The exhibition "IT IS ALL AROUND US" is showcasing NFT artworks from a variety of artists all around the world. The world of NFT, and digital art in general, is a vast, unexplored land rife with possibilities. We had a chat with the curator of the show, Jérémy Chausse, about why he thinks NFT is the future and what we can look forward to in the exhibition.
Let's start with a bit of introduction. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
My name is Jérémy Chausse. Currently collaborating at Artgence, I am a personal art shopper, art advisor, curator and for a few months, I am interested in integrating a digital/crypto branch in the agency.
My studies in marketing/communication as well as my year of training in art history have reinforced my idea of setting up my own business. More than 5 years ago, I founded "EFERYA" a web gallery specialized in promoting young artistic talents (mainly in painting). Our mission was to allow our artists to focus on the creation of works by finding them galleries but also services for professionals or individuals (live painting, special order, fresco in offices ...).
In December 2020, I decided to stop my activity and join Artgence in order to be closer to collectors.
What drew you to art and working in art?
With my studies in marketing and my deep passion for the arts, I thought it would be interesting to develop an activity that would combine these elements. I wanted to allow young artists to accompany them in their career evolution.
So I created EFERYA.
Is there any type of art that you tend to gravitate towards?
During my teenage years, I often rubbed shoulders with the skaters and graffiti artists of my high school but more generally of the city where I grew up. My artistic choice naturally leaned towards urban art, then pop art. My affinity for the street art culture guided me towards this artistic movement which represents the freedom of expression invading the streets of the whole world, since Humans are Humans.
IT IS ALL AROUND US, exhibition view
Let’s talk about the NFT exhibition you curated, “IT IS ALL AROUND US”. There’s a lot of excitement around NFT right now. What excites you about this technology?
For several years, I have been closely following the advances and diversifications of the technological universe of crypto-currencies and some blockchains. When, a few months ago, I heard about NFTs and their uses in the art world, I immediately understood the incredible possibilities that this technology could bring. Art institutions, such as galleries and auction houses, have had a hard time considering, until recently, the credibility of digital art. Thanks to the certification offered by an NFT (unique and traceable), a work of art, even a non-physical one, can be considered as rare, even if the image is available on the Internet for free. You can take a picture of the Mona Lisa with your smartphone but you will never own it! Moreover, owners of crypto-currencies can buy art with those. A real revolution!
As you mentioned, NFT has the potential to change the way people look at digital art. How important is this technology for the digital medium?
For me, this artistic movement reaches its apotheosis nowadays thanks to the NFT technology guaranteeing a tracing and a certification of each artist's creation. The majority of art lovers (novice or fervent collectors) have difficulty considering a digital work as legitimate because it is not tangible. However, the evolution of our society in the direction of new technologies and the "all connected" pushes us to give a greater value to the digital medium. With virtual galleries, as proposed by Artgence 3D, for example, collectors can exhibit their artistic possessions to a much larger public (if they wish). This can help to increase the value of a work more quickly.
It is not a question of replacing visual art with technology, but of giving a new dimension to the art market.
I want to talk a bit more about the artists in the exhibition. These 11 artists create very different kinds of art. What drew you to them?
My goal with this exhibition is to present a small part of the real artistic value of some crypto-artists. A majority of people who have heard of NFTs think of the first tweet of Twitter creator Jack Dorsey, sold for $2.9 million, or memes like the famous NyanCat video that went viral, sold for about $600,000. Yet behind these highly mediatized cases are hidden artists with unequaled creativity. I wanted to select 11 artists that I find very talented, from all over the world, to illustrate this diversity. Some are recognized for their talents and others less. The choice is eclectic in the artistic style and notoriety of each artist.
What do you hope the visitors of this exhibition take away from it?
With this exhibition, visitors will be immersed in the gallery that our team of digital technicians has created exclusively for this event. The immersion will be total, both visually and sonically, thanks to the composer Ikiguy who has produced a selection of music in line with the exhibition's universe. All these elements will give an almost real dimension to a selection of digital artworks. I hope that the visitors surprised by this experience will leave having discovered new artists but especially understand that digital art and its actors deserve their place in the history of Art. I wish to allow this.
Anything else you want to add?
Come and discover this exhibition of a new kind, gathering a selection of the most promising artists of the digital art market. You will be surprised and I hope you will be won over by this artistic revolution that has only just begun.
Enjoy your visit!
“IT IS ALL AROUND US” features works by Andreas Wannerstedt, BE A STEREOTYPE, Fernando Magalhães, Jan Kaláb, Kode A. aka Bosslogic, Lethabo Huma, Michael Cina, Mustafa Sherpidin, NastPlas, Rolands Zilvinskis, and Vratislav Pecka aka PosterLad. The exhibition will run from 17 June - 17 September 2021. You can visit the exhibition by clicking on the link below.