In an emerging online landscape, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have paved new paths for artists as a means of creation and distribution. The digital opportunities are now seemingly endless.
In “What Would Fado Do with Non-Fungible Tokens,” a documentary series by Miami-based artist Gabriel “GG” Gimenez, filmmakers explore the intersection of fine art and the world of NFTs.
“Chapter 1: The Dawn of the Imagination Age” provides an inside-out look at how artists leverage NFT technology to sell and distribute their art. The University of Miami’s Bill Cosford Cinema and The U Creates will host a free early screening of the first installment of the series at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 4.
“In other documentaries, there is a lot of focus on the outside perspective focusing on the speculation about the high numbers and the big headlines about NFTs,” Gimenez said. “Very little curated content is focused on the individuals putting in the work and creating very cool artwork in the NFT and digital space.”
This project is among the first short films to use NFT technology for independent film distribution. The docuseries’ first chapter is later scheduled to premiere on the NFT platform Nifty Gateway on Aug. 12. Gimenez said the project would also exist as an NFT.
“The intention is to provide a new form of distribution for filmmakers,” he said. “It is an educational piece of content, but it’s also more than that. We wanted to blur the line of how a film is supposed to be consumed and collected.”
“This project isn’t a 101 course about NFTs. Our focus was to present a narrative about a few of the individuals that are shaping the NFT space in a unique, curated, and most important creative manner,” Gimenez added. “This was about creating something curated and inspiring to others.”
The first installment, a 21-minute episode that uses pieces of Gimenez’s own visual animated art, immerses viewers in artwork highlighting international artists using NFTs to share their work. Gimenez noted how different platforms are creating a more accessible user experience for collectors to purchase pieces of artwork through NFTs.
The series will include interviews with many artists, curators, entrepreneurs, and government officials leading the way in this new and exciting space—including Cristina Favretto, head of Special Collections at University Libraries.
In the episode, Favretto provides filmmakers with a look at about 500 years’ worth of materials—from illuminated manuscript pages to items from the early history of the printing press to artist books and zines—to help viewers contextualize how NFTs fit into the history of documentation.
“The early stages of a form of technology is when people are experimenting,” Favretto said. “We don’t know what the NFTs will bring—is it a fad, or is it durable? We know that it is in its infancy and needs to be documented.”
The screening at the Cosford Cinema will include a conversation with the filmmakers, followed by a reception at Cosford’s outdoor patio.
Registration is required for all attendees.
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