In the neon heart of Las Vegas, the vinyl mural sprawled across the entrance way of the BREATHE! Convention seemed to pulsate with possibility. The 18ft by 30ft concrete expanse represented more than a Guinness Record attempt for the world’s largest communal NFT – it embodied the ethos of the Tezos blockchain itself.
Since its launch in 2018, Tezos has steadily gained recognition as one of the foremost blockchains for artistic innovation and expression. Its energy-efficient proof-of-stake consensus and upgradability endears it to artists and institutions seeking both sustainability and staying power. Meanwhile, features like low transaction fees and built-in support for non-fungible tokens cement Tezos’ appeal for digital creators.
This fusion of values, utility and community has attracted a thriving ecosystem of artists, photographers, musicians and collectors to the blockchain. They are joined by museums, galleries and event organizers leveraging Tezos as a medium for immense creative potential.
In November 2022, the prestigious Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) unveiled an enveloping generative art installation powered by Tezos NFTs. Housed in the museum’s sculpture garden, the “Unsupervised” exhibition by pioneer Refik Anadol immersed audiences in a hypnotic AI-driven recreation of 100 years of modern art. As visitors lost themselves in the dynamically evolving landscapes, the museum provided blockchain-derived mementos of the one-of-a-kind experience through a partnership with the Tezos-based Autonomy wallet.
This groundbreaking showcase of digital art highlighted Tezos’ vitality as a next generation platform. Yet the blockchain also stays true to its roots in the fine arts sector, as evidenced by an expansive 2023 collaboration with Paris’ Musée d’Orsay. Coinciding with a retrospective of Vincent Van Gogh‘s final months, Tezos facilitated the creation of exclusive digital collectibles for exhibition attendees. Built by generative art platform Keru, the NFT souvenirs immortalized the iconic artist through blockchain technology.
Beyond institutions, Tezos powers singular visions from cutting-edge individual artists. In March 2023, the estate of abstract painter Lee Mullican utilized Tezos for a series of interactive NFT artworks melding visualization, sounds and poetry. Titled “LeeMullican.PCX,” a collection of 12 digital pieces were created by Mullican in 1987. These pieces, originally made using the PC Paintbrush app on an IBM 5170 and saved on 5 ¼-inch floppy disks, were minted on the Tezos blockchain. Each NFT included the original PCX file along with a scan of the 35mm photo slide that Mullican took of his computer screen displaying each respective work.
This demonstration of versatility and values has fueled Tezos‘ role as a natural choice for artists seeking to integrate blockchain into their method of tracking, presenting, and selling. In the case of September 2023’s BREATHE! Convention exploring technology’s bright horizons, Tezos provided the infrastructure to unite thousands of imaginations on a singular, unprecedented art piece.
When the attendees of BREATHE! finally stepped back, the completed mural had morphed into a vibrant emblem of creative passion and community. But its destiny was not to remain in physical form. Through meticulous digitization, this collaborative artifact now flowed as a unique encrypted asset on the distributed ledger of Tezos, immutable and borderless.
Whether allowing artists cutting-edge creative freedom or facilitating institutions engaging audiences in new ways, Tezos continues to build itself as a ubiquitous platform for imagination. With its harmonization of technology and passions, the blockchain has cultivated an ethos where code empowers creativity rather than overrides.
Tezos doesn’t merely showcase art but liberates it.
The link to the final image of the communal mural:
https://objkt.com/asset/KT1FdzgksHAHQCRdcgZxVDfJnnfcgJwKFaoT/
