Exploring Physical and Contemporary Artists “Crossing Over” to Digital and NFTs
July 22 - August 26, 2022
Artist Line Up
Henry Mandell - Gabe Weis - Norman Harman
Jen Stark - Richard Jacobs - Coldie - João Salazar
Jake Fried - Jak NFT - Ghxsts - VISSYART
Today, the Seattle NFT Museum announced the fifth exhibition this year, titled “Crossing Over,” where we explore artists whose practice predates non-fungible tokens. This opening coincides with the Seattle Art Fair, hosted at the Lumen Field Event Center and celebrating hundreds of contemporary and modern artists.
The show is curated in collaboration with Joana Kawahara Lino, bringing her experience in traditional galleries and auction houses together with her love for the flourish of impactful artists finding their stage with NFTs.
“We wanted to create an exhibition devoted to talents that are moving into the NFT space,” said Peter Hamilton, co-creator of the SNFTM. “This show is about their stories and experiences in crossing over. By stepping into NFT sales, so many artists are experiencing new found relationships with audiences and collectors on a global stage, and we hope this exhibition helps to bridge the conversation between what is happening in Web3 and the rich history of fine art.”
Tickets now on sale:
VIP preview event, Friday July 22nd 7:00pm - 10:00pm PT
Seattle NFT Museum is hosting a VIP preview event to launch the new exhibition. Attendees have the opportunity to hear directly from a few of the artists on display, learning more about their work and inspiration. Tickets are on sale now for the exhibition opening on Friday, July 22d, 7pm-10pm. Purchase tickets
Exhibition Highlights
Henry Mandell
Henry Mandell’s paintings and drawings are products of his ongoing exploration of contemporary artistic practices, scientific principles, the human condition and their merging effect on our lives. Trained as a traditional painter and printmaker, Mandell uses computers and software to build compelling abstract imagery.
"I am trained in traditional painting techniques and then began experimenting with digital tools when vector art programs became available. The extraordinary discoveries I found working with digital tools allowed me to make things beyond what my hands alone are capable of with hyper detail and extremely complex patterns. When I manipulate text by transforming it into abstract shapes, the strongest feature of working digitally is the limitless scale and limitless visual viscosity. Theory Of Mind E8 exists in three modalities at the same time. Virtual at its vector creation, real world as a polymer painting and an NFT on the blockchain which closes the loop in a circular transcendental journey. The minted artwork can live in a state of permanence as an NFT that will no doubt outlast its physical sibling". - Henry Mandell
Gabe Weis
Gabe Weis is an NFT and mixed-media artist living in the Bay Area. Stream of consciousness meets cubism in his bold portraiture. His work has been sold to collectors across the globe and the artist rose quickly to the top of the NFT art market.
Jake Fried
Using ink and white-out to generate hallucinatory vistas, Jake Fried repeatedly modifies and records his images to create mind-bending animations. Fried's films have been exhibited at the Tate Modern and Sundance Film Festival, and his work has been commissioned by Adult Swim, Netflix, and numerous art galleries around the world.
“What matters, what lasts? My goal is my work, 100 years from now, will move some person the same way it can now- that’s why I want to be on the blockchain.” - Jake Fried
Coldie
Coldie is an award-winning mixed media artist whose stereoscopic 3D art has been featured in national juried art exhibitions in the United States, cryptocurrency events across the world, international press including New York Times and Channel 4 London, as well as major auction house exhibitions by Bonhams London. An early crypto artist who began creating in 2017, his blockchain themed artwork including the 'Decentral Eyes' portrait series gives a personalized visual representation of the disruptive industry. Coldie has established himself as a thought-leader, collector and metaverse gallery curator in the NFT art community.
“NFTs have enabled me to reach a global audience who want to experience the progressive/experimental art I create. Living in a small town, I'm no longer tethered to collectors who don’t understand what I create. I now have confidence that people around the world can interact with my art in real-time and communicate directly with me, which makes for the best artist/collector relationship. We are living and creating inside of an evolving art renaissance and I'm honored to be part of it,” said Coldie
Jen Stark
Jen Stark’s art is driven by her interest in conceptualizing visual systems to simulate plant growth, evolution, infinity, fractals, mimetic topographies, and sacred geometries. Using available materials—paper, wood, metal, paint—Stark strives to make work that balances on a razor’s edge of optical seduction and perceptual engagement. In recent years, Stark has introduced new technologies into her diverse practice, delving into the digital realm of interactive projections and distinctive NFTs.
Richard Jacobs
Richard Jacobs received a BA from Cooper Union, a MFA from Yale, and was a Henry Luce Scholar in Bali, Indonesia. He lives and paints in Putney Vermont, and maintains a studio in Bali. Works are included in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Rose Art Museum, the DeCordova Museum, Fidelity Investments, Bank of America and the Hall Art Foundation.
“It has been liberating to layer the most important elements from my physical paintings onto screen lit digital structures. My digital discoveries have increased my desire to exaggerate the physicality of the surface on my new oil paintings to create a more interesting language for my NFT’s.”- Richard Jacobs
VISSYART
Visithra Manikam (a.k.a. VISSYART) is a self-taught woman visual artist and photographer from Malaysia. She paints both expressionism and pop art/surrealism in the modern Indian art style and creates sculptures. Her art has been exhibited in LA, New York, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Philippines and more.
“I started off seriously doing art as a traditional artist working with acrylic on canvas. When I joined NFTs, I continued doing that but eventually started branching out to creating digital art on the ipad. Now I've started to even create digital animations with my art. Being in this space allows me to explore and push boundaries that existed in the traditional world. There is more freedom and a lot of inspiration to create any kind of art without thinking what is collected by a certain country. All kinds of art find acceptance here and this allows endless creativity.” -Visithra Manikam
JakNFT
JakNFT is an anonymous digital artist who began minting glitch-style crypto art on the blockchain in 2021. His work is primarily available on Ethereum, but some of his works have also been minted on the Tezos and Bitcoin blockchains.
“Digital has essentially removed all artistic boundaries.”- JAK NFT
Norman Harman
Norman Harman is one of Scotland's leading digital artists specializing in painting - His work has been exhibited across the UK and Europe and he is a member of art collective Ltd Ink Corporation - Harman combines analogue, generative and digital painting processes, to achieve a Baconian grotesqueness in a POST-COVID, consumer driven world.Recent collaborations inc Robness Cyberpop, Irvine Welsh & Anton Newcombe.
João Salazar
With a degree in Fine Arts, João Salazar has been developing his signature artistic style in several techniques and media, specializing in drawing and painting. Recently, he’s been focusing on exploring the plastic, ludic and pictorial aspects of modeling paste. The quotes and reflections on the online universe and mass culture present in his work were accentuated during the height of quarantine and its consequential social isolation: when the usual, mundane, daily urban issues became less relevant.
“NFTs allowed for me to carry on working in Art throughout the pandemic. It allowed for me to follow through my research and production in a critical moment for Brazil’s cultural sector, whilst also amplifying my network and outreach to several places around the world.” - João Salazar
Ghxsts
Ghxsts came from the mind of GxngYxng, an American artist now living in Japan. The concept of the project was to capture the pain GY said he felt inside himself and the feelings he saw in those around him.
"After a bad experience with an art teacher in high school, I didn’t show anybody my personal drawings for years. I kept them locked away, where nobody could judge my point of view. When I discovered NFTs, I saw how vibrant and accepting the community was, and I felt for the first time in years that I could begin to share my work again. My pieces are very personal to me and are drawn from my own experiences with anxiety and isolation." -- GxngYxng
Kevin Abosch
(Born 1969) is an Irish conceptual artist who works across traditional mediums as well as with generative methods including machine learning and blockchain technology. Abosch's work addresses the nature of identity and value by posing ontological questions and responding to sociological dilemmas. Abosch's work has been exhibited throughout the world, often in civic spaces, including The Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, The National Museum of China, The National Gallery of Ireland, Jeu de Paume ( Paris), The Irish Museum of Modern Art, The Museum of Contemporary Art Vojvodina, The Bogotá Museum of Modern Art, ZKM (Zentrum für Kunst und Medien) and Dublin Airport.
Daily Admission Information
Seattle NFT Museum is open to the public 1PM - 6PM Monday and Wednesday, 12PM - 5PM Thursday, 12PM - 6:30PM Friday through Sunday. Daily tickets are available for purchase by visiting www.seattlenftmuseum.com. Admission is $15 for all visitors. Ticket proceeds directly contribute to the operating costs of the museum.
About Seattle NFT Museum
The Seattle NFT Museum is the world’s first NFT museum. As a center for supporting the NFT creator and collector community, the Seattle NFT Museum is a physical space designed to explore the boundaries of digital art. Exhibits include featured artists, notable private collections, and educational displays. The museum hosts ticketed events, private showings, live mintings, and is open to the public for a suggested donation during business hours. The museum is also available for booking private corporate events.