NFT Biennial

NFT Biennial operates as a global, decentralized platform dedicated to establishing non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as a legitimate art form. Founded in 2021 by Rahim Unlu and headquartered in Besiktas, Turkey, the organization aims to bridge the conventional art world with the emergent NFT ecosystem. Unlu's inspiration for the biennial stemmed from his experience creating artwork for a digital art biennial in 2020, which sparked the idea to create a platform with more profound conceptual underpinnings than typical NFT exhibitions. The founding team also includes Serhat Erman as Head of Marketing and Partnership, Dr. Isil Ezgi Celik handling Curatorial Management, and Dr. Onur Ozevin as Finance Manager.

The organization's core activity is hosting a biennial event that occurs every two years, supplemented by smaller exhibitions throughout the year. NFT Biennial employs a "phygital" model, combining physical exhibitions in major cities worldwide with parallel events in the metaverse. The inaugural edition in January-February 2023 spanned 9 cities, including Istanbul, Berlin, London, and Los Angeles, and featured over 100 artists selected by a team of 10 international curators. These events showcase digital art through various formats like screens, projections, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) experiences, creating an immersive environment for attendees. The curatorial theme for the first event was “The Catharsis of a Strange Prophecy,” focusing on the intersection of nature, humanity, and technology. Artworks are selected via an open call, promoting an egalitarian approach that places emerging artists alongside established names.

NFT Biennial's business model appears to be centered on partnerships, event-based revenue, and community building within the Web3 space. The organization collaborates with galleries, art institutions, and leading Web3 companies like Tezos, The Sandbox, and Unicorn DAO. The use of the Tezos blockchain for minting most of the exhibited works indicates a strategic alignment with specific blockchain ecosystems. Future plans involve transitioning into a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO), which would allow for community governance and automated revenue distribution from artwork sales via smart contracts. This structure points to a long-term strategy of fostering a self-sustaining and collectively-governed ecosystem for NFT art. The venture has received backing from the Fuelarts x Tezos Accelerator, which supports startups in the Art+Tech market.

Keywords: NFT art, digital art exhibition, phygital events, metaverse gallery, Web3 art platform, decentralized art, contemporary art, blockchain art, Rahim Unlu, Tezos blockchain, art and technology, virtual reality art, augmented reality art, crypto art, NFT curation, digital collectibles, art biennial, The Sandbox, Unicorn DAO, Fuelarts Accelerator