- Tezos, an energy-efficient blockchain has gained global acclaim as a platform of choice for artists looking to mint NFTs sustainably and responsibly.
- Humans + Machines: NFTs and the Ever-Evolving World of Art, will be on view from December 2–4, 2021, at Art Basel in Miami Beach 2021, and will explore questions about the role of human and machine in generative art and the new frontier of NFT art.
- The interactive experience lets visitors collaborate with an algorithm “embedded” in the space, designed by German artist Mario Klingemann, one of the pioneers of AI art, to create a type of generative self-portrait, which is then minted as a takeaway NFT artwork for attendees.
- The exhibition aims to raise awareness and invite audiences to understand the role of NFTs in the art world and beyond, and will also host a series of conversations with other NFT artists and figures from the community.
Miami Beach, FL, November 9, 2021 – The growing world of generative and NFT art will be in the spotlight at this year’s Art Basel in Miami Beach – including a unique interactive NFT exhibition from Tezos, an energy-efficient blockchain. Titled Humans + Machines: NFTs and the Ever-Evolving World of Art (December 2–4, 2021), the experience will explore the new frontier of art, technology, and culture – and invites audiences to even create and mint their own NFTs on-site.
The space will feature a collection of artworks from some of the world’s leading generative and NFT artists, including Helena Sarin, Matt DesLauriers, Sutu (Stuart Campbell), and Iskra Velitchkova, among others. It will culminate in a unique experience by German artist Mario Klingemann, inviting attendees to engage and collaboratively generate a one-of-a-kind NFT takeaway that will be minted on the Tezos blockchain. The creation of the NFT will happen by physically interacting with the space, resulting in an abstract self-portrait work of art generated from a code designed by Klingemann.
The exhibition aims to raise awareness of the new dynamic that both NFTs and the ever-evolving world of generative art bring to the art world. The idea of collaboration between human and machine further emphasizes the role of creativity and what it means to be an active participant in the creation of art.
Klingemann, also known as Quasimondo, is considered one of the pioneers of AI art, neural networks, and machine learning. An artist who uses algorithms and artificial intelligence to create and investigate systems, he is particularly interested in human perception of art and creativity, researching methods in which machines can augment or emulate these processes. His artworks have been shown at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Photographers’ Gallery, KM Karlsruhe, Centre Pompidou and more. Most notably, his installation Memories of Passersby I made history in March 2019 as the first autonomous AI machine to be successfully auctioned at Sotheby’s.
“It’s an honor to be part of the Tezos NFT experience at Art Basel in Miami Beach,” said Klingemann. “This interactive exhibition examines the interplay of technology and human creativity, and where the lines bleed between human and machine as part of the generative art process. While the body of work may be created by the machine, a self-portrait is a deeply human thing, so I hope this probes questions around human nature and perception, and all that expresses itself with automated systems.”
Over the course of Art Basel Miami Beach 2021, the Tezos experience space will also include a dedicated speaker series featuring a diverse lineup of prominent artists and figures from the NFT community. Discussions will cover the technical, philosophical and artistic implications and possibilities created by this new paradigm at the intersection of art and technology. A full schedule will be available in the coming weeks on Art Basel Miami Beach’s event calendar (https://artbasel.com/miami-beach/events) and on Tezos’s event page (https://tezos.com/events).
Tezos’ energy-efficient design and low costs to mint and transact NFTs have subsequently attracted a diverse NFT community of artists, collectors, and builders around the world. With Tezos home to major NFT platforms such as Hic et Nunc, one of the biggest NFT art marketplaces, more brands are choosing to build on Tezos than ever before. Notable organizations include: Formula 1 racing teams Red Bull Racing Honda and McLaren Racing, banking behemoth Societe Generale, music NFT platform OneOf and more.
The Tezos NFT experience will be on view from December 2–4, 2021, at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Please visit https://artbasel.com/miami-beach for more information.
For more information on Mario Klingemann, visit https://quasimondo.com/ and follow @quasimondo on Twitter and Instagram.
