NFT Steez and Victor Solomon talk about building in Web3 and the metaverse

On December 2, NFT Steez hosts Alyssa Expósito and Ray Salmond the chat with Victor Solomon to discuss his journey to bridging his artwork into the real life of NFTs and how he cultivates the community and culture that surrounds it.

Salomon’s work centers around basketball, not just the object, but the sport itself. For Solomon, the inspiration for his work comes from his early childhood wanting to play hockey, a sport that was not available to him, and his eventual discovery of basketball, which he discovered was more accommodating.

Solomon said:

“Basketball was such an inspiring platform for me as there is no barrier to entry.”

Solomon says the open nature of basketball is an “incredible parallel to everything that’s happening in Web3,” and throughout the episode he explains the symbiotic relationship he’s experienced in building out the VesselVerse, the basketball 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, such as a “planet inside a hollow basketball,” but also 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 in how he publishes digital collectibles.

Taking inspiration from other NFT projects like Substantiv, Solomon’s digital collection, VesselVerse works 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 within Web3 gives participants and collectors a broader and greater say in the direction of the work rather than a one-off 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 embraces the more decentralized aspects of building and unlocking community in Web3. Solomon said:

“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 unlock.” As he describes, the collaborative nature and “community spirit” 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 suggests that the hardship is worth enduring since the promise of Web3 is much greater than any particular negative experience.

To hear more from the conversation, tune in and listen to the full episode of NFT Steez and be sure to mark your calendar for the next episode on December 16 at 12 A.M.