It can be said that the massive spike in artists getting into NFTs last year could be due to the lockdowns and event restrictions. NFTs functioned as a way for them to showcase their art to a global audience, with the potential of making a sale from their works.
Now that there are no more restrictions on hosting events or exhibitions, it seems that Malaysians are taking full advantage of it with the injection of NFTs into the mix. Here’s what’s going on.
From May 21-27, an NFT art exhibit from well-known names
In the NFT world, the love for ape-inspired projects isn’t slowing down.
Malaya Ape Club (M.A.C.), will have an upcoming event going on at Lot 10 from May 21 to 27. It will be the team’s first NFT art exhibition featuring artworks from some well-known names in the NFT community and the world including 8sian, Bored Ape Yacht Club, and Pestle & Mortar, to name a few.
According to the M.A.C. website, it is believed that this event is meant to foster collaborations between artists and brands to create merchandise.
The M.A.C. team appears to be made up of a content creator, a Stoned & Co founder, a furniture designer, a self-taught DJ, and more. All of their social media handles can be found on the website for audiences to learn about (let’s be real: stalk) them.
M.A.C. has also stated on its website that it intends to build a brand that connects the physical and digital worlds (phygital). This is in hopes of making an impact in commerce and culture on Web3. With T-shirt brands Stoned & Co as well as Pestle & Mortar on board for the upcoming event, it’s clear that there is opportunity for merchandising this way.
To reach their vision of being fully decentralised by 2032, the M.A.C. team are working on building a community of supporters for their project. They will continuously host exhibitions and festivals, while releasing merchandise and collectables for the community.
M.A.C. has also teased that there may be an upcoming music festival at the largest motorsport race track in Malaysia.
From now to June 10, an abstract exhibit featuring physical & NFT art
Michelle Yap, a local fine artist, has been using her time in lockdown to create abstract artworks and work with a reputable gallery to organise an exhibition.
She teamed up with a few parties including Qing Gallery’s founder, and Robb Report Malaysia’s editorial director to launch an exhibition named “Believe in Time – An Artshow by Qing Gallery”. It’s a month-long showcase being held at Desa Park City @ The Waterfront, in Kepong until June 10.
Michelle will be displaying a collection of 13 terracotta artworks, 11 sculptures, and three NFTs.
Previously, Michelle has been known for her other art exhibitions in Paris, Germany and London, Singapore, South Korea, Dubai, Brazil, Shanghai, and Tokyo.
Physical exhibits aside, a Malaysian-made NFT marketplace that we’ve spoken about a few times before has officially gone live.
Making it official
Remember NFTapir (pronounced NF-Tapir)?
Its founder, Zang Tan, has reached out to Vulcan Post to announce that the marketplace has officially gone live after being operational but still under development for a while.
NFTapir is meant to bring fine artists into the digital world, aiming to appeal to experienced contemporary artists who believe their artworks should be valued higher.
Thus, artists can mint a digital copy of their physical art pieces on the site, and buyers can purchase its NFT. They are allowed to set a floor price of around 250 USDT or about RM1,099 (at the time of writing).
Currently, there are over 100 fine artworks on the site, though not many pieces have been transacted yet.
Next on our agenda:
We’ve heard stories where an NFT artist makes it big and sold their works for millions of Ringgit, which has likely inspired some artists to join the NFT realm.
But in order to make a living from NFTs, does one have to make it their full-time job? We will be speaking to some creators in the scene to get their stances and insights on this topic, so stay tuned for that next week.
- If you’ve got something NFT-related to share that’s both exciting and locally-relevant, hit us up with your story at malaysia.team@vulcanpost.com.
- Read more of our NFT content here.
Featured Image Credit: Malaya Ape Club, Qing Gallery, NFTapir
