Why curation is a necessary paradox for the NFT Art world
As a commodity, NFT Art has transcended the importance of aesthetic value, with many valued for their status as collectibles and their access to social ecosystems. But as the NFT bubble dissipates, curation may be the necessary contradiction in the digital wild wild west.
Despite originally being built upon the values of decentralised economics and the democratisation of traditional art structures, much of the NFT art world exists as an ironic hierarchy of high-profile brands and celebrity taste-makers.
While seeking to move away from the elitism of old-world art dealers, the digital art marketplace has traded the barriers of fine-art critique for the at times less diverse forces of market populism.
Without the presence of artistic guidelines or tastemakers to shine the light on quality art pieces and collections, many innovative NFT artworks could be left to the wayside of popularised NFT brands.
The NFT bubble has transformed digital art into a brand market
The early stages of the NFT art world saw supportive communities form around artistic collaboration, mutual critique between artists, and the empowerment of diverse creators outside of the old-world art structures.
Here in 2022, so much of the conversation around NFT artwork is fixated on their access to digital communities, their potential to appreciate financially, and the social value of acquiring popular collectibles with celebrities.
Marque projects like CryptoPunks, Crypto Kitties, and Bored Ape Yacht Club have dominated the market with a range of NFT art collections championing their brand power and IP value over their largely simple aesthetics.
While it can be argued there is something inherently democratic about the uniformity of these A.I.-generated designs, shifting the focus away from aesthetic quality has left many diverse artistic voices devalued in the NFT marketplace.
The pressure to conform artistically in order to unlock the economic benefits of web3 has left many independent artists hesitant to partake.
Overtokenisation has created a top-heavy NFT art market
As the digital art market has evolved into an environment that prioritises collectibles, curation has become more important than ever for maintaining the value of artists and the sustainability of the digital art market.
While many NFT art projects are not aspiring to be fine art, the race to becoming the next-big-thing has created an environment of “over-tokenization”, where many low-effort designs or “fast-NFTs” have swarmed digital art platforms.
Without critical voices and a curated selection of digital artworks, the NFT market risks the hyperinflation of artworks, which could lead to the devaluation of average artworks and the loss of investor confidence.
James McGrath’s ‘Cloud flora/Baroque’ series.
Digital artwork based on one of McGrath’s oil paintings.
McGrath is a classically trained oil painter who has expanded his artist practice by exploring digital art techniques and is entering the NFT art world with Sugar Glider Digital.
Curation is the necessary paradox to battle the hierarchies of the NFT art marketplace
Collectible NFT art has taken the forefront of the digital art space. But given the speculative and trend-based nature of these assets, propping up these pieces seems counterintuitive for the long-term health of the NFT art market.
Here the role of curation could be providing an understanding that NFT art’s full value and worth should be defined by things greater than high-profile sale figures and hype. Creating the distinction between NFT collectibles and NFT art much like the physical world.
Doing so opens up the digital space to artists who create in a spectrum of mediums from videography, animation, generative art, or even analogue artists looking to digitise their works.
In a digital space that is ever-expanding and increasingly saturated, curation allows enthusiasts and collectors to fully appreciate the beauty and glory of digital art, rather than sifting through the latest buzz or trends.
Words by Cameron Thach