Join us for a live panel discussion to mark the opening of NFT (s): Passages, an exhibition presented by the OAG in partnership with the Bureau des regroupements des artistes visuels de l’Ontario (BRAVO).  

This unique exhibition showcases the work of eight francophone artists who created NFTs for the first time, using their physical work as a departure point and inviting viewers to explore the “phygital” – the transition from physical artworks to digital NFTs.

In this program, moderated by Cătălin Ivan, speakers Benoît Couty and Martin Lukas Ostachowski – along with the artists in the exhibition – will partake in a discussion that explores the new practice of collecting cryptoart and NFTs.

While many visual artists pursue the creation of physical works in their studios, they are also expanding their presence on the web, eager to explore new media. Today, artists can evolve in two universes: that of the studio and the physical gallery of Web 2.0, as well as in the virtual space of Web 3.0 on blockchains. In response, collections are now enriched by physical, digital and “phygital” art forms, which combine and mutually enrich both dimensions, otherwise known a: “physical-backed NFTs”¹.

Highlighting how “we are only at the beginning of building our digital realities, and [considering] how can we build them correctly,”² this round table aims to explore questions such as:

• How do you collect cryptoart?
• How do you surround yourself with your NFT collection, and how can these digital works be displayed at home or in an institution?
• How can we exchange NFT works?

This panel program will be followed by a reception in the OAG’s Sky Lounge.

Please note this event will be held in both English and French.

BRAVO and the Ottawa Art Gallery would like to acknowledge the French Embassy in Canada for their support of this panel program.

Schedule of Events:

1:45 PM — Doors to Alma Duncan Salon (Floor 3) open

2:00 PM — Opening Remarks

2:10 PM — Panel Discussion Begins, followed by Q&A

4:00 PM — Reception Begins in Sky Lounge

REGISTER

Benoît Couty is one of the first NFT/Cryptoart collectors in France. For over six years, Benoît has been an active and influential member of the international Cryptoart and metaverse communities. In 2018, he founded the Museum of Crypto Art (MoCA), a native museum of the metaverse, where part of his permanent collection of over 1,200 MoCA works is on display. He actively contributes to the development of the Cryptoart / NFT art scene in France. He regularly collaborates with leading French and international crypto artists, and is identified as a reference speaker for panels and conferences related to metaverse, NFT and the Cryptoart movement.

Martin Lukas Ostachowski (MLO) is a multidisciplinary artist, researcher and writer based in Montreal. He explores blockchain technology through the subject of clouds in both physical and digital mediums. His art has been exhibited in North America, Europe, and Asia. After many years as a painter, Martin began exploring and embracing Cryptoart and NFTs in 2018. He co-authored a position paper on Cryptoart entitled “Crypto Art: A Decentralized View” published by MIT Press and has documented the history of Cryptoart since 2020, earning him the nickname “Cryptoart Historian”. As an artist, collector and historian, he has shared his research and experience at several art galleries, museums and conferences.

Cătălin Ivan (moderator)

“Cat” is a cultural facilitator and educator, having worked with technology and artists from an early age. With an MSc in Computer Science from the Université de Montréal and an MEd in Sociology of Education from OISE at the University of Toronto, he has accumulated a wealth of life experience across several continents. Cat has participated in and produced various projects and events in the fields of theater, audiovisual media, spiritual practices, education and social action.

Yves M. Larocque (presenter)

A professor and art historian, Yves earned his doctorate in art history at the Sorbonne (Université de Paris 1). Returning to Canada, he directs BRAVO, specializing in the mediology of Canadian art. He has also taught art history and painting at the Ottawa School of Art for almost 35 years, and is founder-director of Walk the Arts. His publications appear in La Vie des Arts (Montreal), Liaison (Ottawa), Histoire de l’Art (Paris), Médium (Paris) and RACAR (Montreal), and he has given conferences on three continents.

Artists from NFT(s) : Passages

Artists from NFT(s) : Passages will also be in attendance and will reflect on their process of creating work for the exhibition as well as their experiences with NFTs!

Speaker images courtesy of the speakers.

Nathalie Frenière alias Mekeba, Lueur du jour #10 [Daybreak #10], 2023, from the series of 10 looped animations, video, 1 min 15 sec., projected dimensions. Courtesy of the artist.

Krasimira Dimtchevska alias KrasiDi, Les réincarnations heureuses de l’Espoir #3 [Hope’s many happy returns #3], 2024, digital print on aluminum, 91.4 x 61 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

¹Scott Duke Kominers & Steve Kaczinski, The Everything Token, How NFTs and Web3 Will Transform the Way We Buy, Sell, and Create, Portfolio / Penguin, 2024, p. 74.

²Lucian Floridi, L’Éthique de l’Intelligence artificielle Principes, défis et opportunité, Édition Mimésis, 2023.