Visit Expo 2020 Dubai’s Australia Pavilion for a special surprise

DUBAI: Visitors to the Australia Pavilion will not only be taken through a journey into the heart of the nation but will also be gifted with a non-Fungible Token (NFT) artwork, by the MORROW Collective in collaboration with Terra Virtua.

Non-fungible refers to something that cannot be replaced by another identical item, and is, therefore, unique. A token is an asset on a blockchain, like a piece of art, music, or even a tweet.

Traditional art is valuable because there is only one of a particular item, for example, one original version of a Monet painting. Digital art, on the other hand, can be easily copied and reproduced. NFT artwork, however, allows someone to own the original digital artwork, with digital certificates of ownership, allowing them to be sold.

NFT art can also be quite valuable – according to the BBC, in February, an animated gif of ‘Nyan Cat’, a meme of a flying pop-tart cat, sold for over USD 500,000 (AED 1 m).

New NFT artworks will be available at the Australia Pavilion each month. They can be downloaded using an onsite QR code. The art is created by both established and emerging Australian and Indigenous artists.

Last month’s artwork was called ‘Australian Floral Emblem,’ which was designed by Jacinta Weyer. It featured in the pavilion’s Welcome Tunnel, bringing together each flower representing Australia’s six states and two territories.

This month, the NFT will be a digitised version of the 22-metre long artwork displayed on the Australian Pavilion’s VIP Majlis Veranda, created by Australian artist, Tyrown Waigana and UAE artist, Khalid Mezaina.

Justin McGowan, Commissioner General of Australia at Expo 2020 Dubai, said, “We champion innovation and technology and are proud to be the platform for such an innovative demonstration of what the coming together of technology and art can accomplish. Not only does it entertain and educate, but also creates long-term value.”

“By providing every visitor to the pavilion a chance to own an NFT, we are also encouraging them to take part in the unmissable opportunity to connect with Australia and experience its ingenuity and vast potential first-hand.”

Jennifer Stelco, Artist Relations, MORROW Collective, said, “Expo is a platform for innovation and technological advances and we at MORROW truly believe in the power of technology to spread art around the world. Powered by Terra Virtua, we have made NFTs in collaboration with Australian artists, some Indigenous, and we are bringing them to viewers from all over the world.”

Founded in 2017, Terra Virtua is the world’s first fully immersive social/digital collectables platform that allows collectors to experience digital art in new and exciting ways such as VR, AR, and their very own Terra Art Gallery.

Terra Virtua CTO and co-founder, Jawad Ashraf, said, “It is our belief that NFTs should be accessible for the many and not just a few. So, working on initiatives that allow audiences to easily engage with art that they are truly passionate about, demonstrates everything that we stand for as a business.”

Source: Expo 2020 Website