On the occasion of Valentine's Day, Phillips presents My Kawaii Valentine: an online auction with works that explore the themes of cuteness, companionship, self-esteem, sexuality and depictions of flowers that are the classic symbol of love.
Sale not only includes paintings and prints by in demand artists such as Yoshitomo Nara, Mr.Doodle, Tomoo Gokita, Katherine Bernhardt and Edgar Plans, but also offers 6 NFTs of artwork created by artists from diverse backgrounds including MonoC, Maciej Kuciara, Lili Tae and Pomme Chan. Among the NFTs up for sale is Drowning in Love, the world's first NFT created by virtual artist, MonoC, using real-time auction data. As offers and views roll in for My Kawaii Valentine: A minimum of 100.000 data points will drive the NFT's rendering algorithms. This means that the performance of each lot during the auction will directly influence the final shape of MonoC's artistic vision.
During the 7-day online auction, Drowning in Love will be viewed as a live television broadcast embedded on Phillips' website, from which viewers can watch the work be rendered from unique data points as it is collected. For this groundbreaking artistic venture, Phillips works with local Hong Kong-based BrandTech firm Gusto Collective who created MonoC, as well as leading Hong Kong composer Terrence Ma (T-Ma) who composed generative backing music for Drowning in Love, whose final form will likewise be dictated by a data-driven algorithm. With an opening bid of HK$1.000, Drowning in Love will be sold as a one-off 1/1 NFT in the format of a video (approximately 2,5 minutes) on February 22, 2022 to the highest bidder. The carbon footprint of the work will be offset through a donation to Agrocortext Forest and Wildlife Conservation in Amazonas, calculated by Offsetra.
Other highlights from the NFT sale include Polish digital artist Maciej Kuciara's Her Body is Metal, who established his own artistic style and process, fusing cutting-edge 3D graphics with traditional art and animation aesthetics resulting in an experience unique visual. Her Body is Metal is the second NFT to be released in Kuciara's Showtime Universe series, the culmination of the artist's decades of experience as an award-winning Hollywood film designer, her lifelong passion for art, and her constant pursuit of cinematic and artistic excellence. Drawing inspiration from her subconscious, Lili Tae is a Bangkok-based illustrator who conveys her experiences through soft strokes and soothing yet vibrant colors. Tae's Love, Me offered in the My Kawaii Valentine sale is inspired by Japanese schoolgirl magazines that featured girls giving their crushes cute confections that looked special. The girl depicted in this piece represents all the love, gifts and feelings that Valentine's Day has represented for the artist.
Also highlighting the sale is a unique work by Tomoo Gokita, Fake Cezanne #1, which masterfully captures the acclaimed contemporary Japanese artist's observational attitude. As hinted by the title of this work, the composition pays homage to the post-impressionist painter Paul Cézanne, whose still lifes have long been recognized as among the most distinct lines of artistic inquiry in the history of modern painting. New York-based artist Gina Beavers is known for her incisive and tactile work inspired by images gleaned from the Internet. Painted in 2019, Ultimate Smokey Eye is a prime example of the artist's exploration into the performative aspect of makeup tutorials and how people choose to portray themselves online.
Cover artwork: MonoC - Drowning in Love, 2022 (concept image) 1/1 single NFT in video format
