TZ APAC, the leading Asia-based blockchain adoption entity for the Tezos ecosystem, is unveiling an NFT art collection featuring some of the continent’s leading digital artists and illustrators at S.E.A Focus during Singapore Art Week 2022 which will be running from 14 to 23 January 2022. Entitled “NFTs: The New North Star”, Tezos is the first public blockchain to present an Asia-centric NFT collection of this kind at S.E.A. Focus and Singapore Art Week. The exhibition aims to connect and empower artists worldwide through blockchain technology.
The collection was developed in collaboration with S.E.A. Focus, a showcase of Southeast Asian contemporary art, and with CAWA (Crypto Art Week Asia), one of the world’s largest crypto art showcases. Centred around the theme chance…constellations, S.E.A. Focus is the anchor event of this year’s Singapore Art Week and will be exhibiting over 150 artworks from over 50 artists and 24 galleries in the region.
David Tng, Head of Growth at TZ APAC, said: “The utility of NFTs has come a long way in the past year, having impacted the art world from the ground up. No longer limited to traditional pathways, NFTs have offered alternatives to a new generation of creatives in terms of creating, exhibiting, owning, and monetising their own work. In a diverse region that has embraced innovation head on, we’ve seen a great deal of growth within the NFT ecosystem and this Tezos-powered showcase is a testament to and a celebration of the exciting developments and talent that we’re seeing across Asia.”
The collection will feature works that were minted on the Tezos blockchain from over 15 digital artists from Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, India, and Brunei, with each participating artist distinguished for their own style, aesthetic, and discipline. From the nostalgic 90s comic book aesthetics brought to life by Indonesian artist Arya Mularama to the fusion of traditional and contemporary disciplines in Singaporean artist Yeo Shih Yun’s ink paintings, the collection not only emphasises the diversity of the continent and its influences, but also the myriad of creativity that NFTs stand to bring to the art-making process.
Aside from exhibiting these art works, TZ APAC will also be hosting a live minting showcase on-site at the S.E.A. Focus gallery space. The experience will allow viewers and visitors to experience firsthand the process of minting an NFT, enabling them to leave the exhibition with their own one-of-a-kind generative artwork. The generative artwork algorithm was developed by award-winning artist radarboy3000, renowned for his works with international brands including luxury goods giant Cartier, Disney, and Coca Cola. These works will be minted onto the Tezos blockchain and will be accessible via Tezos’ browser-based Kukai wallet. Users will automatically be issued a wallet at the point of minting, created via direct authorisation login to one’s social media account of choice.
Yeo Shih Yun, Singaporean visual artist, said: “NFTs have radically reshaped the art world, prompting artists of all types — including myself — to challenge existing conventions of ownership, monetisation, and exhibition. The Tezos ecosystem has provided me with a community and a platform on which I can freely innovate and express my craft. I’m proud to be celebrating this moment with fellow regional artists to showcase what NFTs can bring to Asia’s thriving arts ecosystem.”
Participating artists include Singapore-based abstract artist warrragwag; South Korean AI and machine learning painter CSLIM; Malaysian pixel art pioneer Moon; Indonesian experimental artist, multimedia designer, and musician Fahmi Mursyid; and many more.
George Galanakis, Founder of CAWA, said: “With this exhibition, we aimed to shine a spotlight on just a fraction of the incredible artistic talent we are seeing emerge across Asia and in the blockchain space. These artists have gained prominence in a notoriously competitive space, which is testament to not just their individual abilities, but the growing recognition of the talent that exists in this region. This is only the beginning and CAWA is proud to support these artists as they continue to create.”
Tezos is a public blockchain recognised for its open-source and self-upgradeable platform that allows for collaborative innovation in a secure and truly decentralised way. With its comparatively energy-efficient features, Tezos utilises Proof-of-Stake, enabling it to operate with minimal energy consumption and a negligible carbon footprint. This has enabled Tezos to become a widely adopted blockchain of choice for a growing, diverse global community of NFT artists, collectors, and builders. To date, the Tezos ecosystem is home to leading NFT projects including leading digital art platform Hic et Nunc, NFT art marketplace objkt, and many more.
About Tezos
Tezos is smart money, redefining what it means to hold and exchange value in a digitally connected world. A self-upgradable and energy efficient blockchain with a proven track record, Tezos seamlessly adopts tomorrow’s innovations without network disruptions today. To learn more, visit tezos.com.
About TZ APAC
TZ APAC Pte. Ltd. (“TZ APAC”) is the leading Asia-based blockchain adoption entity supporting the Tezos ecosystem. It designs value-added blockchain transformation strategies for enterprises and creators with a bottom-up approach, working closely with blockchain experts and other stakeholders in the Tezos ecosystem. TZ APAC is supported by the Tezos Foundation and is headquartered in Singapore.
About Crypto Art Week Asia (CAWA)
Crypto Art Week Asia (CAWA) was founded with the vision of supporting artists in Asia. It aims to strengthen and forge bonds within the Asian artist community, and to promote Asian-based artists by introducing them to galleries, platforms, collectors and potential patrons. CAWA is one of the world’s largest crypto art showcases, featuring more than 300 of the biggest names in digital art in Asia, physical exhibitions in six cities and over 50 virtual galleries, plus an amazing week-long programme of exhibitions, talks, events, and parties.
About S.E.A. Focus
S.E.A. Focus is a showcase of contemporary art from Southeast Asia. It aims to bring together a curated selection of some of the finest galleries to foster a deeper appreciation of contemporary art and artists in the region. A meeting point for artistic vision and vigour, S.E.A. Focus provides a platform to propel diverse cultural exchanges which celebrate, promote and provoke dialogue about Southeast Asian art. S.E.A. Focus is an initiative led by STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery, supported by the National Arts Council, Singapore.
About STPI
STPI is a dynamic creative workshop and contemporary art gallery based in Singapore. Established in 2002, STPI is a not-for-profit organisation committed to promoting artistic experimentation in the mediums of print and paper and has become one of the most cutting-edge destinations for contemporary art in Asia. STPI sits alongside National Gallery Singapore and the Singapore Art Museum as part of the national Visual Arts Cluster of leading institutions in the region.