Yuga Labs, the Web3 firm behind the NFT trailblazers CryptoPunks and Bored Ape Yacht Membership has unveiled a brand new collaborative initiative referred to as “Punk in Residence.” The brand new program goals to redefine tremendous artwork by collaborating with established “IRL” artists to create modern digital works utilizing blockchain expertise. Every chosen artist in residence will deliver a brand new apply or perspective, no matter whether or not they have prior expertise in Web3. The place to begin for every artist is to query, “what does punk imply to you?”
Nina Chanel Abney would be the first to step up. The Chicago-born artist is famend for her vibrant, large-scale work, exploring the intersection of latest tradition, race, gender, sexuality and world politics, with works within the Whitney’s assortment and solo exhibitions on the ICA Miami and Palais de Tokyo.
In 2022, Abney launched her first NFTs as a part of Nina’s Tremendous Cool World, a challenge encompassing 5,080 generative PFPs (profile image) that play off her graphic aesthetic. The NFTs have been later made accessible as prints on Avant Arte. “I used to be excited and actually impressed to embrace NFT as a brand new medium,” she stated at the moment. “I do know the growing potential and capabilities of NFTs, and I really suppose it’s an effective way to create deeper engagement with the artwork neighborhood.”
She added: “I hope this assortment and my creative journey can encourage different artists from underrepresented communities to jumpstart their very own NFT and digital artwork.”
#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/cBobospV23
— Nina Chanel Abney (@ninachanel) February 6, 2024
The end result of Abney’s time as a Punk in Residence, a program that provides mentorship, technical steering, and manufacturing assist, shall be exhibited at an upcoming solo exhibition, with gross sales carried out on Magic Eden, a platform for creator royalties. The artist was additionally gifted Punk #72 by the CryptoPunks group to rejoice the launch of the challenge.
“Cryptopunks are a pioneering challenge that has performed an important function within the creation of the digital collectible house,” the artist instructed Enterprise Wire, “By collaborating with them, I noticed a chance to be on the heart of a singular intersection of artwork, expertise and tradition.”
