NFTs—or non-fungible tokens—seem to be everywhere these days: from art and music to in-game items and videos.
But what are NFTs anyway? In simple terms, they are digital assets that represent real-world objects. NFTs are digital certificates that authenticate a claim of ownership to an asset, and they’re “non-fungible”—meaning they’re unique and can’t be replaced with something else.
This is why NFTs are bringing about an artistic revolution. While digital art has existed since the advent of computers, the ownership and provenance of these works are not in the physical custody of its owner or creator. Through NFTs, people can now own and collect digital art with a unique and indelible signature.
With this came the rise in the adoption and collection of crypto art—the fusion of art and blockchain technology—not only among collectors and digital-native artists, but even among traditional artists who harness their creativity as they explore the medium.
In the Philippines, one of these artists is Carlos—a painter and sculptor with an art career spanning 40 years. He is most known for the use of vibrant colors, which are just as much a subject as the idyllic scenes he paints on canvases.
While the past decades have seen him creating paintings and sculpture, this year he has added crypto art as another medium in his oeuvre. Earlier this year, the visual artist debuted his first-ever NFTs in an online exhibit.
This time around, multi-genre art gallery and art advisory Galeria Paloma, in partnership with Samsung The Frame, presents “The Colors of Carlos,” an art exhibition featuring paintings, sculpture, and crypto art NFTs by the artist Carlos on July 8 to 12 at the North Court of Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center.
“The Colors of Carlos” is the launching exhibit of a series of upcoming shows by Galeria Paloma, which aims to bridge the gap between the familiar media of visual art and the emerging genre of crypto art. In these exhibitions, traditional forms of art will be displayed side-by-side with crypto art in Samsung The Frame TV screens. The crypto art was made in collaboration with crypto artist and motion designer Isaiah Cacnio.
“We were impressed by [the Samsung The Frame TVs’] features, some of which are its matte screen and incredible resolution, and, of course, the bezel that melds seamlessly in an art exhibition and ultimately, a collector’s home,” says gallery director Kimberly Delgado.
“The Frame is poised to serve Galeria Paloma’s discerning art collectors who appreciate that their collections must be displayed in the best way possible. This applies equally to digital artworks.”
“Samsung’s The Frame has helped to democratize access to art by placing it into the homes of people around the world. However, this partnership with Galeria Paloma featuring their new NFT art collection is something new for us and extremely special,” says Mahir Al-Rubah, head of AV product marketing at Samsung. “We look forward to taking part in this digital-art series and help the gallery foster greater appreciation and understanding of this emerging art genre.”
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Mano Amiga, an organization that provides quality education for underprivileged children and sustainable livelihood opportunities to families from disadvantaged communities.
Check out the exhibition from July 8 to 12 at Power Plant Mall. For more information, visit www.galeriapaloma.com.