NFT Steez and Victor Solomon discuss building in Web3 and the metaverse
NFT Steez hosts Alyssa Expósito and Ray Salmond chatted with Victor Solomon to discuss his journey to bridge his real-life artwork with NFTs and how he cultivates the community and culture that surrounds his art.
Salomon’s work centers around basketball – not just the object, but the sport itself. For Solomon, the inspiration for his work comes from wanting to play hockey in his early childhood. At the time, this was a sport that was not available to him, but it eventually led him to discover basketball, which he found more welcoming.
Solomon said:
“Basketball was such an inspiring platform for me as there is no barrier to entry.”
According to Solomon, the open nature of basketball is an “incredible parallel to everything that’s happening in Web3,” and throughout the episode he explained the symbiotic relationship he’s experienced in building VesselVerse, his collection celebrating basketball in the metaverse.
Building bridges between real life and digital spaces
When asked about the liberating elements of creating and iterating in Web3, Solomon drew attention to the “refreshing” nature of being able to create things that cannot exist in real life, like a “planet inside a hollow basketball.” He also noted the process of taking the physical elements into digital renderings and composites.
For Solomon, building a collection and a community to gather around it was second nature. His extensive experience in the traditional art world gave him the same insight and structure that he applies to publishing digital collectibles.
Drawing inspiration from other NFT projects such as Substantive, Solomon’s VesselVerse digital collection functions similarly to his real-life works, except that one “vessel,” or basketball, is auctioned off every hour.
Unlike physical installations or exhibition pieces in a gallery, Solomon noted that creating in Web3 gives participants and collectors greater influence over the direction of the work rather than their participation being a one-time experience.
Related: Comic-Con guru explains why storytelling is the key component to successful NFT projects
Unlocks collaboration in a community
When it comes to Web3 and the metaverse, one core of a successful project or ecosystem is the community that surrounds it and builds alongside it. Solomon described how “exciting it is to be able to work shoulder to shoulder with a growing community,” where diverse collectors enable an “open forum to constantly visit, discuss and evaluate the direction of the project.”
Instead of shying away from open up considerations of community, Solomon said he embraces the more decentralized aspects of building and unlocking community in Web3:
“What attracts me as a founder is unlocking this opportunity for everyone to have a voice.”
For Solomon, the juxtaposition of Web2 and Web3 has highlighted what he considers a “massive unlocking.” As he described, the collaborative nature and “community spirit” present in Web3 has not been something he has been able to experience in his physical work, and is “energizing.”
The biggest challenge currently facing Solomon is re-educating a segment of the ecosystem that may have had bad experiences in the crypto and NFT market. Nevertheless, Solomon suggested that the hardship is worth enduring, as the promise of Web3 is far greater than any particular negative experience.
To hear more from the conversation, listen to the full episode NFT Steez on Cointelegraph’s new podcast page or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or TuneIn.
The views, thoughts and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.
