CryptoPunks has announced a new collection entitled “Super Punk World,” curated by the gallery’s first Punk in Residence, Nina Chanel Abney.
The collaborative collection consists of 500 digital avatars, blending the iconic features of CryptoPunks with the distinctive style of Abney’s Super Cool World. By utilizing a 3D medium, the collection offers a fresh perspective on Abney’s artwork, marking the first time collectors can immerse themselves in her digital creations.
The collection will be displayed at Abney’s new “Lie Doggo” exhibition, which will open at The School at Jack Shainman Gallery in Kinderhook, NY, on May 18 and continue through October 5. Further details about the collection and the upcoming auction will be revealed shortly.
Abney’s interactive digital art installation challenges societal norms around identity, expressed through the lens of the original CryptoPunks collection. In her work, Abney confronts the economic discrepancies within the digital avatars, where traditionally, representations of white males have fetched higher prices than those of females or darker-skinned individuals. By creating hybrid figures that blend racial characteristics and obscure traditional gender lines, she reevaluates the inherent ‘value’ assigned to these digital personas. This installation invites visitors to craft their virtual avatars and encourages a critical reflection on identity construction in both digital and physical realms.
Abney’s installation explores themes of surveillance, anonymity, and the performative nature of identity, particularly relevant in the digital age dominated by online portrayals and cancel culture. Through this work, she examines the tension between visibility and concealment, questioning how societal pressures influence creativity and freedom of expression. This dialogue extends to consider the broader implications of how digital interactions mirror and perpetuate real-world inequalities and conflicts, challenging participants to think critically about the role of digital platforms in shaping public discourse on identity and value.
Yuga Labs unveiled its Punk in Residence program in February. The program partners with creators to bring new works to life on-chain that celebrate and expand the legacy of CryptoPunks. As the first artist in this series, Abney has been entrusted with a “dev Punk,” specifically Punk #72, which she described as “easygoing and cool, yet a bit mysterious.”
The selection of Abney as the inaugural resident artist was serendipitous, stemming from a previous encounter where Yuga Labs’ team discovered her work during an exhibition at ICA Miami. This chance discovery highlighted Abney’s alignment with the disruptive ethos of web3 and the CryptoPunks brand, setting the stage for this collaboration.
Yuga Labs plans to make this residency a biannual event, featuring two artists each year from diverse artistic backgrounds. The program aims to provide a platform for artists worldwide, regardless of their experience with web3, offering mentorship and technical support to help them bring their visions to the blockchain. The profits from the art sales will be shared equally between the artists and Yuga Labs, ensuring that creators are directly benefitted from their contributions.
Editor’s note: This article was written by an nft now staff member in collaboration with OpenAI’s GPT-4.
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