Art Basel 2021: a Visit to the Art Fair that Became the Hub of the NFT Community

Art Basel is an international art fair that’s been taking place for over 50 years in Basel, Switzerland, and since 2002 in Miami Beach, Florida, and Hong Kong. Tens of thousands of visitors flock to the event to see artworks of all kinds exhibited at galleries and spaces across the city. It’s an unparalleled opportunity to dive into the art world, meet artists, collectors, curators, and get to experience current trends up close.

Art Basel Miami Beach was scheduled for 2020 but postponed due to the Pandemic, and it finally took place during December 2-5, 2021. The world’s changes over that time were evident at the event that became a gathering for anyone interested in the Virtual Art world. This year, I also had the honor to present and launch my first NFT artwork at the fair.

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I have been interested in art and involved in the art world as far back as I can remember, and I also paint and draw myself. So it was my privilege to attend Art Basel back in 2017 as well. It is truly a unique happening, where you can see art that varies from traditional painting and sculpture to abstract and conceptual artworks of all kinds. Along with the fair itself, a seemingly endless choice of events, parties, culinary initiatives, fashion shows, and once-in-a-lifetime happenings take place in the span of one just three days. A million things are happening at once: exhibitions and pop-up shows in Galleries during the day and parties during the night. All this occurs on the beaches of sunny Miami, which makes it all the more enjoyable.

Art Fair Turns into NFT Hub

This year, Art Basel was different due to the central place of NFTs – Virtual Artworks sold as non-fungible tokens. NFTs gained ground during the Pandemic, so there haven’t been a lot of events that allowed people interested in the field to come together. Art Basel, like NFT.NYC, about which I wrote a few weeks ago, became a convention of NFT creators and collectors from around the world. This trend was evident throughout the fair, and everywhere you went, there was virtual art and events dedicated to the merge of new technologies and the art sphere.

Confused about NFTs? Read this article that explains the basics.

NFTs were everywhere: respected auction houses like Sotheby’s and Christie’s, fashion brands, musicians, performers, celebrities and creatives of all fields jumped on the wagon and incorporated NFTs in their work. One of the most popular exhibitors in the fair was the NFT platform Tezos that allowed visitors to mind files as NFTs at its stand. Prominent figures from NFT communities on Clubhouse, Discord, and Twitter finally had a chance to meet IRL.

Another word that seemed to be on everyone’s lips was Metaverse – the virtual reality vision of the internet’s future. Several exhibitions at Art Basel were dedicated to the intersections of art and the Metaverse. Among other examples, visitors to the fair had the option to scan themselves in 4D to create their Metaverse avatar.

Launching My First NFT

For me personally, this visit to Art Basel was an exciting milestone and the conclusion of my inauguration to the NFT world. After months of reading and learning, opening digital wallets, and getting into the practice of trading files, I have reached the next level and minted my first NFT. I named my creation Inception, as it encompasses many aspects of beginnings, the power of creation, and the incredible resilience of women everywhere.

The image I chose is of a very special moment in my life, in which I felt incredibly connected to the universe and female energy. During my visit to Burning Man while seven months pregnant in 2019, I felt at one with earth, wind, water, and fire. At one with my unborn baby and my deceased mother, who was with me in spirit. It was a moment that connected me to the incredible life-creating forces of womanhood.

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This project is incredibly special for me, not only because it’s a milestone on my creative journey into the mindblowing world of NFT but because of its connection to female empowerment. I have been working for years now to promote the importance of empowering women and have mentored women of all ages, from high school students to entrepreneurs and company owners. It’s an immense privilege to send out to the world a piece that’s so personal, and yet so relevant to all aspects of my work. It will now be available for sale as NFT on various platforms.

Conclusion

Every time I attend an event like Art Basel, there’s always a feeling of FOMO. There’s so much to see and experience. Doing everything is just impossible, and one must accept that you won’t be everywhere. More than anything, I came out of Art Basel feeling the world is changing in front of our eyes. The internet in its current form is far from being the last stop in our technological evolvement.

We are facing the next step, and I can’t wait to see where it will lead. I hope you will follow me on this journey.