Join us on Sunday, September 8th, 2024, for a live panel discussion to celebrate the opening of “NFT(s): Passages,” an exhibition presented by the Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) in partnership with the Bureau des regroupements des artistes visuels de l’Ontario (BRAVO).
This group exhibition features the work of eight francophone artists who have created NFTs for the first time, using their physical artwork as a starting point. They invite viewers to explore the concept of “phygital” – the transition from physical artworks to digital NFTs.
In this program moderated by Cătălin Ivan, speakers Benoît Couty and Martin Lukas Ostachowski, along with the artists in the exhibition, will discuss the new practice of collecting crypto art and NFTs.
Many visual artists create physical works in their studios and have a strong online presence, exploring new media. Today, artists can exist in two realms: the traditional studio and physical gallery and the virtual space of Web 3.0 on blockchains. As a result, art collections now encompass physical, digital, and “phygital” art forms, which combine and mutually enrich both dimensions, also known as “physical-backed NFTs.”
Highlighting how “we are only at the beginning of building our digital realities, and [considering] how can we build them correctly,”2 this round table aims to explore questions such as:
- How do you collect crypto art?
- How do you surround yourself with your NFT collection, and how can these digital works be displayed at home or in an institution?
- How can we exchange NFT works?
A reception will follow this panel program in the Ottawa Art Gallery’s Sky Lounge. Please note this event will be held in both English and French.
NFT Passages Schedule of Events
1:45 PM — Doors to Alma Duncan Salon (Floor 3) open
2:00 PM — Opening Remarks
2:10 PM — Panel Discussion Begins, followed by Q&A
4:00 PM — Reception Begins in Sky Lounge
NFT Passages Panel Speakers
Benoît Couty is one of the first NFT/Cryptoart collectors in France. Benoît has been an active and influential member of the international Cryptoart and metaverse communities for over six years. In 2018, he founded the Museum of Crypto Art (MoCA), a native museum of the metaverse, where part of his permanent collection of over 1,200 MoCA works is displayed. He actively contributes to developing the Cryptoart / NFT art scene in France. He regularly collaborates with leading French and international crypto artists and is identified as a reference speaker for panels and conferences related to metaverse, NFT and the Cryptoart movement.
Martin Lukas Ostachowski (MLO) is a multidisciplinary artist, researcher and writer based in Montreal. He explores blockchain technology through the subject of clouds in both physical and digital mediums. His art has been exhibited in North America, Europe, and Asia. After many years as a painter, Martin began exploring and embracing Cryptoart and NFTs in 2018. He co-authored a position paper on Cryptoart entitled “Crypto Art: A Decentralized View” published by MIT Press and has documented the history of Cryptoart since 2020, earning him the nickname “Cryptoart Historian”. As an artist, collector and historian, he has shared his research and experience at several art galleries, museums and conferences.
Cătălin Ivan (moderator) “Cat” is a cultural facilitator and educator, having worked with technology and artists from an early age. With an MSc in Computer Science from the Université de Montréal and an MEd in Sociology of Education from OISE at the University of Toronto, he has accumulated a wealth of life experience across several continents. Cat has participated in and produced various projects and events in the fields of theater, audiovisual media, spiritual practices, education and social action.
Yves M. Larocque (presenter) A professor and art historian, Yves earned his doctorate in art history at the Sorbonne (Université de Paris 1). Returning to Canada, he directs BRAVO, specializing in the mediology of Canadian art. He has also taught art history and painting at the Ottawa School of Art for almost 35 years, and is founder-director of Walk the Arts. His publications appear in La Vie des Arts (Montreal), Liaison (Ottawa), Histoire de l’Art (Paris), Médium (Paris) and RACAR (Montreal), and he has given conferences on three continents.
