New Collection by CryptoPunks
CryptoPunks has launched a new collection called “Super Punk World”. This collection features 500 digital avatars, combining the famous CryptoPunks look with the unique style of artist Nina Chanel Abney’s Super Cool World. For the first time, collectors can experience Abney’s art in a 3D format.
Abney’s upcoming exhibition “Lie Doggo” will feature this collection. Held at The School at Jack Shainman Gallery in Kinderhook, New York, the exhibition starts on May 18 and runs until October 5. We will shortly release additional details regarding the collection and its auction.
Abney’s installation tackles issues of identity through the lens of CryptoPunks. She talks about the economic disparities seen in digital avatars, noting that white male avatars often sell for more than female or darker-skinned avatars. Her hybrid figures mix racial traits and blur gender lines, challenging the traditional ‘value’ of these digital personas. Visitors can create their own virtual avatars, encouraging them to think about how identities are constructed in both digital and real worlds.
Themes of Surveillance and Anonymity
The installation also explores themes of surveillance and anonymity. Abney studies how identity is performed, especially online where cancellation culture is prevalent. Her work questions how societal pressures affect creativity and freedom of expression. She pushes viewers to think about how digital interactions reflect and reinforce real-world inequalities and conflicts.
In February, Yuga Labs introduced its Punk in Residence program. This program collaborates with creators to produce new works on the blockchain, celebrating and expanding the legacy of CryptoPunks. In this series, Nina Chanel Abney is the debut artist to receive a “dev Punk,” namely Punk #72. She describes it as “easygoing and cool, yet a bit mysterious.”
Choosing Nina Chanel Abney
The choice of Abney as the first resident artist happened by chance. Yuga Labs’ team discovered her work during an exhibition at ICA Miami. Her alignment with the disruptive nature of web3 and CryptoPunks made her a perfect fit for the collaboration.
Yuga Labs plans to hold this residency twice a year, featuring two artists from various backgrounds each year. The program will offer artists mentorship and technical support to bring their ideas to the blockchain, regardless of their prior experience with web3. Profits from the art sales will be split equally between the artists and Yuga Labs, ensuring that creators benefit directly from their work.
