Emergeast – the MENA region’s leading online art gallery – is launching its first NFT exhibition, NFT M.E., curated by renowned NFT artist Ali Sabet. The inaugural digital exhibition will go live on Tuesday, 23 November, 2021 on OpenSea.io.
NFT M.E. will showcase a variety of NFTs by the Middle East’s prolific digital artists, heralding the beginning of this digital revolution. The NFTs in the exhibition will be displayed on the largest NFT Marketplace, OpenSea.
In the past months, NFTs have caused massive shifts in the art world landscape. What once used to be for a niche crowd is suddenly capturing a much wider audience.
In April, Emergeast welcomed the shift to new forms of digital payments by announcing that it accepts Bitcoin and Ethereum for physical artworks on their website. Now, with this exhibition, Emergeast is delving deeper into the evolving democratized, accessible and simplified future art market.
The title of the exhibition, NFT M.E. represents both the growing opportunity of NFTs in the Middle East as well as the larger movement of pushing for a new mode of expression, one native to the online world. The exhibition is curated by renowned US based Iranian NFT artist Ali Sabet known for his signature women with breathtaking large eyes. Detailing growth, feminism and socio-cultural themes, the curated artworks in the exhibition represent the artists’ unleashed creativity as a byproduct of the blockchain.
While NFTs are cultivating an exciting and supportive community, a new collector entering the scene may not know where to begin. With this carefully curated exhibition, Emergeast’s aim is to create a platform designed for cross-cultural dialogue between art curators and young and established collectors, and a growing roster of artists from the MENA region.
Emergeast Co-founder, Nikki Meftah said: “Moving into the NFT space is a natural extension of our business model: embracing technology and democratising art. NFT M.E. reflects the same values we built Emergeast on such as innovation, inclusivity and breaking barriers.”
One participating artist, Muhcine Ennou, whose NFTs have been sought after by popular collectors since the start of the NFT buzz says it is only a matter of time because in his opinion, in 4-5 years, most people are going to have a crypto wallet, including all the late adopters. While at the same time, collectors are becoming more enthusiastic about the joy of ownership of digital assets. “As a young collector, I believe NFT Art is an extension of why and how I collect physical works. Collecting NFTs is like my personal way of capturing historical glimpses of this digital revolution that’s evolving at the speed of light,” said Alia Kawar, NFT Collector.
The technology behind NFTs is empowering both artists and collectors by bringing this new wave of creativity and forming a growing community with a shared love and vision for the revolutionary potential of NFTs.
Emergeast Co-Founder Dima Abdulkader said: “Choosing to solely be an online gallery from inception until today is testament to our commitment to technology and art. “Innovative tools not only paved the way for collectors, but artists too – the digital realm has offered existing and new artists a plethora of ways to further realize their creative talents and imagination. The digital medium is the new oil on canvas.”
