Where art, creativity and data collide: Tezos captures the attention of the traditional art world at Art Basel Miami Beach

For the past 50 years, Art Basel has served as a showcase for the latest trends in the world of art, attracting a passionate community of enthusiasts and collectors to events held all over the globe. In 2021, the energy-efficient blockchain Tezos made headlines when it presented the first NFT exhibition in Art Basel’s history, introducing the traditional art world to the potential of digital and generative art.

Art Basel Miami Beach 2022 took place at an important juncture for the crypto industry. With the market in a slump, and the highly-publicized collapse of companies like FTX still generating headlines, critics in the art world were questioning whether crypto had anything useful to offer.

Our exhibition, ‘Performance in Code: Deciphering Value in Generative Art’, was designed to answer that question by demonstrating the value that blockchain technology can bring to both artists and art collectors, while encouraging visitors to step into the world of Web3 art by creating a Tezos wallet and minting an NFT.

We built the exhibition around a display of generative digital art from three of the foremost artists working in this new medium. Rather than being passive viewers, we invited attendees to become collectors, by gifting them unique pieces from the evolving collections as NFTs. Newly-minted NFTs were awarded a rarity score based on the characteristics contained in the work, and the wall displays updated in response, creating a unique visual experience for every one of the 9000+ visitors.

Using dynamic displays, giant projected dashboards and live minting technology, we designed ‘Performance in Code’ as a venue not only for the appreciation of great art, but also conversation, where patrons were invited to consider how the concepts of rarity and value interrelate.

The exhibition only occupied a physical space for four days, but the collections minted at the Tezos booth at Art Basel Miami Beach will be discussed among communities of digital art collectors and art enthusiasts online for a long time to come.

A seamless digital experience made wallet onboarding and minting easy

To interact on the blockchain, you need a crypto wallet. For Art Basel Miami Beach, we employed Souvie, a custom-built app to onboard attendees and help them set up a Tezos wallet. More than 1,300 NFTs were minted by visitors to the exhibition, powering even more activity on one of the world’s most popular blockchains for digital art.

Experience Souvie at ABMB