Mainstream Punk

It’s not as though you couldn’t see this coming either. If you’ve been around Punk chat long enough you might have even joined in a discussion or two about just how cool a real-world crossover project showcasing everybody’s favorite 8-bit NFT art would be.. Well, thanks to the incredible initiative of Punk community members, the city of Miami will likely be going through a bit of an NFT awakening over the coming weeks. This is going to be good!

That’s right! CryptoPunks will be displayed for all to see during the month-long ‘Pixelated’ art exhibition in Miami Florida! Project coordinator Justin Aversano and curator gmoney.eth aim to showcase digital art to people moving about their everyday lives out there in the real world… Those who have never seen a Punk before might not take much note of one big Pixelated face way up above, it will not be easy to ignore close to 100 unique CryptoPunks! This is sure to create a lot of interesting buzz.

Justin Aversano even gave us a moment of his time, along with a quick glimpse of what Miami has in store!

Dr.Terminus: You could have chosen another early NFT project to showcase on Miami billboards, even a more recent one, but you chose to focus on CryptoPunks. Great choice, I won't bother asking why! So how about this instead:

1. What is your favorite thing about CryptoPunks?

justinaversano.eth: My favorite part of CryptoPunks is the community that backs it. Community is everything when it comes to the success of an art project. CryptoPunks are Warholian in their own right. The aesthetic is simple and generated by design. It is the perfect representation for the genesis of NFT art. From start to finish. It is as similar to cave paintings as you can get on the computer culture, which makes it such a bold and honorable project. We chose CryptoPunks because the people behind the project believe in us. Gave us their blessings to go ahead with a public art exhibition. We fundraised through the community itself. Everyone involved in CryptoPunks has faith in CryptoPunks. They are the world's top collectors in the NFT space. These are the people sharing ideas and thoughts on what the NFT space should feel and look like. They are indeed, good company as an artist to bond and create a future with. They listen and are open to artists to see what we are made of. Together, We made this public art project come to life to solidify digital art in the real world through SaveArtSpace.

Dr.Terminus: 2. Your collaboration is being done with the non-profit organization SaveArtSpace, which was founded in New York city. How did you decide upon them specifically to include in your project?(edited)

justinaversano.eth: I am the co-founder of SaveArtSpace. Founded in 2015, in Brooklyn, NY, SaveArtSpace is a non-profit organization that works to create an urban gallery experience, launching exhibitions that address intersectional themes and foster a progressive message of social change. By placing culture over commercialism, SaveArtSpace aims to empower artists from all walks of life and inspire a new generation of young creatives and activists.

We are thinking of creative new ways to utilize NFTs to fund our organization without relying on grants, brands, sponsorships, or partnerships. We aim to be self-sustainable through the sales and resales of these NFTs in perpetuity. So, we can support local artists around the world without worrying about funding through open calls.

Dr.Terminus: Very impressive!

3. Have you spotted a personal favorite CryptoPunk among the 96 included in the Miami Billboard event?

justinaversano.eth: #2890 and #8219. However, my favorite punk of all time is #15. Which I’m hoping Matt and John would trade me my last Twin Flames #49 for haha. (Not expecting that to happen, but open for it to happen!)

There is going to be a lot of curiosity and chatter around town “What are those neat pixelated faces I keep seeing everywhere???”

“It’s exciting to see the CryptoPunks, a primarily digital work, invade Miami with such a huge physical presence. We hope it sparks curiosity in a whole new audience for the punks, and in the amazing things happening in the world of digital art in general.”- Matt & John, Founders of Larva Labs

Though very exciting, this unique community driven outdoor Miami art exhibition isn’t the only Punk-focussed event happening in the coming weeks either…

Recent CryptoPunk news just keeps on coming! Matt Kalish, the co-founder and president of DraftKings recently sited CryptoPunks as being the ‘original' NFT product and purchased CryptoPunk #1871 to be awarded to the grand prize winner of their ‘PGA Putt for a Punk’ contest, which pooled 1,753 entrants at $50 each!

The contest officially began Thursday April 8th, the first day of The Masters. What more could be expected than a city-wide Punk expo as well as a grand prize DraftKings contest?

Taken together, the set represents both the rarest possible CryptoPunks and highlights from the variety of attributes that are the signature of the project” the creators told Christie’s.

Absolutely incredible. Nine CryptoPunks are being auctioned together in a single lot at the Christie’s 21st Century Evening Sale on May 13. Believe it or not, the potential for a Punk-focussed event of this magnitude was indeed anticipated some time ago.

Three years ago, two software developers created a quirky art project called CryptoPunks that posed a serious and provocative question: Could a few lines of code translate to a feeling of meaningful ownership? It was a crazy idea that would require, in their words, ‘a conceptual leap.’ Three years later, that project is rightly regarded as the beginning of today’s CryptoArt movement.

Now, for the first time, a special sample of that groundbreaking work will be offered at a traditional auction house. A single lot of nine Punks, courtesy of Larva Labs — the project’s creators and pioneers — will appear in Christie’s 21st Century Evening Sale on 13 May in New York.

‘The CryptoPunks are the alpha and omega of the CryptoArt movement,’ explains Noah Davis, specialist in Post-War & Contemporary Art at Christie’s, New York. ‘This is a historic sale.’

As it turns out, this clearly definitive mainstream auction will be taking place during yet another SaveArtSpace event, one being held in New York city! ‘CryptoPunk’ is all but a household name already.

The Punk community is having a blast speculating how far and wide discussions of Punks will spread across Miami and beyond, and of course everyone is curious just how much Christie's auction will go for. It now seems assured, soon the masses will see what only a loyal Punk community has long since recognized. :)

Breaking: Christie’s auction news spurs big bidders to push for rare Punks!

Probably not the only high roller to take their shot before May 13th either…