On a high after an incredible series of events and exhibitions, a new stream of editorial, a new grants program and an influx of new members, Refraction will release a pass that truly reflects its success and contributes towards building its future. As founder Malcolm Levy explains, "The REFRACT PASS is about having something to acknowledge the folks who have come to events so far, who have been involved in drops as artists, or have been collecting through the season zero drop." To reflect this, founding artists, the Refraction team and Season 00 holders will be dropped this pass automatically.
The pass will be the DAO's membership NFT with two distinct tiers: the Collector, tier intended for collectors and supporters, and the Founder tier for partner organizations and sponsors. Both passes offer special utilities, VIP access, gifts and free NFTs from some of the most exciting digital artists, all airdropped straight to your wallet.
Today, Refraction is announcing seven artists whose work will be part of the pass drop program. Crossing a wide variety of international locations and cultural and creative scenes, together these artists represent what Refraction is, in terms of the artists the DAO is proud to support, as well as the international community they are creating.
Meet the creatives whose works could soon be in your wallet.
Inspired by Japanese pop culture and taking cues from the country's spiritual traditions, Saeko Ehara's organic artworks are full of intense detail and coveted for their fantasy feel. Her fascination with kirakira (a Japanese word for "glittering") lends her work an enchanting visual effect. "For the pass I'm contributing 'Sweet Circle,'" Saeko tells me. "It was made specially for Refraction. 'Sweet Circle' is a collection of sweet red fruits and flowers which are all different but come together. It's a reflection of our web3 community and the way our diverse community respects and supports each other."
In Nicolas Sassoon's creative practice we can trace a direct lineage from early computer pixel art. Playfully working with the limitations and poetics of pixelation, moiré patterns and abstraction, Nicholas pushes his practice outside of the screen into a number of cross-disciplinary projects spanning architecture, electronic music and textiles. His work has been incredibly influential within the NFT world and beyond.
Embracing vintage video hardware gear and mixers dating from the '80s, Sky Goodman makes feedback chains that create striking and colorful glitches. Sky's progressive creative practice taps in to a way of working that is a celebration of difference and has strong affinities with the queer community. Chatting with Sky about their ambitious plans for the pass, they tell me they "will sculpt something in virtual reality and create an otherworldly landscape combining VR sculpts, glitch techniques and photogrammetry."
Japanese digital artist Kazuhiro Aihara's practice crosses over between design, fashion and music. Painting directly in Photoshop and adding simple animation, he rethinks graphic design tropes in a glitched-up aesthetic. Aihara has been part of a recent renaissance around psychedelia and glitch, creating mind-blowing artworks that are rooted in his own imagination and experiences.
Lorna Mills revels in the limitations of the GIF, pushing this iconic format to its limits. She's been at the forefront of the digital art scene for many years, challenging our boundaries of content with vulgar, fast-paced, sometimes nauseating work drawn from the darkest corners of the Internet. With this approach she has become one of the most seminal figures pushing the GIF format to both new highs and new lows.
Producing exciting new imagery that rewrites digital art, Ikaro Cavalcante (Occulted) is at the forefront of a surge of Latin American artists challenging traditional aesthetics. Inspired by dreams and the subconscious and embracing symbolism and abstraction, Ikaro's artworks invite us into whole new imaginative worldscapes.
Brazilian-American artist Rick Silva creates experimental 3D animations exploring speculative futures and ecologies. Research-driven and visually arresting, his work directly addresses environmental issues and tests the boundaries between nature and tech.
Each Refract Pass will be designed by Refraction's generative art app, Generate, created from the same image with a unique filter. Owners of the pass will receive new artwork NFTs twice a year from these and more artists yet to be announced. There will be special treats for pass holders at events, gifts and guest lists. Expect the unexpected. Refraction’s secret weapon will be the element of surprise.
Visit our drop page for more info.
To find out more about the drop, join us on Discord or reach out to us on Twitter.
Artists Connie Bakshi and Ellie Pritts reflect on how AI influences their work and perspectives on storytelling, identity, and the evolving role of the artist following their curation in Livepeer x Refraction's Limitless AI exhibit in Bangkok.
