One of the things that you can expect from an NFT art gallery is that they curate the works they show so that they may attract a loyal audience that later becomes collectors. We are used to the concept of curation from the traditional art galleries, who vet artists and artworks to create exhibitions with an overarching theme, present art pieces with similar techniques, are dedicated to an artist, or are deemed high-quality. NFT art curation is similar to traditional curation because the NFT art gallery usually does some vetting to curate exhibitions.
So why would you need NFT art curation? Isn’t NFTs all about removing barriers traditional gatekeepers have put on the industry? The answer is that it can be a lot of work finding, selecting, understanding, appreciating, aggregating, and presenting the NFT art without the help of someone that knows the ins and outs of the art space. And so, you now see several NFT art curation websites that offer this service to collectors. It’s not just about buying and selling but providing those other guiding services that help onboard anyone viewing art.
Today you can find NFT art galleries specialized in these services and that have found success thanks to their offering in NFT art curation. One of the most notorious ones is Feral File, where you can access curated NFT art in different media formats. One of the things that you’ll notice straight away is the fact that you don’t need a fancy infrastructure to have a curated NFT art exhibition. All you need is a solid website design so users can experience the exhibit on their browsers. At the end of the day, much of the curation is done thanks to the writing of texts besides the artwork so that viewers can understand what they see.
Another popular NFT art curation service is Art Blocks, which specializes in bringing together generative NFT artwork for those interested in the technology. Because generative art is such a new field, Art Blocks also has an editorial effort behind it so that people can understand the movement better. So, they include interviews with generative artists and many more types of content that you can find in the Art Blocks journal.
As you can see, it is not in vain that art curation became a profession and a job. It is no surprise that it has been able to remain relevant in the current tech-infused art landscape.
What should you look for in NFT art curation?
When you are looking for an NFT art gallery that provides curated exhibitions, you will want to look out for a couple of things that usually enhance the experience. These things put together will make it so that if you later want to buy artwork, you will likely get something valuable.
Selection: The first thing you want to know about a curated NFT art exhibition is the criteria of selection for the NFT art displayed. What are the principles that guide this NFT art curation effort? Basically, what is the exhibit about?
As you answer the question of selection, you will find out if the exhibition is about a specific NFT artist. Or perhaps the NFT art curation efforts are oriented towards an aesthetic or an overarching theme.
Aggregation: To ensure that the viewer has a complete understanding of each artwork, the NFT art gallery should aggregate the exhibition in such a way that there is a narrative. If the aggregation of NFT art is done correctly the viewer should understand the nuances of the artist or the aesthetics in the exhibition. Comparing each piece of work allows the viewers to understand the possibilities of an aesthetic or movement, its significance, or the evolution of an artist’s vision throughout time.
Good aggregation is part of a solid NFT art curation operation. The exhibited artwork should fit together to create an experience that is more than the sum of its parts.
Presentation: Finally, it’s a good idea to understand the presentation format. Sometimes all you need is a web browser to access the NFT art gallery. But it is becoming more common to find that curated NFT art exhibitions are happening in the metaverse. So, you might need a VR headset or, at the very least, a strong Internet connection.
A clear example of presenting a curated NFT art exhibition is SOPRG, an NFT art gallery based in the Czech Republic and available to anyone. They have a parcel in the Somnium Space metaverse, where you can see some of their NFT artwork that you can check out whenever you want. Also, they hold events in this metaverse setting. In short, SOPRG is no stranger to NFT art curation.
To sum things up, NFT art curation is just as normal an occurrence in Web3 as it is in traditional art. Sometimes, you have decentralized tech-powered operations that empower artists and art enthusiasts. You also have the big names that have dominated the art gallery sector for some time. Most crucially, it is an important part of the NFT art space and there are quite a few examples of galleries that do their form of NFT art curation to simplify things for collectors and artists. It is a concept worthy of keeping in mind.
Painting by Mr. Ogoun – you can buy the NFTs via our shop.
