The year 2021 has been punctuated by non-fungible tokens entering shared culture and the art market. Even as some dismiss NFTs as the latest trend of hypercapitalism, many artists, especially those who have been historically marginalized, are finding generative potential in non-fungible tokens, or non-interchangeable units of data that are stored on a digital ledger.
Artist Edgar Fabián Frías offers one possible way to approach NFTs that is both focused on community building and deeply rooted in queer and indigenous identity.
Image credits: Presidential Portrait, 2020 for Artists in Presidents directed by Constance Hockaday. Photo by Thaddeus Pedisich with editing by Edgar Fabián Frías (Image on left). De Aqui Y De Alla, 2018 (Image on right)
Structure of the Event
Moderated by Grizzly Grizzly member Roksana Filipowska, PhD, the event will feature an artist talk by Edgar Fabián Frías with ample time for questions from the audience. Respondent Madison Mahre, who is writing a thesis on the aesthetics and economics of NFTs, will also be available to answer questions.
Following the event, Grizzly Grizzly is hosting a virtual reception from 9 pm until 10 pm EST. Grab a beverage and stay on the zoom link for small group discussions and a chance to share your work in progress.
About the Artist
Edgar Fabián Frías is a nonbinary, queer, indigenous (Wixárika), and Latinx, multidisciplinary artist, curator, educator, and psychotherapist. They work in photography, video art, sound, sculpture, printed textiles, GIFs, performance, social practice, and community organizing, among other forms. Born in East Los Angeles in 1983, Frías received dual BA degrees in Psychology and Studio Art from the UC, Riverside. In 2013, they received an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, with an emphasis on Interpersonal Neurobiology and Somatic Psychotherapy. Frías is currently a 2022 candidate for an MFA in Art Practice at UC Berkeley.
About Grizzly Grizzly
Grizzly Grizzly is a project space in Philadelphia, PA. Since 2009, Grizzly Grizzly has programmed monthly exhibitions, screenings, and performances. The gallery is currently under the direction of artists and curators Roksana Filipowska, Amy Hicks, Diedra Krieger, Maggie Mills, and Ephraim Russell.
Register here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-introduction-to-nfts-with-artist-edgar-fabian-frias-tickets-222972535857