Connecting the physical and the digital – COOL HUNTING®
Tapestry, clothing, documents and more real objects
Physical parts related to digital goods have been buzzing around web3 from the early days of the term “phygital”, the slightly confusing “digital twins”, Gmoney’s view of “network products” when he launched 9dcc and several other references. This past week at NFT Paris, a handful of high-profile projects continued to connect the physical and the digital in thought-provoking ways that may help convert those still skeptical to NFTs.
“The Final Frontier,” the final chapter of Tom Sachs: Rocket Factory project, is focused on creating a metaverse of planets, space stations and other elements that are inspired by dystopian and bizarre environments. “The Final Frontier” features 1,000 hand-crafted, generative 3D planets and 10,000 space station apartments floating in the void. These elements are designed to be seen and experienced in the context of Monaverse, a platform for creating, displaying and trading NFTs.
Attendees roaming around NFT Paris stumbled across Tom Sachs: Rocket Factory Indoctrination Center within the art section, which included a number of immersive features such as Sachs’ sculptures and images of the worlds he created for The Final Frontier metaverse. The staff operated a live marathon “indoctrination” and intake activation, allowing interested parties to jump headfirst into their new galaxy. Over 300 participants went through the experience process and received a physical, personal, official NFC chipped web3-enabled identification card powered by IYK, a product that allows users to verify IRL ownership and attendance. Participants could choose from over 1,000 worlds and 10,000 apartments for their ID cards, making the experience personal and interactive.
Danit Peleg, a pioneer in 3D printed fashion, debuted a new collection inspired and funded by nouns, an “open source” Creative Commons 0 brand controlled by those who have NFT names for nouns. The garments were designed using OPTITEX, a pattern making software that allowed Danit to create 2D and 3D versions. The collection was printed using proprietary filaments being developed by Moon Creative Lab and Peleg and uses 3D printed technologies including FDM, Polyjet and Multi Jet Fusion.
Each look is inspired by a different noun NFT, and the result is a strong representation of the color, whimsical design and playful essence that the nouns themselves possess. One garment is adorned with a red CC that can be interpreted as a play on Chanel’s logo, while also being a nod to Creative Commons 0, where the intellectual property rights of a work with digital content are relinquished. Another standout in the collection is a skirt made up of a number of iterations of a noun, with their signature glasses.
Not too far away at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, launched Art Blocks Engine, design brand TRAME and web3 product studio Crypto Packaged Goods in collaboration with the French atelier Néolice Shuttle—a series of 200 generative artworks and woven physical counterparts by artist Alexis André. The collaboration brings together a generative art project, 3D printing and textile craft, realized in two parts.
First, a series of generative works created by André were released via Art Blocks’ blockchain technology and a collectible shopping experience created by Crypto Packaged Goods. Second, the generative code was fed into a digital loom to create one-of-a-kind, large-scale physical tapestries of the artist’s work, which were then claimed by eight owners of the original digital artworks. André revealed the first digital output live alongside his physical prototype in an immersive exhibition showcasing the development process and the trip to atelier Néolice (located in Creuse in central France).
For art conservators still reluctant to adopt NFTs, the physical object helps collectors feel more confident about collecting the corresponding digital object. The conversations and activations that link physical art to digital art may be just what is needed to encourage art collectors who still consider NFTs to be “just jpegs.”
Hero image courtesy of Art Blocks
