave danger of practices that contribute to climate change and global warming. There’s an urgency to take action – it is time to reexamine certain aspects of society and, most of all, consumption. Art allows us to engage with these discussions through empathetic and creative lenses, opening the doors to brighter futures.

the left, Heloisa Schurmann, sailor, explorer, writer, and defender of the oceans through Voice of the Oceans.

JAY BOGGO’S Immersive Universe

From his rich explorations in art and fashion, to his expansion into the world of collectables and decor: there is nothing Jay Boggo is too afraid to dive into!

Photo Will de Carvalho

Photo Will de Carvalho

Photo Will de Carvalho

STYLIST AND VISUAL ARTIST JAY BOGGO, born in Southern Brazil in Joinville, began his career as a self-taught artist. His goal has always been to make a living from art – in the truest sense of the word. This was a major influence on his decision to work in fashion, an area in which he’s been immersed since the early 2000s. But it was from a great revolution in his life that he harnessed his creative energy to create garments as wearable pieces of art. He decided to establish J.BOGGO +, which showcases designs that are unique, hand-made, and simplistic, created to transcend the limitations of gender, size, or race. J.BOGGO+ is the consolidation of his passions and knowledge, acting as the catalyst of a turning point in his life in 2017. Today, his career is made of multitudes. All his experience and personal transformations led him to give lectures in schools, universities, and other creative centers. He is the brand’s designer and a visual artist focusing on paintings recognized at fairs and exhibitions in Brazil and abroad.

J.BOGGO+ itself is a genderless, free, and timeless brand. Each collection is created on a small scale so that their craftsmanship highlights and compliments the Brazilian raw material used to create their pieces. It is the brand’s unique silhouettes that stand out among the others – each piece is modeled to fit every body, regardless of gender, with ample modeling and shapes, creating textured cuts that are full of life. Liberation is at the core of the brand.

Sustainability is also an important aspect of J.BOGGO+’s mission, and the brand takes action to minimize the impacts of their production to the environment. Theirs is a holistic approach to everything that surrounds the brand as it is grounded in freedom – which is only possible to achieve through nurturing nature as much as ourselves.

In fact, emotionally nurturing ourselves allows us to come more attuned and in touch with our identities. This process goes beyond how we dress, and touches everything else in our daily lives. J.BOGGO+’s newest expansion aims to partake in those areas of life that go beyond clothing. Today, they have opened a space for home decor, mostly made up of aromatic candles, ceramics, and unique tableware, all of which are handmade by artisans in order to promote Brazilian craftsmanship. The J.BOGGO+ CASA line has utilitarian and artistic pieces that can be present in everyday life.

THE BLOCKBUSTER COLLECTION

WE CELEBRATE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, INDIVIDUALITY, AND IDENTITY. OUR FOOTWEAR IS INCLUSIVE WITH “NO LABELS” OR LIMITATIONS. REPRESENTING GENDER FREEDOM AND MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE OF ALL SIZES AND GENDERS TO WEAR THE SHOES THEY DESIRE.

ALIGNING THIS FIRST APPAREL COLLECTION WITH THE CORE OF OUR MISSION, we have taken a journey with celebrated designer Dope Tavio. Our collaboration includes Dope’s signature raw oversized street aesthetics mixed with Mad As Hell People streetwear to create MAH x DOPE TAVIO Limited Edition! Mixed fabrics, assorted patches, edgy ruffles, and more come together to create one-of-a-king pieces of glam streetwear that keep you runwayready any day of the week, morning to night!

GIU BRANDAO

Our Contributors

JADE MATARAZZO

Art Curator & Director Editor-in-Chief

Giulia Lima is a renowned expert in strategic brand management and market research. During her journey through communications and fashion marketing, the Art World was always an important aspect of her 20+ years of experience in the industry, as well as her personal life. Lima believes in the power of connecting people with a purpose, acting locally to make a difference globally.

RONALDO FRAGA

Brazilian born Ronaldo Fraga is considered one of the most important names in the history of fashion in Brazil. He stays true to himself instead of being a slave to trends. He appreciates comfort and subtle sensuality instead of more obvious and clichéd eroticism. And above all, he has a unique way of telling moving and unusual stories through each collection.

As an artist, curator and cultural entrepreneur, Jade Matarazzo felt the need for cultural exchange in broader and more creative platforms. For the last 15 years, Jade has developed many international projects and partnerships in the USA, Asia, Europe, as well as South America, always transcending barriers using art as a universal language and common denominator.

BRUNA AMORIM

Content director

Bruna Amorim is a young writer and translator, currently pursuing a B.A. in Anthropology and Sociology with honors. Throughout her life, her passion has been the exploration of different languages, countries, and cultures, with particular attention to individual people and their own stories as well as larger social dynamics and struggles.

@giu_brandao

@fragaronaldo

VIVIAN LOBENWEIN

Vivian is a graphic designer with a passion for editorial design. She has been in the publishing industry for more than 15 years, and has directed more than 50 publications, including magazines, books, catalogs and newspapers. Art is present in all aspects of her work, and she believes that art has the power of arising unique feelings in each person.

FLÁVIO IRYODA

@flavio.iryoda

Flávio is the founder of AVESSA Media Group, a global digital publishing company focused on contemporary fashion, beauty and art. Coming from a Big4 audit, tax and consulting firm, Flávio brings over 15 years of strategy and operations experience and industry-leading practices from the management and technology consulting space.

ALFONSO DE HOYOS

Recovering from an obsession with Italian-designed menswear, Alfonso decided to take a deeper look into women’s fashion to see how our relationship among art, clothing, society, and business has changed. Educated as an economist with an MBA, he travels between Chicago, Miami, and Mexico on a search to see what happens next to fashion.

ALEX KOROLKOVAS

@korolkovas

Alex Korolkovas is an awarded Brazilian photographer currently residing in the US. He has held numerous solo exhibitions all across America and abroad. Alex is a resident photographer at New York’s SOHO, Flying Solo. He also collaborates with magazines such as Dreamingless, Ellements, GMARO, Huf, iMirage, iMute, Maximo, StyleCruze to name a few.

IGOR SAMPAIO

@igorsam021

Cultural producer trained in cinema, with experience in several areas within the audiovisual field. As a screenwriter, director, designer and film producer, as well as a photographer, his passion for images and stories is the basis of his work. Every form of art attracts his attention and stimulates his imagination, allowing him to constantly experiment with new artistic expression.

JONATAS CHIMEN

Jônatas Chimen is a Brazilian-American Symbolist artist, author, academic, and public speaker. His work explores personal and collective identity amidst an everchanging cultural landscape. The artist’s exploration of identity is often drawn from his own family’s history of migration, adaptation, and cultural hybridization.

Graphic art director