A Realistic Shocking of the Virtual AuthenticityShanghai First Global NFT Crypto Art Exhibition

A Realistic Shocking of the Virtual AuthenticityShanghai First Global NFT Crypto Art Exhibition

Duration: 2021 May 29 — June 6

Opening: 2021 May 29 14:00

Venue: No.2380 Longteng Ave. West Bund Art Park, Tank No.1

Participated artists:Beeple, Pak, Hackatao, Ouchhhh, Marcelo Cantu, Max Mao, Jon Noorlander, Suryanto, Jonathan Nash, Andreas, chmiel_art, marc0matic, Shindo, yellosesame, Charles Cheong, CornelSwoboda, etienecraus, Glass Grane, mbsjq,Zhang Huan, Aimo Yang, VJ Elephant, Song Ting, Wang Ke, Xin Qi

Curators: Du Xiyun, Qin Jianxin

Producers: Jin Wei, Pan Wei, Zhu Zheng

Art consultants: Wan Heng, Song Ting, Shi Ran

Exhibition organisers: Pan Chenjia, Isabelle Zhi

Since the emergence of crypto art in 2014, more and more artists, especially digital artists have gradually transitioned into this new realm created by the new technology. In March 2021, Beeple’s The First 5000 Days (2007–2021) has been auctioned a record-breaking price of 69 million USD at Christie’s, then generated a shockwave of crypto art and NFTs, followed by debating and controversies, which as a fact, had brought crypto and NFTs into the mainstream.

The transition from the dealing of physical asset to the dealing of its authenticity has caused multiple controversies, but majorly focused on two aspects. The first one is that the blockchain technologies, being refused and rejected by the art ‘gatekeepers’, is still not fully accepted by the artworld, even though the technology had emerged since the 1980s and entered the mainstream world since 2012. The second one is the huge gap between its auctioned price and its ‘shallowness’ artistic approach, which eventually polarised the art dealing and investment. Both aspects still need to take some time to be examined by the people and time.

The exhibition title ‘A Realistic Shocking of the Virtual Art Authenticity’ is derived from art theorist Robert Hugh’s The Shock of the New (1980), a book and a BBC documentary with the same name. In Hugh’s book, he discussed the new shock and impact on contemporary art since the beginning of Impressionism and how it created and shaped the art landscape in contemporary world. Under the same logic, how ‘authenticity’ has shaped the new ways of art dealing and art creation in the era of crypto art is a new shock that is still happening, as an on-going phenomenon.

Curator Du Xiyun investigated from the nature of crypto art — digital art, and organised the exhibition into three chapters: Double Wings, Imitation, and Singularity. Du combed through the relationship between technologies and art in the perspective from history of art, presenting the objective fact that these two factors co-exist through history across cultures. In Double Wings, art and science act like two collaborated wings and helped human civilisation to soar. Especially since new media art and digital art, these two wings connect and cooperate stronger than ever. In Imitation, the subject/creator of art is being discussed, hence the possibilities of HMI and its art. In Singularity, blockchain and crypto art act like a singularity that created the big bang in art world, and their impact on the ways of art dealing, NFTs, and how art creation is being modified by artists. We can have a glimpse of how data-based authenticity and its de-centralised system provoke art creation and how every art practitioner reflect to it.

In the 25 artists/collectives’s works, we can see renowned performance artist Zhang Huan’s exploration on how he digitalised his performance and generated NFT. And how interactive new media art installations played important roles in the evolution of digital art. At the same time, global artists like Beeple who established their career based on digital platforms also bring their artworks that gain popularity on digital platforms and social media, along with the emerging power of digital artists in China.

Opening Day Schedule:

13:30–14:00 Media Conference (West Bund Ceramic Pavilion Project)

14:00–15:00 Opening Ceremony (West Bund Art Park, Tank No.1)

15:30–17:30 Summit Forum (West Bund Ceramic Pavilion Project)

18:30–20:00 Dinner Gala (Marriott Shanghai Luwan)

19:00–22:00 Post Dinner Auction (Marriott Shanghai Luwan)

Summit Forum: Opportunity of Renovation

Art and Science have been collaborating and escorting each other since the dawn of civilisation. Art always foresees and leads the progress of civilisation. Through this forum, we hope we can foresee the future, and explore the infinite possibilities of the future.

Time: 2021 May 29, 15:30–17:30

Venue: West Bund Ceramic Pavilion Project

Panellists:

Yi Jiezhong, Chairperson of Committee of Culture and Tourism of China Urban Development Institution of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Deputy Dean of Urban and Innovation Institution of CAFA.

Li Tianyuan, artists, Professor at Academy of Arts & Design Tsinghua University, Doctor Supervisor

Li Lin, founder of Hirender & Hecoos, guest lecturer at CAFA

Che Lin, movie researcher, curator, PhD Beijing University, guest lecturer at CAFA.

Liu Zhixin, Professor and Dean of College of Creative Studies of Shanghai Theatre Academy, Director of Key Experimental Art of Digital Integrated Innovation Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Li Linxue, Dean of College of Arts and Media of Tongji University, PhD Supervisor at College of Architecture and Urban Planning of Tongji University

Zhang Liang, Deputy Chairperson of Media Building Industry Association, Executive Director of Interior Design of Architectural Society of China

Fan Yong, founder of AIAF, guest professor at Chinese Heritage Centre of Nanyang Technological University

About CryptoArt.Ai

CryptoArt.Ai is the biggest crypto art dealing platform in Asia, and an experimental art platform engages in contemporary avant-garde art, focuses on discovering and cultivating emerging artists. With blockchain technology to enable art and solve the problem of digital art scarcity. CryptoArt.Ai dedicates to promote contemporary art in China joining the global experimental crypto art and NFT flux.

As an international crypto art platform, CryptoArt.Ai and NOVA co-hosted Art Evolved with Time auction session, with a sale of 169ETH, set a record as the first auction exceeded 1 million of crypto art in China.

Organiser: CryptoArt.Ai

Supported by: Shanghai Westbank Investment & Development Co., Ltd.

Academic support:

AIAF

Communication University of China, School of Animation and Digital Arts

Communication University of China, Digital Arts Lab

Co-organiser:

Activation PR

MANA Global New Media Arts Platform

GGAC-Global Game Art Contest

Media Architecture Institute Shenzhen

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