Activism is not a word one typically associates with NFT. Blockchain’s work may have continued the art’s tradition of harnessing new technologies, generating excitement through artificial scarcity, and questioning all that has come before, but it has left the propensity for political protest largely offline.

One platform bringing activism to the blockchain is Artwrld, a project launched in early 2022 with the intention of collaborating with thoughtful creatives on provocative pieces. His initial list of signed artists suggested an intention to counter the cloying optimism of the NFT scene with works of sociopolitical commentary. So far, it has been followed.

First came Walid Raad’s “Festival of Gratitude,” a series of revolving birthday cakes dedicated to the most notorious dictators of the 20th century, complete with sparklers, candles and confetti. Now it is the turn of the Turkish artist Ahmet Öğüt, whose “Monuments of the Revealed” commemorates nine whistleblowers with their busts on concrete pedestals.

“Ahmet has worked in a variety of media to imagine and implement critical artworks of resistance and imagination,” Kerin Sulock, production manager, told Artnet News. “We thought he was a perfect artist to work with.”

On December 15, the collection of 99 unique NFTs will be minted publicly.

NFTs are 3D monuments, fashioned in gold, silver and bronze, with augmented reality functionality, meaning a few taps on a smartphone transport whistleblowers into physical space. The digital sculptures deliberately celebrate whistleblowers who have been overlooked by the media, meaning there is no Edward Snowden and no Julian Assange.

Honorees include Marlene Garcia-Esperat, a journalist murdered for exposing government corruption in the Philippines; Mona Hanna-Attisha, whose research revealed the water quality crisis in Flint, Michigan; and Philip Saviano, a sexual assault survivor who relentlessly pursued the plague of clergy pedophilia in Boston.

Ahmet Oğut, Bunnatine Greenhouse (Bronze, Socket 3) (2022). Photo: courtesy of Artwrld.

“I wanted to create monuments that spoke of courageous acts of resistance,” Öğüt said. “The work they risked everything for was for the greater good, so these busts represent more than themselves.”

Fittingly, as with all Artwrld projects, the proceeds from the sale serve more than the platform and the creator with 10 percent of primary sales split equally between Protocinema, an organization that commissions site-conscious art globally. , and The National Whistleblower Center. They will also receive 0.5 percent of secondary sales.

This philanthropic aspect of Artwrld is one element that sets the platform apart from many others that have sprung up over the last year hoping to bring traditional collectors into the new frontier of digital art. With the shady realm of cryptocurrency widely conflated with NFTs, Artwrld understands the importance of taking a phased approach and ensuring the validity of all projects it supports.

Stills from Walid Raad’s digital artwork, Festival of Gratitude (2022). Photo: courtesy of Artwrld.

“I don’t want to paint the picture that this is going from strength to strength. We are taking a tortoise versus hare approach, and it can be difficult to get the traditional contemporary art collector to embrace this world,” said Sulock. “We strongly believe that the bones of blockchain are powerful and that working with great artists over time and with consistency is our recipe for success.”

Having sold almost every NFT from the first two Artwrld collections, it seems to be a recipe that’s working.

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