Surface Tension
9 Jun-22 Jul 2022
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Surface Tension allows objects with a higher density than liquid to rest on its surface without becoming submerged, creating an impenetrable veneer. Human beings use masks in the same way. The mask, be it a physical barrier or disguise, allows its wearer to behave unexpectedly or in ways other than they would normally permit themselves without it. The mask allows for other-worldliness, for the transmission of hidden, or not-so-hidden messages. All the while the mask seduces with its beauty or disturbs with its unpleasantness, distracting the viewer from what lies beneath.
Women are sorely underrepresented in the NFT sphere and in the Art World in general, both as artists and collectors. For the inaugural show at The NFT Gallery we highlight female artists working in both arenas, unmasking the mystique around NFTs. We exhibit the work of NFT artists alongside the work of established, traditional artists who we have commissioned to create NFTs, so that each can learn from the other.
Paulina Almira, Silia Ka Tung and Postwook create their own worlds and narratives to help make sense of our own. Their colourful and playful imagery create a veil, drawing us in to discover the darker inner workings of the mind. Conversely Sarah Meyohas unmasks systems and technologies through her visual language, Bitchcoin, a cryptocurrency backed by physical artworks, questions the speculative value of cryptocurrency and the ineffable value of art. Aitana Basquiat works with the motif of a sculptural human to explore a surrealist vision questioning what it is that makes us human. Shadi Ghadirian, through her sepia toned photography challenges us to think about current gender roles and Rebel Society’s virtual portraits of imagined women, their faces disguised by make up, sticking two fingers up at the patriarchy.