The project, titled “Through the Eye of the Artist”, combines Jafri’s powerful physical art with a cutting-edge digital NFT collection, resulting in a sold-out physical sculpture and a highly successful NFT offering.
This collaboration, unveiled during the prestigious Venice Biennale 2024, pushes the boundaries of artistic expression by blending traditional sculpture and digital technology. The physical sculpture, a striking “raw canvas” eye-shaped piece brilliantly and creatively reimagined by Jafri, has already been sold, making it one of the most coveted art pieces of the year.
In addition to the physical masterpiece, an exclusive NFT collection featuring unique digital pieces, each corresponding to segments of Jafri’s artwork, will soon be launched in Dubai to much interest. One of the most notable aspects of this collaboration is the integration of Sacha Jafri’s deeply personal ethos of the ‘Reconnection of Humanity’, which draws inspiration from human emotion.
AKNEYE’s Founder Vigen Badalyan explained: “This collaboration with Sacha Jafri represents the future of art. By merging physical sculpture with NFTs, we are creating a new model for how art can be experienced, collected, and shared in the digital age. We’re thrilled to see such overwhelming global interest in this project.”
The central piece of the collaboration between AKNEYE’s raw canvas eye sculpture and Jafri’s artistic license, serves as both a canvas and a lens, guiding viewers on a meditative journey through layers of human emotion. Beneath the sculpture, an intricate canvas symbolizes the interconnectedness of the world’s continents and cultures, capturing humanity’s potential for unity through empathy and shared experiences.
This partnership marks a significant milestone for both AKNEYE and Sacha Jafri, who is known for his unprecedented artworks, including the record-breaking painting “The Journey of Humanity” and his collaboration with Rolls-Royce. For Jafri, this coming together of physical and digital allows him to retain his integrity as an Artist, whilst cementing his place in the infinite realms of blockchain technology and NFTs.
The ftNFT Phygital Space in Dubai Mall serves as one of these landmark spaces, offering visitors a unique opportunity to experience art in an immersive, interactive format that incorporates both traditional art and NFTs.
“The art world is undergoing a fundamental transformation. My work seeks to forge emotional connections with people, and now we can extend these connections into the digital realm in profound new ways. By blending physical and digital experiences, we’re inviting viewers to explore human connection on multiple dimensions. Our partnership with Ortak, through their NFT marketplace and phygital stores, creates spaces where these new artistic experiences can truly come to life,” said Jafri.
AKNEYE continues to redefine how art is experienced and collected, making this collaboration with Jafri a landmark moment for the global art community. With the NFT market continuing to evolve, AKNEYE’s integration of physical and digital art sets a new precedent for artists and collectors alike.
Additionally, AKNEYE is excited to announce its latest collaboration with world-renowned street artist Alec Monopoly. Alec’s iconic and playful work, which frequently incorporates elements of pop culture and capitalism, will soon be available on AKNEYE’s platform in both physical and digital forms, further expanding the boundaries of what is possible in the phygital art space.
The AKNEYE Venice 2024 NFT Collection, featuring 120,000 NFTs on Ortak.me, sold out at 10 FTN per NFT. Showcasing digital counterparts of sculptures from the Venice Biennale 2024, the collection blends global cultures and artistic expression.
Artists include Sacha Jafri, Sayan Baigaliyev, Rafael Megall, Adam Handler, Elene Metreveli, Sarko Meené, Fatma Zeynep Cimen, Natalya Gudovich, Stephany Sanossian, Mako Lomadze, Anahit Margaryan, Roman Reznitsky, Alpha ODH, Miroslava Romanova, Satenik Ghulijanyan, Rafayel Nersesyan, and others.
For more information on the AKNEYE x Sacha Jafri collaboration or to inquire about the NFT collection, please visit the website or follow AKNEYE on social media.
About AKNEYE
AKNEYE offers a glimpse into the artist’s world, providing a platform for emerging and established talents in art, design and sculpture to share their personal narratives through unique artistic creations.
Presented with a “raw canvas” sculpted in the form of an eye by AKNEYE, artists are invited to manifest an extension of themselves, beckoning their audience on an intimate journey to explore themes such as identity, self-discovery, growth, conflict and others. The eye sculpture, as a singular entity, acts as a gateway into the profound depths of the artistic imagination.
AKNEYE aims to blend the convergence of innovation and tradition by fostering creativity across both digital and physical realms of artistry. Upon creation, each eye sculpture is transformed into an NFT and showcased within AKNEYE’s digital gallery in YoCerebrum — an immersive virtual universe where art transcends conventional boundaries.
