Introducing Ari Swap’s first Creator’s Fund recipient, Sebastian Rodriguez-Larrain, who is using “NFTs-as-Philanthropy” to improve the economic conditions of underserved communities in Peru.
Sebastian is a Peruvian-American creative exploring the intersection of art, tourism, and blockchain technology, and is on a mission to help his native Peru with Utility NFTs.
In recognition of its potential social impact, the Celo Foundation, in partnership with the nascent NFT Marketplace, Ari Swap, has awarded Sebastian a grant to finance his first Utility NFT project, Centenarios de Peru.
What mission are you trying to fulfill with your art?
Simply, I want to make the world a better place. But how?
Impressed (and inspired!) by the technological innovations occurring in robotics, A.I., 3d printing, genomics, and blockchain, I spent time questioning my place within such a technologically-driven society and wondered how I could possibly contribute to making the world a better place. More generally, what is the artist’s role in this context?
I’ll be the first to argue for the value of beauty and the aesthetic experience; I’m a firm believer that art and beauty are necessary for the development of human consciousness. But during my evolution as an artist, I sensed I could do more than just produce a beautiful image or tell a story visually.
I quickly realized that I could use Utility NFTs to produce works of art that could make a tangible impact–and that were not just beautiful but also useful and ethical.
With a renewed sense of purpose, I’m now seeking to harness the power of art and blockchain technology to improve the lives of vulnerable communities in Peru through the implementation of my Utility NFT projects.
I look forward to working with Celo and Ari Swap to make this first project a success. I aim to replicate the Utility NFT approach to help other vulnerable communities in Peru, and bring to life Celo’s mission of extending prosperity for all, and Ari’s mission of spreading “social fun for social good”.
What is your collection going to be about?
NFT Centenarians — Q2 2022
“In 2016, I ventured with an anthropologist to Huancavelica, a region high up in the Andes of Peru where there is a large concentration of Centenarians living in conditions of extreme poverty.”
“With Celo Foundation and Ari Swap’s support, I will travel to the region, produce a series of photographs, convert them into an NFT collection, and use the sales revenue to reinvest into the community through sustainable education, health, and financial initiatives. To incentivize and add value for the collectors, I’ve decided to include utilities with the purchase of each NFT. Items such as travel passes, ecolodge timeshares, local arts and crafts, etc., will bring NFT owners in contact with the community they support, in effect creating a virtuous cycle of giving and receiving to increase prosperity for all.”
What is coming next?
“I’m eager to make Centenarios de Peru Utility NFT project a success and aim to continue to work with Celo and Ari Swap to help more people in Peru with other Utility NFT projects.”
- Women Weavers of Peru NFT project — Q3 2022
- NFT Cacao Farm — Q4 2023
- NFT ERL Legacy — Q1 2023
- Amazonian Atlantis
About the Artist: Driven by his family, a forgotten legacy, and his country
Sebastian is a Peruvian-American photographer interested in using his art to reduce human suffering and increase well-being. He was born in Lima, Peru (1987), but grew up in New York City, moving there at the age of 4 with his mother, Cynthia Capriata, a visual artist and art educator with two masters from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. His father, Emilio Rodriguez-Larrain Balta (1928–2015), was a famous Peruvian architect and artist with over 150 international exhibits and a host of grants and awards to his name. He is considered one of 20th Century Peru’s most important artists. He passed away in 2015, leaving behind a significant legacy but an estate in shambles. In order to better organize the estate, he enrolled in an Executive Master in Art Market Studies at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. He is currently writing his thesis on how blockchain technology and NFTs could be used by artists and their families to better manage their legacies, and he will use his father’s legacy as a case study.
His father is known for being the first land art artist in Latin America and left behind several monumental works, most of them designed but unrealized. Sebastian’s goal is to bring to life these pieces, give due justice to his father’s memory, and use the works to benefit his native country while continuing to develop other Utility NFT projects in Peru.
He aims to raise awareness and attract like-minded people to collaborate together on Celo’s mission of bringing prosperity for all, starting with his beloved Peru and then spreading his efforts to all of South America and Africa. As he mentioned: “Individually we will not achieve a true paradigm shift, but together we can truly change the world.”
Sebastian is one of the many artists of the ARI NFT Marketplace, all of them are bringing social fun for social good. Do you want to know more about this mission-driven initiative? Check out our social media channels.
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