Cultural value

The value proposition of an artist is created by the artists’ statement and the corresponding artworks which encapsule a specific cultural value. The distinction of cultural values into aesthetic, historical, social, spiritual and symbolic (see chapter 2.2.1) was used during the coding and specific themes of values derived within this categorization during the analysis of the artists’ data. For all artists, aesthetic values could be identified to describe their value proposition. For nine out of ten artists, social values were coded, and for eight artists, spiritual elements were found. Symbolic and historical features were recognized in some cases (see

Figure 4.1). Within these three most frequently found cultural values, subthemes could be identified, which are explained in more detail below.

Figure 4.1: Value proposition / Cultural value subgroup code distribution. Own illustration.

Aesthetic: Creativity and Exploration of the Digital Age

A theme that was found on average most often (32% of all cultural value codes) among the artists studied is creativity and exploration (8 out of 10 artists) of the digital age (7 out of 10 artists). The author has chosen to group these two themes in the aesthetic category, as creativity and exploration is done by or through digital means, looking from an aesthetic point of view at how the future, how a completely digital age, in whatever environment, might look like. The artists depict these themes in their artworks, try to use them to show what is possible with new technologies and are partly driven by this curiosity to discover – discover limitations of art, new mediums, journeys, inspirations, worlds, experiences, perspectives, and alternative realities (Borucu, 2021; Calandra, 2021; MakersPlace, 2021; Psycheincrypto, 2021).

Anna Dream Brush, for example, uses VR technology in combination with classical oil

contrast to "normal" 2D artworks since “the creation process weighs as heavily as the finished product, if not even more so” (MakersPlace, 2021, Annex, p. 18). Hackatao and Refik Anadol are also relying on the digital context and are eager to create “experiences”. “[D]igital may very well be the life itself”, thus these artists try to show the world that technology is not making us “less “human”” but may have the potential to create something fully new (Psycheincrypto, 2021, Annex, p. 78). Figures 4.2 and 4.3 show examples.

Figure 4.2: Anna Dream Brush, Satoshipolis #3/71. Source: Annex, s. 15.

Figure 4.3: Refik Anadol, Quantum Memories, 2020. Source: Annex, s. 7.

In essence, virtual reality is a step between reality and the metaverse many are talking about these days. The artists had to ask themselves, “what is the value I can bring to my community as I activate them through beautiful, immersive experiences” (Estorick, 2022, Annex, p. 98)?

The value provided by these artists is that they are taking their followers by hand and explore these worlds together, show them what could be possible, what technology is capable of, from an art perspective – almost like pioneers (Borucu, 2021; Coin Rivet, 2020; Lok, 2022).

Social: Empowerment and Minority Representation

The second theme (25% of all cultural value codes) is empowerment and representation of minorities. Artists raise awareness through their artworks as well as their artistic statements for problems and inequalities in the world. They disseminate messages to make people aware of minority groups such as black youth, women in the NFT space, LGBTQIA+ people, and topics such as abuse and mental health. However, every artist chooses an area where they had experiences in the past themselves to develop more authenticity. Fewocious is actively expressing topics like gender identity, abuse and the importance of receiving love as a child whereas Yam Karkai started her NFT collection solely because of women’s underrepresentation in the crypto space (Christie’s, 2021; Kurutz, 2021; Lemire, 2021; Pollaco, 2022; Scott, 2021). For example, three out of ten artists (Hackatao, Micah Johnson, Yam Karkai) created collections of similar-looking characters that are ultimately differentiated by various attributes, often randomly selected using an algorithm (see Figure 4.4, 4.5 and 4.6).

Even a look outside the ten cases in this study confirms that there are artists currently creating such an NFT collection based on characters with different attributes (e.g., CryptoPunks and Bored Ape Yacht Club (Coin Market Cap, 2022)). One might conclude, that depending on rarity attributes, the urge for collecting these characters is enabled in addition to an identification process that takes place if the attributes particularly reflect the respective collector.

Furthermore, two artists are using technology not just to raise awareness but to actively create a new space, a new world, where societal problems can be eliminated from the beginning. Krista Kim’s focus is therefore to use the unlimited space in the metaverse to build spaces where mental health issues as well as inequality are not present. She herself was looking

possibilities in the metaverse. Further, Refik Anadol gives machines, artificial intelligence and algorithms the right direction and power to experience dreams, ideas and humans on their own (Calandra, 2021; Estorick, 2022, Horton, 2021).

Figure 4.4: Hackatao, Q+K hacks. Source: Annex, s. 25.

Figure 4.5: Micah Johnson, AkuDreams Akutars. Source: Annex, s. 12.

Figure 4.6: Yam Karkai, Carrier of the elements. Source: Annex, s. 20.

Thus, the artists are either empowered as artists and builders through the technology or empower technology to create artworks and ideas on their own. They all are looking for a better life in the real world – better representation and greater possibilities – although some of them are already putting their efforts more in other realities than this one.

Spiritual: Emotional Awareness, Meditation and Healing

The third theme (16% of all cultural value codes) describes the spiritual value of emotional awareness, meditation and healing. Eight artists express in their artworks or actions the importance of consciousness and meditation in order to heal in different ways. Three out of ten artists (Krista Kim, Maalavidaa, Refik Anadol) have explicitly made it their mission to use displays, colors, lights and animations to offer people a work of art with which they can enter an almost meditative state, ultimately triggering a healing within themselves (Estorick, 2022;

Vapor95, n.d.; Yasar, 2021) (see Figure 4.7, 4.8 and 4.9). Four further artists (Anna Dream Brush, Fewocious, Hackatao, Yam Karkai) now and then depict meditative situations or aspects dealing with themselves in their artworks, but overall do not mainly focus on these elements (Brizi, 2020; Lavania, 2022; NFTexplained, n.d.).

Figure 4.7: Krista Kim Instagram Post. Source: Annex, s. 20.

Figure 4.8: Maalavidaa, Everything Denied. Source: Annex, s. 21.

Figure 4.9: Refik Anadol, Poetics of Data. Source: Annex, s. 22.

What makes the cultural value so exciting in this respect is that one almost gets the feeling that some artists process their inner lives with the help of the artworks. The works of Anna Dream Brush, for example, are strongly characterized by death since she lost her mother recently as well as facing the war in Ukraine. Emotional awareness can be further seen in the works of Fewocious, Maalavidaa and Yam Karkai, depicting topics such as human commodification, objectification or emotional duality (MakersPlace, 2021; Morozova, 2021).

Maalavidaa notes that at first, she mainly created her images for herself and easily uploaded them to the Internet. She then felt gratitude when she received people's approval of

Next to Maalavidaa, Krista Kim used her art in her own healing process and is sharing this practice now with her followers: “Every color has a different physiological effect on the body. My work is all about energy and it is healing for me to create it” (Mun-Delsalle, 2018, Annex, p. 117). Screens, which are causing many different problems and diseases in people nowadays, should be thought about in a new way: “see the screen as a mechanism for healing and for pure consciousness” (Nft now podcast, 2021, Annex, p. 120). Refik Anadol is also particularly concerned with the issue of health. He explicitly states that a “crucial question [for him is,] […] whether art can heal people” (Capodieci, 2021, Annex, p. 220). Therefore, he and his team work together with experts in molecular and genetic fields to combine forces – art and science – to find solutions for diseases like Alzheimer, dementia or depression (Capodieci, 2021).

Overall, after analyzing these artists it seems like people are more and more conscious in their life, about what they do, what they consume and how they behave, but they still seek some guidance and inspiration in this area, which they can get from these artists. Art inspires or

“encourages creative exercises in order to release and let go of thoughts and emotions”

(Vapor95, n.d., Annex, p. 138). Thus, artists have not only increasingly embraced new technologies and integrated them into their artworks and used them as a tool for the sake of art, but at the same time address current and significant issues in society and use it as a tool for other areas in life – healing through art.