Let's start with a necessary premise. Can we briefly summarize what falls under the definition of NFT art, acronym for Non-Fungible Token?
«The digitization of art is establishing itself as a new frontier, capable of overcoming the limits of space and time. NFTs are certificates of ownership and material authenticity that have digital works as their object. In practice, these mechanisms are used to register the domain acquired through the purchase contract, regularly stipulated between the seller and the buyer. In conclusion, the value of this mechanism is contained in its dual purpose, capable of providing both proof of authenticity and ownership of the security subject to transaction. In the advent of NFTs, Cortesi Gallery recognizes a technological innovation that represents an opportunity for digital art to find its own market ».
To what extent and in what way do these art forms renew the traditional concept of space anchored to the physical and material dimension of reality?
«The physical works linked to the concept of traditional art will not be replaced by the digital work; in fact, these two ways of making art are not mutually exclusive but rather coexist. The purpose of the projects that the gallery has presented so far is precisely to show that digital art is mainly something immaterial, but that it can at the same time be translated into something physical. Another fundamental goal for us is to show how NFT artists can interact with the works of historicized artists with whom Cortesi Gallery has always worked. The Gallery will therefore continue primarily to focus on Italian and European post-war art: however we have decided to follow at the same time all the new trends, technologies and tools available today, with the aim of getting closer and closer to young generations interested in art who live more and more in the digital world. We want to be part of this new cultural community. Because this is how Crypto Art must be considered: not just an artistic movement, but - precisely - a cultural movement. Digital art will be increasingly present and will be considered contemporary art, without distinction. Our challenge is to focus on the artistic value of these works. Already evaluating a material work of art is very difficult and the factors that determine its price are many and not always transparent. When we then try to understand what determines the price of a digital work associated with an NFT, the task becomes even more complex ".
In April you inaugurated the REDEFINING SPACE exhibition in Lugano. What does it represent in the artistic programming of your gallery and more generally for the cultural life of the city?
"Made in collaboration with The Cryptonomist, the exhibition wanted to present works by Leo Caillard (1985, Paris), Matteo Mauro (1992, Catania) and Emanuele Dascanio (1983, Garbagnate Milanese), three artists whose works mark for our gallery the launch of a project that will see a succession of other investigations in the world of crypto art as well as in that of generative art. The goal is to create a real section of the Cortesi Gallery which will take the name of C-VERSO. This new section is focused on NFT projects and Crypto Fine Art and has also developed a Web3 platform based on the Tezos Blockchain, whose focus is generative art. The platform was launched on 12 May 2022 on the occasion of ArteFiera Bologna presenting a drop by the digital artist ippsketch.cverso.io will be fundamental for the development of future physical exhibitions, creating a dialogue between generative art and post-war artists who have been working with programmed, kinetic and randomized art for the past 60 years. A significant example of this new opening is given by Edo Bertoglio's NFT project concerning one of his most iconic photographs, a unique edition of a portrait of the well-known American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat ».
What are the main characteristics of the research carried out by the three artists presented?
«It is no coincidence that we wanted to exhibit seven physical works and six NFTs in order to establish an interesting dialogue between classic and contemporary. With these works we have tried to involve the public and invite them to reflect around the traditional concept of space, anchored to the physical and material dimension of reality, to extend it beyond itself into the virtual sphere of today's world ".
What predictions do you feel about the future evolution of the art world called upon to deal with the expansion of the digital dimension and the birth of notions such as universe, multiverse and metaverse?
«The chaos of the last two years should at least induce us to reconsider every artistic sphere and to attempt a reformulation that has the ambition to revive the artistic language as a creative power capable of giving new meaning to the way of being in the world. The potential of this new form of art consists precisely in giving a virtual image the dignity of a work of art, made unique, eternal and collectible by associating it with a token that proves its provenance, authenticity and ownership.
Many are starting to talk about a speculative bubble around Crypto art. Surely there is a bit of speculation, but with NFTs one cannot think in a too simplistic and reductive way. Many artists have glimpsed in these tokens a new powerful means available, both from the creative side - thanks to the technological possibilities that allow them to be created - and from the economic side - for the creation of new sales and dissemination paradigms. We are experiencing an artistic revolution, everything is evolving. A new art market is opening up and a new way of collecting art. Art is shedding its weight by becoming virtual. This new revolution will forever change the idea of conceiving art and the possession of artistic assets ".
