This month, Moniker Culture launched an NFT art exhibition celebrating women artists and hosted at the Adidas flagship store in Oxford Street.
As you entered, you were greeted by an array of vibrant colours, with artists creating their work on-site, and many moving installations. All four floors were utilised for the exhibition with the art work seamlessly accompanying the decor of the fashionable sportswear store. It was a real assault upon the senses – but in an intriguing way.
The event was very busy- mostly dominated by the Zillennial/Gen Z demographic who busied themselves snapping selfies around the installations and taking the opportunity to create some art work of their own at the many creativity tables dotted around the store.
Some notable artists/art work were:
Mariam Omoyele: @o.a.mariam
Beryl B: @berylbilici
Andrea Love: @andreaanimates
Maliha Abidi maliha_z_art
‘Brown Ochre’ by Nkosi Ndlovu
‘Power in the Puff’ by Shai Digital
‘Club Church’ by Jada Bruney
and the work curated by Haart: @houseofafrican
NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) are one of the latest buzzwords of the 21st century, with anything and everything being sold as some irreplaceable one off that will eventually appreciate with time. The topic often engenders very polarising opinions, which is very understandable. It’s largely an elite few who subjectively inform the rest of the world what new, non-essential item is now considered ‘valuable’ and it’s this unadulterated, consumerist capitalism that often turns the stomach of even the most ardent art lover. The consumerism overshadows the art itself and aggressively reminds us of how divided this world is – where you can literally pass multiple homeless people en route to an exhibition where a digital image may be sold for an exorbitant amount. The juxtaposition of these extremes can be very tricky to reconcile.
Yet being an artist is a difficult profession. How will these women continue to do what they love without financial sustenance? And does the introduction of money, no matter the amount, automatically negate the artistic integrity?
Beneath the lights, trainers and NFTs and at the heart of this event was the positive promotion of women artists and their work, which is the most important aspect of the whole exhibition. These artists have put their life and soul into creating work that inspires, confronts and unites its audiences. Work that pushes the envelope of a very, traditionally, male-centric industry.
That, in my opinion, is the true non-fungible aspect of this art and it can neither be bought nor sold, yet it is truly priceless.
To see more of the work on display at the exhibition, visit here.
