The latest big name for creating NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) is Shilo Shiv Suleman, a Bangalore-based artist and founder and director of the public art project Fearless Collective. NFT Drops of Five Fearless Poster by Artists from India, Pakistan, Myanmar and Sri Lanka at the Disruptors Techne Show, a parallel event at the Indian Art Fair curated by Myna Mukherjee on April 30 at the India Habitat Center in New Delhi. The we. Call a revolution in each country.
Of the five NFTs, one poster is about the group Haq movement, a portrait of a Muslim woman artist’s beautiful illustrations to celebrate the diversity to counter the Bulli Bai app and the hijab ban. I was asked to send. Another poster corresponds to a military coup in Myanmar. Revenues from NFTs are $ 1,500 each and will be used to fund collective activities.
Suleman attended during the exhibition of another work, holographic and digital series Kama Sutra A sculpture to counter the concept of masculine sex with a female voice — she says she had no worries about creating NFTs after extensive use of technology in art installations. “As artists became more and more focused on online media such as animation and Photoshop, it felt like a natural advance in something that had been waiting for a long time.” But NFT appeals to her. The main reason is that the media feels more dynamic than the “very static Indian art scene”. “In the world of NFT, it’s about artists, not what’s available for sale or what collectors think is worth the investment, but in the world of Indian art, things are stuck. Indian art. At the fair, I found a lot of very similar works. In the contemporary art scene in India, I didn’t understand the spirit, politics and personality of the artist. “
That is why Suleman started the Fiare Collective, an “intentional intervention of art in the protest movement,” emphasizing the story of civilian resistance, living history, and unauthorized people. increase. “When we moved from the front line of Shaheen Bagh to the front line of ongoing protests in Sri Lanka, we found that art was not included in the art gallery and was not separated from our lives. Our independence movement is Ravin Dranath Tagore’s poem Mahatma’s Salt March was, in a sense, performance art, but in the world of art, it makes us feel that art exists only in galleries, not on the streets. On your computer or phone. The art needs to be very pristine and boxed / caged. “However, Art Tech advocates are stubborn from Mumbai-based Art Musings. Thank you for your support of the gallery. She is exhibiting at their booth again this year, but the previous physical version was more impressive. “I used to paint murals with Shaheen Bagh at the last fair, but I remember coming to the paint-covered gallery booth, khaki boots. Tiranga Flag on my cheek. But Art Musings has incredibly supported my political arts. “
It’s not just the art decision makers who impose restrictions on freedom of expression, but political activity finds it difficult to find space on the streets. “Of this particular series Kama Sutra The sculpture was born last year when I was keenly aware that I had a Muslim name. Much of my inspiration comes from Hinduism. I practice Hinduism. All of this series of sculptures is inspired by Hindu temples, but because they have Muslim names, I felt that if they had to be made public, it would be a really bad place. rice field. That’s why I found it important to participate in the NFT movement and find out what role sensuality and sex can play in this new space. “
Regarding skepticism about NFTs, Suleman says people are always afraid of new technologies. ” TawaifThe Lucknow woman was the first woman to allow her to take pictures, but all the other women were very scared of the camera when they first came to India.That’s why you find these amazing pictures Tawaif■ Because they were fearless and crossed the boundaries. Today, everyone is very accustomed to photography. “
Despite praising the new medium, Suleman warns about going back to the old way. “Don’t recreate the same problems that exist in traditional art spaces. The biggest problem is the” gatekeeper “of what you can and cannot sell, the curator and gallerist of the art world who robs democracy. , About the institution. This notion that NFTs provide a democratic space is good only when working independently, not with institutions, as it means returning to the same metaphor. “
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