An Update from Jeff Davis: Art Blocks takes over Europe!
Jeff Davis recently shared what he’s been up to around the world. That message is copied below.
Hello Art Blocks community! I’m back in the states after an 11-day trip abroad and wanted to post a Snowfro-esque wall of text to update everyone as we continue to share generative art, NFTs, and Art Blocks with the world.
My travels started in Berlin, where I had the pleasure of experiencing NFT Art Berlin with Bright Moments gallery. Their team took over the iconic Kraftwerk building for 10 nights of art and music over a 3-week period. Each night was dedicated to a different artist (7 of which were Art Blocks artists) using generative minting technology powered by Art Blocks.
On my first night, I was able to mint and experience Parnassus by mpkoz (Michael). Michael was in attendance for his night, so it was great to be able to spend time together during his show. I missed the Alida Sun release the previous week but had the opportunity to meet her and see outputs from her project Stellaraum!
The following night was for my own release Inflection. I’ll try to avoid getting too emotional, but being able to realize my project at such a massive scale was truly special, a high watermark for my career. Plus, I had the privilege of having Boreta DJ my afterparty, which was a blast.
My third night at Kraftwerk was Easter Sunday, where I got to mint and experience Kaleidoscope by Loren Bednar. Loren’s colorful patterns and stripes were the perfect fit for the holiday! And each night at Kraftwerk I had the opportunity of experiencing Rituals by Aaron Penne and Boreta in a very special setting on the very upper level of the building.
All in all, thousands of people came through to experience the art and learn about NFTs, and I had countless conversations about how generative art works and the technology under the hood to facilitate it.
From Berlin, I traveled to Venice for the Biennale. Art Blocks was involved in two separate exhibitions there.
The first exhibit was Decentral Art Pavilion, an exhibition hall in Palazzo Giustinian Lolin entirely dedicated to NFTs. The space had 60+ displays cycling through different NFTs, where we had artworks on rotation from the 20 Art Blocks artists who will be participating in the Generative Art weekend (more on that a little later). I was able to hang out with Stefano Contiero who has been instrumental in helping to organize the event.
The second was Personal Structures, a large exhibition presented by the European Cultural Centre sprawling over 3 different locations in Venice. Art Blocks partnered with Superchief Gallery for this show, where they had a large room in Palazzo Mora dedicated to NFTs. Our curation focused on Himmin by Sarah Ridgley and Chimera by mpkoz. Sarah’s work was displayed on a grid of 6 Whim displays, while Michael’s work was displayed on 16 Infinite Objects frames.
During the receptions for both events, the response was as equally enthusiastic as in Berlin. Huge crowds came through both shows, a mixture of Web3 aficionados who were so thrilled to experience the work IRL, and crypto-curious individuals from the contemporary art world who were excited at the opportunity to learn more.
In addition to our two exhibitions, I was also able to attend a few other art events. The first was a drone performance by DRIFT where I coincidentally ran into Rafaël Rozendaal! He let me know about his Venice installation Observations which I was able to experience later in my visit.
I was also able to see a number of works by Vera Molnar at the Biennale main hall in Giardini. It was such a treat to be able to spend time with the works and observe light bulbs go on for other fairgoers after reading the placards and getting their first taste of generative art.
Because of how my tickets were booked, I returned to Berlin one last night on my way back home and was able to mint and experience Casey Reas’ project Network C. Casey was in attendance and it was great to be able to catch up and chat about his project. Plus, I had the opportunity to see Jason Ting and outputs from his project Lux, which I had missed while in Venice.
Last weekend was our Generative Art weekend at Decentral Art Pavilion in Venice where we took over the majority of the space. Curated by Stefano, the exhibition includes work by Art Blocks’ European artists including Alexis André, Nadieh Bremer, Darien Brito, Anna Carreras, Michael Connolly, Stefano Contiero, Simon De Mai, Matt DesLauriers, Julien Gachadoat, Kjetil Golid, Han, Nicolas Daniel, Marcin Ignac, LIA, Anna Lucia, Piter Pasma, Thomas Lin Pedersen, Samsy, Marcelo Soria-Rodriguez, Alida Sun, and Shvembldr.
Next weekend, we are reprogramming the Marfa house for an exhibition of Cosmic Reef by Leo Villareal. We’ve been working hard to improve the display experience at the house and look forward to the reveal during Marfa invitational. In addition to Leo’s work, we’ll also be showcasing silkscreen prints of Placement by Cooper Jamieson.
Sorry, I know that’s a lot! Mostly I wanted to keep everyone updated about our ongoing efforts to elevate generative art and showcase Art Blocks artists on an international stage. I feel extremely lucky to have so many amazing opportunities to share what we’re doing at Art Blocks with so many people. We’re having lots of great conversations out there and turning folks on to the power of generative art and NFTs.
Thank you for believing in us, we’re still so early…
