Wizara announces the opening of ARQAAM, a landmark exhibition showcasing cutting-edge works by digital artists making their debut on the blockchain. With more than twenty artists hailing from countries as diverse as Egypt, Sri Lanka, Syria, Sudan, Palestine, India, Tunisia, South Korea, and Armenia.
This multimedia NFT collection is a unique glimpse into the practices and forms explored by African, Arab and Asian artists in 2021.
Running from 14th November to 4th December 2021, ARQAAM marks the first and largest regional NFT exhibition. It is timed with the launch of the region’s first symposium on cryptoart, the metaverse, and the blockchain.
The exhibition surveys fifteen years of digital art making in these regions, documenting moments of social and cultural change, as well as reflects on contemporary issues.
ARQAAM – meaning “digits” in Arabic – evokes forgotten histories of shared knowledge practices, accumulated through migration and cohabitation. While Arabic numerals continue to underpin everyday life, whether paying bills or building blockchains, the history of knowledge sharing and coexistence remains largely undiscussed today.
ARQAAM situates non-fungible tokens within the broader arc of contemporary art, with its myriad languages, histories, etymologies, and ontologies. A moment of entering into conversations, naming and renaming definitions, and working collaboratively.
Powered by Polygon, an environmentally friendly blockchain protocol, ARQAAM is a fully digital experience. In addition to an online gallery at www.arqaam.xyz, the collection can be explored in a 3D metaverse at https://newart.city/show/arqaam upon the opening of the exhibition.
Featured artists includeOmar Houssein,Amie Sultan, Ibrahim Quraishi, Ansh Kumar, Ahmed Naji, Yaloo Ji Yeon Lim, Shayma Aziz, Dina Jereidini, Zeina Raafat, Mey Seifan, Nvard Yerkanian, kiara kalinda, Fahad Salim, Mohammed Tayeb, Layal Srouji, Mohamed Gaber, Melinda Mouzannar, Harshini Karunaratne, Mona Gamil, HaRaKa Platform, Monzlapur, Ahmed El Shaer, Adham Hafez, Ahmed Mhennaoui, and Lamia Gouda.
ARQAAM is Wizara’s first international and large-scale exhibition. Wizara is a creative ecosystem on the blockchain, designed by artists for artists. It is the first pan-regional platform of its kind dedicated to African, Arab, and Asian artists. For project updates, visit wizara.io and checkout the exhibition’s sneak peeks on instagram.com/wizara.art
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