Celebrity Life

For those looking to do a little digital art shopping for their kawaii valentine, Phillips is hosting an online auction of NFTs from 14-22 February 2022. The Japanese word kawaii in English means cute and the My Kawaii Valentine online auction celebrates the spirit of love as all the artwork that is a part of the auction is based on the themes of cuteness, companionship, self-appreciation and flowers.

My Kawaii Valentine online art and NFT auction

The online auction being held by Phillips features six non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as well as various physical paintings and prints. The pieces that are being auctioned during the season of love have been chosen keeping in mind the Gen Z, millennials and expert art collectors. This auction has something for everyone.

The paintings being sold at the auction are by artists who are currently in demand with the crowd such as Yoshitomo Nara, Mr Doodle, Tomoo Gokita, Katherine Bernhardt, and Edgar Plan. As for NFTs, the auction holds artwork by artists such as Pomme Chan, MonoC, Maciej Kuciara and Lili Tae.

The online auction is slated to start at 9:00 pm HKT on 14 February and close at 6:00 pm HKT on 22 February. Along with Hong Kong Dollars, Phillips will also accept cryptocurrency (Ethereum or Bitcoin) for the NFTs.

The Art

Drowning In Love

Drowning In Love is one of the most special digital art pieces being auctioned. It is the world’s first NFT by a virtual artist – MonoC. The NFT will be auctioned on the last day as it will be created by MonoC based on the data coming in real-time on all seven days of the auction. The algorithm behind this process will work on the data that will come in each day, altering the final outcome of the NFT and bidders will be able to see the changes made every day. This one-of-a-kind process is the result of a collaboration between Hong Kong’s homegrown BrandTech firm Gusto Collective, who created MonoC, and Phillips.

Not just that, they have also partnered with composer Terrence Ma (T-Ma) who will be creating music accompanying the digital art piece which will be sold in a video format. The opening bid for the unique 150-second long video will be HK$ 1,000.

Her Body Is Metal

Made by Polish digital artist Maciej Kuciara, Her Body Is Metal is the second NFT piece from his famous Showtime Universe series. The piece is the result of his time spent as a Hollywood film designer and his love for art.

Other NFTs

Love, Me by Bangkok illustrator Lili Tae features heavy influences from Japanese schoolgirl magazines that had girls declaring their love on Valentine’s Day making it a perfect piece for the My Kawaii Valentine auction.

Tomoo Gokita’s, Fake Cezanne #1 honours post-Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne. Ultimate Smokey Eye by Gina Beavers was originally painted in 2019 and is the artist’s perception of online makeup tutorials and how people tend to show themselves in the online world.

The auction will take place on Philips.com

(Main and Feature Image Credit: Courtesy of Gusto Collective)

The post My Kawaii Valentine: Phillips to hold an Online Art and NFT Auction Celebrating the day of Love appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

As the popularity of NFTs continues to grow exponentially, we find out more about the phenomenon from some of Hong Kong’s brightest and most entrepreneurial minds.

Calling the rapid development of cryptocurrency and NFTs “overwhelming” is an understatement. They seem to have come in a tidal wave. One day, they were just a whisper in the wind, an exclusive club for the “fintech bros” and Reddit dwellers. We knew they existed, sure, but did we care? Not really. Yet, suddenly, as if overnight, there are advertisements on billboards across the city, friends on social media with new profile pictures of their latest cop or avatar and, perhaps most troublingly, endorsements from various celebrities and public figures about which app or cryptocurrency wallet to use, and which projects to keep an eye on.

They mark a turning point that surely undermines their ethos, for cryptocurrency was never meant to be about big corporate. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Another headache is figuring out where to begin and who to begin with in the journey to deciphering the enigma of this current furore. Anonymity remains high within the community, and it was only after posting a mayday Instagram plea on my feed that I was directed to a friend who was involved in an NFT project meeting happening the very next day.

Arriving in the private members’ club, I was armed with a full night’s research and questions upon questions, mainly to clarify an outrageous number of new vocabularies I’d encountered during my deep dive. I was to meet the team behind Lucky Kittens NFT, a locally launched project featuring Maneki-Neko, a Japanese cat of good fortune typically depicted with one paw raised in a beckoning gesture. Although choosing to remain anonymous for the interview (“In some parts of the world, revealing your identity can be quite dangerous, as people have been robbed or kidnapped if they’re known to be involved in high-profile projects,” they explained) the team was friendly and patient with my queries.

“People have two lives now: their real life and their online life,” said the mysterious co-founders. “People use NFTs to express style on the internet, just like owning a watch or a pair of designer shoes in real life. Our best example is that the traditional art world isn’t accessible to the general public – typically, only the elite can invest. To add to that, there are a lot of fakes that can even fool professionals, but with NFTs, anyone can verify whether a piece is real in under a minute.

“It’s an exciting new industry that’s growing every day. We were into NFTs for a long time, so we brainstormed and decided to make our own. We want to be the first ones to bridge the digital and physical worlds of NFTs with our investors having benefits both in the metaverse as well as in the real world. Hong Kong is a hub for culture, art, technology and finance, and NFTs are the revolutionary technology that combine all these industries.”

Take a look at the news and it’s clear that talk and speculations of a “metaverse” continues to dominate news platforms, the fabled, great coming-together of tech.

“The end goal is to build a brand that’s recognised globally with community members all over the world,” my sources told me. “Right now, NFTs are still mostly being used as collectibles, but in the next few years projects will have more utility and will be tied to many traditional industries, such as gaming, technology, fashion, and retail.”

“Utility”: the new favourite word of the IT crowd. A word that’s repeated many times throughout my interviews the last few weeks. A word I’ve come to learn encompasses a dream that most NFT projects carry: creating need in conjunction with the development of the digital world. A need that Tania (last name redacted) of Moonverse hopes to fill.

“I used to be in the finance world, so I already had an understanding of the crypto market,” Tania told me. “Bridging upon that, I slowly realised that there was a very real, very alert NFT community in Hong Kong. What the public sees is completely segregated from being inside the world; communications in Discord channels with founders and NFT holders alike.

“People tend to ask what they can do with NFTs. If you’re just here to flip, well, there are many other ways to make more money. We wanted to be able to add utility and value to this new world. My partner and I noticed an immense need for NFT projects to go into the 3D realm, which is how the idea of Moonverse was born. Moonverse is a social metaverse that allows NFT projects to build their 3D worlds and interact with others online. Our lead time per project is about two weeks right now. We also have a NFT marketplace within it.”

Asked about celebrity endorsements and “rugging” or “rug pulls” – the crypto term describes a scenario where creators or promoters of a project suddenly disappear, leading to a massive drop in pricing and losses for investors – she was judicious in sharing her thoughts.

“There are countless NFT projects that launch and don’t sell at all, so, of course, there are brands that will choose to work with celebrities or influencers to drive mass adoption in the initial stages. While there are certainly people who don’t like it when celebrities endorse NFTs, it can come with a lot of organic benefits, like a concert just for holders of the project, or even limited-edition fashion products.

“Right now, technology is changing the way we see things. It’s a very new world, but there’s a lot of crypto wealth, so one must always be cautious when minting from new launches. People need to do their research and take proper precautions.”

Minting, the process of obtaining digital assets and storing the items or files in a decentralised database or ledger, is a necessary step prior to an NFT being freely traded within various online marketplaces. This also enables the NFT’s creators to track and collect royalties from subsequent sales.

“The pandemic shifted the amount of time people are spending on the internet and it definitely accelerated the NFT boom, but most big projects started even before Covid,” said Tania. “My other business, Taiko NFT, is a creative agency that aims to connect people and build communities within the digital world. We’ve taken on a few major clients now and it’s been so busy. Right now, my biggest challenge is talent sourcing. It’s hard to find people who are inherently in-tuned to the metaverse and who speak the language. I’m sure this will change in a few years, though.”

One can draw easy parallels between NFT projects and venture-capital investments. The real question remains, however: will this interest and craze continue to boom after the pandemic?

This story first appeared in the February issue of Prestige Hong Kong magazine.

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Pablo Picasso is venturing into the digital world.

The artwork of one of the most influential artists of the 20th century is being turned into, you guessed it, NFTs. Pablo Picasso’s granddaughter, Marina, along with her son, Florian Picasso, are putting on sale around 1,010 digital art pieces of the artist’s never-seen-before ceramic work.

Here’s what we know so far about Picasso’s digital artwork

A family heirloom

The artwork creating a lot of buzz is a Picasso family heirloom and Marina, in an interview with Associated Press, explained the piece as a “work that represents a face, and it's very expressive," she said, adding, "It's joyful, happy. It represents life ... It's one of those objects that have been part of our life, our intimate lives — my life with my children.”

Pablo, meet Crypto. Heirs of Pablo Picasso, the famed 20th-century Spanish artist, are vaulting into 21st-century commerce by selling 1,010 digital art pieces of one of his ceramic works that has never before been seen publicly. https://t.co/XKMwQzLk2g

— The Associated Press (@AP) January 26, 2022

It is a ceramic pottery piece that is approximately the size of a large salad bowl and dates back to 1958.

At the moment, only a small portion of the ceramic bowl has been made visible in an attempt to protect it. The part that has been made visible shows details such as the number ‘58’ painted on its base and thick yellow paint.

Talking about connecting the world of Picasso and digital art, Florian Picasso said, “We're trying to build a bridge between the NFT world and the fine art world.”

The auction and Picasso’s NFT marketplace

My first NFT collection together with my mother Marina Picasso is out this Friday on @niftygateway and @OriginProtocol ! Proud to have collaborated with the amazing @johnlegend and @Nas on the music of the collection ✨#ManAndTheBeat pic.twitter.com/IxYauUKQle

— Florian Ruiz-Picasso (@florianpicasso) January 26, 2022

The auction will be hosted by Sotheby’s in March 2022 and the highest bidder will get a unique NFT and the original Picasso ceramic bowl.

Apart from that, the collection of 1,010 NFTs that are based on the ceramic piece is named Man and the Beast. It will be sold via the Picasso family’s own marketplace called ManAndTheBeat.com, which will have multiple drops, the first one being on 28 January.

The collection will also be honoured by Florian Picasso, who is a DJ, by releasing a new song on 4 February 2022, in collaboration with American musicians John Legend and Nas.

(Photo: Unsplash / Featured: Florian Picasso)

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A space-themed project marks the luxury automaker’s entry into the wild, wild west of NFTs.

The post Lamborghini’s first NFT will (literally) be out of this world appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

As such, the British Museum is pursuing its collaboration with the French start-up LaCollection to produce NFT versions of some of its artworks. After a first initiative dedicated to the Japanese painter Hokusai, the British institution is now turning to the works of William Turner.

The post The British Museum is launching more NFTs appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

The hype around NFTs took off in 2021 and doesn't show any signs of slowing in 2022. Here are some of the noteworthy celebrities that have dipped their hand into the NFT pool.

You can't escape it: Every day, someone is talking about NFTs, the Metaverse or why cryptocurrency is the future of money. And since the release of Bored Ape Yacht Club, CryptoPunks and other recognisable NFTs, the digital art world has grown tremendously.

Whether they're your co-worker, a family member or a global superstar like Leo Messi, it seems like everyone, everywhere is jumping onto the trend. Even K-pop supergroup BTS is rumoured to be launching their own. In Hong Kong and around the globe, here are some of the biggest celebrities who have climbed aboard the NFT hype train.

Celebrities who have entered the NFT world

Shawn Yue Man-lok

Hong Kong actor and singer Shawn Yue Man-lok entered into the NFT world through a collaboration with Christie’s. The former model has been building his personal collection and showcased them in an online auction in September 2021. The collection included highly sought-after NFT pieces from Bored Ape Yacht Club, Cryptopunks and Meebits. On the big day, Yue celebrated his 40th birthday as well as raised revenue to be donated to Make-a-Wish Hong Kong foundation.

Justin Bieber

If, like millions of others, you follow Justin Bieber on Instagram, you’ll probably have seen his collection of NFTs, especially of inBetweeners; Biebs has shown his love for the variety of colourful bear illustrations. The recently minted collection of 10,777 images created by artist Gianpiero, inBetweeners has also seen lots of love from other celebrities, including Tom Holland and Snoop Dogg. 

Steph Curry

Not only have NFTs caught the attention of artists, they have also attracted numerous athletes. Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry personally released a collection of 2,974 NFTs, each priced at US$333. Curry’s collection features digital replicas of his shoe-line, Genesis Curry Flows, showcasing the exact pairs he wore for his incredible on-court feats. With the collection already sold out, the virtual sneakers promise his fans to use and show them off across multiple metaverses and virtual games.

Gunna

Atlanta rapper Gunna is the latest in the rap scene to purchase his own unique BAYC NFT. Revealing his purchase and tattoo process on Instagram, Gunna posted a video of how he did it through the cryptocurrency MoonPay, for US$300,000. His love for the digital art piece goes deep enough that he named the green-sunglassed Bored Ape “Butta” — he even got it tattooed on his calf.

Lionel Messi

Metaverse? More like Messiverse. The man who many call “the best footballer in the word”, Lionel Messi launched his NFT collection in August 2021. The collection featured three digital art pieces: "Man from the Future", "Worth the Weight" and "The King Piece", all created by artist BossLogic and depicting historic moments from the footballer's career. His star fame was on display as the NFTs’ sales spiked to US $3.4 million on the first day of the launch.

Jimmy Fallon

Celebrity and Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon has been part of the NFT clan for a while. Fallon took to Twitter to share the latest addition to his collection, a simple Bored Ape, dressed in what appears to be a sailor’s outfit. The NFT was purchased for just over US$225,000.

Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg stepped into the NFT space with an introduction of his collection called “A Journey with the Dogg”. The collection is expected to include a path down the rapper’s experiences and greatest memories — think quotes and moments captured in pictures. It also features an original track titled “NFT”, and a Dogecoin-inspired cryptocurrency, “Snoop Dogge Coins”. The artist expressed his passion for the launch, saying “I’ve seen the game change over the years from analog to digital, and I’m always happier when the technology lets the fans connect with the artists. NFTs are an amazing innovation, and it is an honor to do my first drop with Crypto.com/NFT.”

Hero image courtesy of Sebastien Muylaert/Getty Images, featured image courtesy of @leomessi

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The exhibition is being held at Le Freeport from now until November 14 and is organised by Appetite and Coinhako.

The post This is how you curate Singapore’s first large-scale NFT exhibition appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

The exhibition is being held at Le Freeport from now until November 14 and is organised by Appetite and Coinhako.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

TZ APAC’s Head of Growth, David Tng, on how NFT generative art is both a return to the old and a push for the new in the world of art.

The post Why art – whether on canvas, stone or pixels – will never die appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

TZ APAC’s Head of Growth, David Tng, on how NFT generative art is both a return to the old and a push for the new in the world of art.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Artists are thrilled with the new way of selling art. Gallerists? Not so much.

The post The NFT effect on Singapore art appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Artists are thrilled with the new way of selling art. Gallerists? Not so much.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.