As the Philippine contemporary art scene continues to embrace digital artists and their forays into the NFT space, few creators have captured the curiosities of the community quite like the enigmatic artist known only as “Aswang”. Over the past two years, Aswang has become a mainstay in the NFT art space, all while keeping their true identity shrouded in mystery. This month, “I Am Aswang”, the artist’s first solo exhibit opened to the public, with its culminating night slated for June 24.
Known for their hand-crafted NFTs inspired by Filipino mythology, Aswang’s works are designed for long-term collectors seeking to preserve our indigenous culture through technology. Describing their collaborative collections, they explain that, “Each Aswang is designed to gain ‘Prayer Levels’ the longer they are staked, with the highest Prayer Level only attainable after 333 years – a true test of the promises of blockchain tech that puts the spotlight on one of its most overlooked use cases: Cultural Preservation.”
Aswang’s solo exhibit, housed in Meatspace Art Gallery in Sta. Mesa, Manila, runs from June 3 to 24, 2023. Cocktails, interactive art installations, and musical performances including sets from Anime Acoustic Band and DJ Patty Tiu mark the culmination of Aswang’s exhibit together with works from his Aswang Tribe featured artists.
“In line with the way I usually ball, #IamAswang is not just a showcase of art, but also an interactive experience that aims to transcend conventional artistic boundaries via trailblazing uses of blockchain tech,” the artist said. “Expect lots of surprises and the usual Aswang insanity.”
The exhibit at Meatspace Gallery is open daily. The culminating event on the 24th is free, but RSVP is required. To reserve a slot, contact Meatspace Gallery at +639068623571 or reach out to them on Twitter at @meatspacew3ph or to Aswang at @AswangNFT.