ARTS & CULTURE
A digital collage of locally owned NFTs by Annie Burke P H O T O : P R O V I D E D BY N F T XC I N C I N N AT I
Out of the Metaverse and into Reality NFTxCincinnati hosts the city’s first immersive NFT art exhibit to educate and debut digital art in public space BY K AT I E G R I F F IT H
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incinnati is getting its first NFT (non-fungible token) digital art exhibit this month. NFTxCincinnati — a group of digital artists, collectors and NFT enthusiasts — is hosting UNFIT on Feb. 25 and 26 at Sample Space at The Banks with a mission to educate, create an inviting space for the public to learn about this tech-heavy concept and provide the tools and knowledge to participate. And, of course, collectors and artists will showcase their art. But, how? Digital art and the trendy phenomenon of owning and trading it isn’t easily grasped by those who haven’t bought into the virtual communities, possibly because it all exists
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and thrives in virtual reality (or the metaverse) and comes with its own vocabulary, currencies, marketplace and culture. Consequently, most people literally can’t put their finger on it. “A non-fungible token truly is a way of proving ownership for unique digital items, and the history of this ownership is all recorded on the blockchain,” says UNFIT co-curator Noah Beiting. “There are several blockchain technologies that exist, but buying and selling NFTs is all done with cryptocurrencies. There’s also a variety of those that exist, but the most popular one for the NFT space is Ethereum.” There’s also an air of exclusivity, considering the spotlight shines mostly
FEBRUARY 9, 2022 - FEBRUARY 22, 2022
on million-dollar sales. Arguably what initiated NFTs’ mainstream status was the $69 million sale of “Everydays: The First 5000 Days,” a collage by digital artist Mike Winkelmann, popularly known as Beeple. That was nearly a year ago and since then, mainstream companies like Taco Bell, the NFL and Coca-Cola have made their own NFTs. Now the global trend is catching on locally, a sign of longevity and an opportunity NFTxCincinnati seized to introduce it to our city, says Beiting. Sample Space is a 7,000-square-foot “white box kind of experience,” Beiting says. It’s an event venue that hosts popups, weddings and galleries. The exhibit will cover wallspace with more than 20 televisions and digital screens from 47 to 65 inches. Each screen is capable of displaying multiple images, so every artist or owner can rotate as much or little of their collection desired. QR codes will accompany each screen, providing artist and work details, pricing and what platform to buy or bid from. “We’re really trying to preach inclusivity here. We want everybody to feel welcome with some of the topics we’re sharing,” Beiting says. “We’re definitely
trying to promote and stand up local artists in the space. I think the other piece is that, you know, obviously the goal and some of the underlying tones around NFTs and cryptocurrency is the whole message of decentralization, which is kind of excluding a central or authoritative party. So with that, I think it’s up to people who are personally very vested in the space to kind of grab education by the reins.” Annie Burke, UNFIT co-curator and featured digital artist, says there will be some tactile installments as well, including a real-life mural of a digital work (the artist and specific piece were not disclosed). She says for her, the metaverse is an extension of where we are now, and the mutual and necessary trust in all things crypto certifies that NFT communities and discords are full of like-minded people. With a background in architecture and design, Burke’s work is usually a mashup of something culturally or visually significant. “When you put two things together, you get the best of both,” she says. “I typically take a photograph of something that is real and I spatially
