The NFT project that brought together talented artists, Silicon Valley creators, refugees and a European heir

Web3 “too good” and other Web3 challenges

Can web3 create the equal, honest internet and financial system it promised? It is too early to say. But since this summer, we have seen that the polarization about the impact of web3 is becoming more significant.

The problem may lie within the definition of web3, or the lack thereof. There is no universal definition of web3 and the topics around it. The lack of definition comes with divergent expectations and predictions. Therefore, non-experts can distinguish between terms such as DeFi, digital assets, crypto, web3, etc.

It is human nature to explain things by using examples that sound or look like them.

After visiting a city for the first time, we feel the need to describe it in comparison to another city we know. After trying ethnic food in a restaurant, we discussed what is similar to our local cuisine. Web3 suffers the same fate, only worse, as it came out of nowhere and was unlike anything we’ve ever known. That’s when the race to associate it with something more familiar began so we could better understand and predict it. The race continues until today.

Another Web3 challenge lies within the term itself. The term “Web3” indicates that it can replace or improve “Web2”, and as we all know, this is not what it is. Web3 is a world unto itself and, just like Web2, offers some applications that provide value and some that do not. Some people work for the betterment of humanity using Web3, while others seek to get rich at the expense of others (just like Web2!).

What if Web3 doesn’t resemble anything we’ve known? It means that the values ​​and roles we have assigned to it may not be so relevant. Web3 may not have to solve everything at once or become the digital savior the public expects. If we accept this down-to-earth point of view, we will see that even a couple of good use cases will be sufficient to make it worthwhile. It can bring the good that was promised, as the good often lies within the value that is created.

The most important thing to remember when familiarizing yourself with or flirting with Web3 (and its products) is to evaluate all applications and projects separately, not to compare apples to oranges. When we stop broad Web3 categorizations, the possibilities out there, just like the project we’re going to discuss today, will reveal themselves.

NFTs for diversity in technology and art

As with other Web3 products, NFTs suffer from overambitious value assignment. According to Bloomberg, NFT trading volume has collapsed 97% compared to its peak in January of this year (2022). Not many people knew about NFTs until the mid-2021s, and overnight it became the “prodigy of Web3”.

If, however, the media had not approached NFTs as a “summer pop hit”, the public would not have lost interest in the subject and would have been closer to understanding their potential value.

It’s still not too late. Putting aside our differences (and our trading losses from last summer), even the most cynical web3 defier could see that NFTs lay a perfect foundation for fundraising and charity projects and for creating a level playing field in the art community.

Take for example “NFTs4Refugees”, “saving lives, one piece of art at a time”. Announced at the Data Natives conference in Berlin for the first time this summer, the project brings together a colorful talent pool, demonstrating how artists, technologists, entrepreneurs and refugees can work in harmony with the aim of solving refugee problems.

In the following chapter, we will unpack the project by talking to its artistic director, Roman, and then Paula, the entrepreneur behind the project.

Creating an NFT project: An artist‘s Perspective

Roman Lipski, the Berlin-based painter, is a major representative of the development of the art scene. Whether you call it ArtTech or not, the art industry is changing, with some artists resisting and resenting, while others catalyzing and leading. Belonging to the latter group, Roman has expanded his classical approach using quantum technology and AI, and is now dipping his toes into the NFT scene.

Roman’s Quantum Blur art is celebrated and recognized globally. But he confided to us that this was not always the case. “I lost some of my loyal collectors when I started with Quantum Blur,” Roman said, adding that there is a great fear among classic art collectors about the new technological development.

According to Roman, as soon as he began to interact with the “new art”, he could not help himself. “AI made me more social,” Roman explained as we browsed his AI works, sharing that he had to collaborate with technologists and researchers as part of his practice, which changed and developed him as a person. Consequently, he has more control over the art using quantum, and the AI ​​is more random; However, the randomness makes the process more surprising.

Roman believes that the mainstream media is feeding the public with fear of technology and reveals that he too was initially skeptical. However, he has seen the value and is ready to fight the cynics with his NFT project with entrepreneur Paula Schwarz. He believes NFTs and blockchain will cut out the middlemen (galleries) and make art freer and more diverse. He is excited about the possibilities and creativity around it.

“When Paula asked me about the project, it got me thinking, but I thought it was a great learning opportunity and I believed in its value,” Roman explained about his involvement with NFTs4Refugees. He can relate to the challenges of the immigrants because of his experience fleeing communist Poland shortly before the wall came down. He said that because of his first impressions of the world, his art used to be dark, but now it’s very colorful as digital art, and the collaboration and support he’s experienced in the ecosystem has allowed him to explore a more positive narrative .

Roman is an early adopter of digital art, but not a possessor. He encourages all artists to try “digitalisation”, even if it’s scary. “Every person who tries to create something is an artist anyway, so why not increase the competition and diversify the art,” he says, referring to the many NFT and art projects in the ecosystem.

“The artistic qualities of NFTs don’t matter. This is just a platform and it gives people the chance to try things,” concludes Roman, adding that he believes that NFTs will democratize the art market and the value lies only in be a part of it and “not be better than each other.”

Creating an NFT project: An entrepreneur‘s Perspective

NFTs4Refugees is a humanitarian project. But unlike many NFT projects that aim to exploit drug addiction, an experienced social entrepreneur is behind this project, bringing different cultures, backgrounds and generations together.

Paula Schwarz is a German-Greek heiress who works as an entrepreneur and philanthropist. She started her career in venture capital in China, and went on to build ventures in Africa (and won an award for her work). Paula “fell in love with the subject of migration” after the unrest in the Middle East began to spread to Europe. She then started the mobile think tank “Startup Boat”, which built platforms for refugees, together with other brilliant entrepreneurs and technology companies. During that time, she had the chance to work in refugee camps, where she observed brutality firsthand. Paula wants everyone to know that during her camp work she realized that there is a big reality gap when it comes to refugees.

Although her humanitarian work and efforts were appreciated throughout, she was also expected to respect her family’s business legacy and art patronage, and that’s when she started working closer to the art scene.

Using her technology expertise, Paula helped her family’s art foundation (Schwarz Foundation) transition into a more digital space, where she discovered the power of art. She later decided to create NFTs4Refugees to help artists familiarize themselves with the digital art space using NFTs. She believes that “technology can enable people who have less” and believes in promoting peace through art for which NFTs are a perfect link.

For Paula, the quality of the NFTs4Refugees platform is more important than artwork quantity, which means she still wants the NFTs to have an artistic value so that donors can have a piece for the future. But since the project aims to lower the entry barriers to the market, they also plan to show the works of promising young artists.

NFTs4Refugees also helps refugees in other ways. In addition to works by Roman and other prominent artists, refugee artworks are displayed on the platform. For these refugees, art is a way to heal the migration trauma. A charity project by refugees for refugees, if you will. The platform also sells tickets to exciting events to further fund refugee needs.

In addition to acting as the project’s initiator and liaison, Paula pulls in all operational threads. When I asked about the secret sauce of bringing together Silicon Valley techies, European artists, Middle Eastern refugees, and different generations of patrons and investors in her family, she emphasized the need for a common goal and open and constant communication between team members. She adds: “So many people criticize the world for what it is, but don’t appreciate what’s there. I wanted to try to fix it. At one point, when I looked at my life, I saw all the necessary parties and the project ingredients there. Most refugees lose everything when they leave their homes. I wanted to honor the fact that I have something to build from. I didn’t want to fall into the vicious circle of being in humanitarian work to help people and consequently lose the belief and motivation because of all the negative experiences one can be exposed to in the ecosystem. Using my heritage, personal values, inspirations and empowerment from my children, I decided to build something useful for the future.”

Paula is currently working on new NFTs4Refugees features and events where she will come together with digital art investors (you can read more about them below). She also puts together a team for art education and the communication aspects of the project. So give her a shout if you feel you can contribute.

Further project details and how you can contribute?

NFTs4Refugees is a charity project, and 95% of the proceeds of NFTs4Refugees will go to NGOs working with refugees. The platform aims to close the gap between huge profits in the art markets and the costs of humanitarian support to NGOs.

The project is currently in the BETA stage and only displays the artworks created by the refugees. Art&Co, the world’s largest art auction initiative, will handle the auctions as a trusted partner.

You can do your part by buying these works of art (or later Romans). The platform aims to offer more than just images (bypassing the hype) and will also offer video formats. Finally, staying active on the platform, solving “challenges” and spreading the word earns investors reward points they can redeem later for events.

Even during the BETA stage, gracious donors have already purchased several artworks and the project is cash flow positive.

You can check out the BETA platform here. Additionally, you can learn more about the project at the Ritossa Family Office Investment Summit (October 18-20), the World Datanomic Forum (October 21) in Dubai, or Miami Art Basel (December 2), if you happen to be around . In parallel, sponsors and supporters of the project will be invited to intimate gatherings in Dubai, Miami and Berlin, as the platform hopes to create a strong community among NFT enthusiasts.

About the author:
Sebnem Elif Kocaoglu Ulbrich, LL.M., MLB
Founder, Contextual Solutions