Saddle up, partners! The Museum of Wild and Newfangled Art (mowna) is thrilled to present "Riding the Mother Bucking Bull Market(place)," an exhibition that corrals 63 trailblazing artists and their groundbreaking works. The exhibition is an agit-prop pop-up show that interrogates the new Rodeo platform by gathering artists and collectors around selected wild and newfangled artworks. This invitation encourages us to question, consider, and rethink the relationship between art, technology, culture, finance, and community, as we harness the power of Web3 social through wild ideas and creative critique to inspire radical action. Life's about the ride, and we're excited to take you on this wild adventure!
In the spirit of the Wild West, we've divided the exhibition into seven "top 9s," each with its own micro-theme. Among the vibrant explorations, "ex:cowboy_05" by cap'n stands out as a definitive Rodeo themed artwork, embodying the rugged charm of cowboy culture.
Violet Bond's "Oyster 5/12" flourishes with florals, illustrating the idea that we should all be given our flowers in this digital landscape of opportunity. The timeless floral theme is one that emanates through many artists' works on the platform, such as in the "Small clip for music video" collaboration between Sky Goodman and Beatrice Schleyer.
Notably, we explore the expanded vision of artists like ranxdeer, whose "spc.3" transforms the conventional notion of scale, questioning what their work could become when presented in a larger format. This concept echoes the panoramic view that Benjamin Bardou evokes in "At the Tate Britain" โ a sublime swirling signature that prompts us to imagine how art institutions could redefine themselves in the Web3 world.
As the exhibition pushes boundaries, Anna Lucia's thought-provoking piece "Committing To A No-Buying Clothing Year" challenges norms and invites discussions around consumerism and sustainability. celadoor's "documentation of IMG_0741" innovatively hacks iPhone photography to reveal alternative ways of using smartphones to create imagery.
Artists are investigating self-portraiture, such as in Auriea Harvey's "ghost.2001.11.14.12.44.59," a 2001 artwork, which shows that complex and thoughtful self-portraits are replacing the selfies of Web 2.0. The work was made available for exhibition through a loan from the awHECK collection, as the museum was unable to acquire the work on the secondary market. We celebrate the community fabric woven by collectors and creators alike, featuring pieces such as "GIDDYUP" by collector and community builder mr. kei, which exemplifies how self-portraits and meme culture have evolved in the Web3 space.
"Factories 128" is part of a series by lassinger that explores what can be made in the intersection of the digital and physical spaces, with over 200 dynamic ai videos pushing the narrative of what is being created and what is real in the rapidly changing art world.
Eder Cruz's provocative "WHEN GLB'S?" urges Rodeo to consider the new mediums that Web3 offers beyond simple images and videos, enriching our experiences through 3D glb models and interactive software zips. Web3 platforms should consider the spatial web, and allow their creators to post software, which makes for a much more interesting web experience than the one that came before it.
The impact of generative art is explored through Waiting To Be Signed's "MEGA.png," raising crucial questions about financial sustainability and compensation in the constantly evolving space of digital art. With all of the money in the cryptocurrency space, surely some of it can go to pay livable wages for key builders, entrepreneurs, and marketers, some of which are leaving the space for more stable income in traditional workforces.
As we traverse through these wild expressions, ยขฮนะฒัโโั's "OROBOROScreenshot 2024 08 19 at 16.17.59" immerses us in the social dynamics of Web3 platforms. ยขฮนะฒัโโั uses Web3 socials as SOCIALS, and all socials as art material for bodies of work that get formalized... Sabato's cheeky "Grl with a Pearl Fart" adds a layer of playful commentary, acknowledging the balance of humor and serious critique in this vibrant new ecosystem.
Meanwhile, AURA Agent takes a unique turn in an exploration into ai curation. While many builders have focused on ai art creation, far fewer have tackled the complex challenge of ai art curation. mowna built it's own ai art curator in 2021 that curator its exhibition "This Show is Curated by a Machine ๐ค".
"Experiments pushing boundaries" by 1xharsh introduces us to the potential of cryptocurrencies to galvanize their communities, as we ponder how these newfangled financial models can support artists. The single post which launched the first token on the Rodeo platform has outsold all of the artworks by all of the artists, which reveals the priorities of the space, and makes us question what we are supporting, and why, and hints at a large untapped market for the Rodeo platform. These themes invite us to reflect on the algorithms governing our digital spaces, calling for reforms that promote equity and sustainability.
With community at the forefront, mowna's resident artists serve as critics and commentators, providing vital insights into the intricacies of Web3 social and the digital art world. Their critiques will foster important discussions about the evolving role of art in our lives and the systems that govern and price them.
As we embark on this wild ride, we're committed to criticizing the algorithmic structure of the platform and advocating for change. We propose the following:
* Remove addictive-based mechanisms, such as the 24 hour mint window
* Empower artists and collectors to set their own prices
* Consider implementing a bonding curve to allow the posts to always be liquid
* Allow for a wide range of file formats, including glb/gltf, zip, pdf, txt, mp3, and more
* Allow artists to post as collaborations
* Create an Explore page to view all works on the platform with filters such as descending time order, enabling collectors and curators to discover art more efficiently
* Introduce an adjustable slider scale for minting, ranging from 1 hour to X weeks, with a default of 1 week
* Offer infinite open editions
* Enhance the browsing experience on desktop, with a wider display that showcases more works as the browser width increases
* Remove forced 1:1 square aspect ratio and display entire works in their intended landscape or portrait orientation
* Explore the integration of Web3 ideas like generative, AI, and the spatial web, and their connections to the physical world
* Consider launching $RODEO and conducting an airdrop (that pays the artists)
* Curate the home page to feature select works
* Foster an open platform that encourages collaboration and innovation
* Reduce the fees so Rodeo isn't taking 50% of creators income
By riding the Rodeo, we aim to elevate undervalued works and invigorate the secondary market. We're poised to firmly advocate for changes in the digital art sphere, striving for innovative practices in artist compensation, file formats, and community collaborations.
Let's ride the bull market with courage, creativity, and wild abandon! This is your invitation to embrace the thrill of the ride, to understand the complexities of the digital frontier, and to galvanize a movement that puts artistry at the forefront of technological evolution. Get in the saddle and embark on this journey with us as we celebrate the best of the wild and newfangled west!
๐
cari ann shim sham* & joey zaza
mowna founders & curators
Artists:
โท), 1xharsh, Amalia Versaci, Andreas Gysin, Anna Lucia, Aoife O'Dwyer, Aura, AURA Agent, Auriea Harvey, Bรกrbara Bezina, Benjamin Bardou, Burka Bayram, canek zapata, cap'n, catswilleatyou, celadoor, Chloe `โฆห ึดึถ ๐โน, Chris Coleman, ยขฮนะฒัโโั, Danielle King, Dawnia aka Letsglitchit, elbi, Ellie Pritts, Empress Trash ๐๐ค, Estelle Flores, Foodmasku, hypereikon, kcdilla, lassinger, LeChatN0ir ๐ฌ, Linda Dounia, Linda Loh, littlecakes, Luiz Andrรฉ Gama, luluxxx, Manytle x P1, Marcelo Soria-Rodrรญguez, Matt Perkins, ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, mikegee, mr. kei, Nuv1914, Nygilia, Olga Fradina, Peter 'pet3rpan', Pierre Gervois, ranxdeer, rapha, Riniifish, Rinna โฅ๏ธ ็ซใใใช๐๐ธ๐ฑโจ, Rocco Gallo, Rose Forsyth Jackson, Sabato, Sahar Moussavi, Salawaki, Sasha Katz, Sasha Stiles, Scorpion Dagger, Seba Cestaro, Sky Goodman x Beatrice Schleyer, Spรธgelsesmaskinen, Violet Bond, Waiting To Be Signed
The works from this exhibition are available in the mowna's Rodeo Collection here
You can visit the mowna Loop room for a spatial web experience here
This museum is developed for and best experienced on the largest screen you have.
Please have on hand your highest quality headphones, and some time.
Use the Previous or Next arrow to move between artworks.
Click the ? question mark for the title, artist credits, and Rodeo link.
Enjoy, play, and stay!