The First Social Impact NFT Exhibition In AR
SUMMARY
SuperWorld, an Augmented Reality (AR) virtual world, is participating and partnering with Flint Water Festival, for their annual event this month. The festival’s purpose is to raise funds and awareness to provide clean water to communities who have been affected by the Flint water crisis – domestically in Flint and abroad – through an exhibition of fitness, art, technology, and education. To support these efforts, SuperWorld is curating the first-ever ‘AR Art Walk’ and social impact NFT exhibition called “Digital See.”
SuperWorld: A brief introduction
SuperWorld is a virtual world built-in Augmented Reality (AR).
The SuperWorld platform allows people to create virtual real estate by creating 64.8 billion non-fungible tokens (NFTs) corresponding to real-world space, including historical landmarks like the Great Wall of China, natural wonders like the Great Lakes, and other iconic or personally meaningful places.
Each plot of unsold property in SuperWorld starts at 0.1 ETH and can be purchased and sold by anyone; from content viewers and collectors to developers and marketers.
“At SuperWorld, our vision is to help build a better world, and a move toward greater environmental stewardship is a critical part of our business model,” says Hrish Lotlikar, Co-Founder and CEO of SuperWorld. “I am excited to announce our partnership with the Flint Water Festival, and hope that the “Digital See” exhibit will help promote art and AR content that not only entertains, but educates, and serves as a catalyst to combat issues like the water crisis, hunger, poverty, inequality and climate change here in Flint and around the world.”
SuperWorld has had other partnerships dedicated to giving back to the community and the planet. The virtual real estate site and Augmented Reality (AR) platform announced a partnership at the end of April, this year with One Tree Planted to plant 5,000 trees in one month and restore 5,000 acres of landscape. From April 30th-May 31st, SuperWorld committed to planting one tree per plot of virtual land purchased to help advance sustainability efforts around the globe.
One Tree Planted Canopy Director Diana Chaplin says: “While SuperWorld creates an exciting digital experience we are happy to be a reforestation partner to make a tangible positive impact by planting trees in the real world! These trees will contribute to cleaner air, water, and biodiversity, supporting a healthier future for nature.”
SuperWorld co-founder and CEO Hrish Lotlikar adds: “Team SuperWorld is dedicated to giving back to the environment and helping to stem the climate crisis, and this partnership gives us and our users the perfect opportunity to affect real change in the world,”
The Exhibition
In an exhibit titled “Digital See,” renowned international and local artists from around the world are displayed alongside one another. Among the great talents to behold is Krista Kim, the renowned contemporary artist, founder of the Techism movement, creator of Mars House, and one of Architectural Digest’s 100 “game-changers.”
“SuperWorld is a breakthrough NFT platform that allows artists to make a positive impact that changes the world through Augmented Reality,” explains Krista Kim, the Global Ambassador for SuperWorld spearheading the exhibition. “The next generation of NFTs is about creating experiences, and SuperWorld is the AR internet that allows creativity to flourish in our real world.”
In addition, artists such as Marjan Moghaddam, former Adobe Artist-in-Residence, and Flint artist Isiah Lattimoore and other local and international artists have offered exclusive works for the show. A QR code and the SuperWorld app will be required to take advantage of SuperWorld’s first NFT AR drop. Ten works that have never before been shown will be displayed during the drop.
An Overview of the Flint Water Crisis
The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department temporarily switched Flint, Michigan’s water source from the Detroit River on April 25, 2014. To connect to the Karegnondi Water Authority, the department had to switch pipelines. The adverse impact of this measure would prove to be devastating to the Flint community.
In Flint, the crisis of contaminated water began 7 years ago on April 25. News of Flint’s water supply continues to be headline-grabbing and captivate people around the U.S and abroad. Although this year’s anniversary marks the end of the replacement of lead service lines in the community, its long-term effects will remain even after the works have been completed. These problems serve to underscore the importance of better water supply management in the future.
As a first step, the United States Environmental Protection Agency required Flint to replace 18,000 lead- and galvanized-lined water services (i.e. underground). According to the city of Flint, in total, 26,000 residences have had their water pipes checked and 9,500 have had their pipes replaced with lead or galvanized steel. Approximately 500 service lines remain in Flint to be checked.
The replacement project was originally planned to finish by 2019. The project fell behind schedule, however, when the present administration took office.
Flint Water Festival
Funds raised by the Flint Water Festival will be used for the replacement of pipes in the remaining 18,000 homes that need it. Typically, pipe replacement costs are approximately $5,000 for each home. The organization offers a plumbing replacement program for low-income homeowners that anyone can sponsor.
The festival began at Flint’s historic Berston Field House on July 2nd, featuring activities and live music. On July 3rd, festival-goers could already view and purchase AR pieces as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) at specific locations in Flint that display art through the SuperWorld app on their mobile phone. The NFT art can be purchased at SuperWorldapp.com, with portions of each sale donated to Flint Water Festival in support of their mission to replace pipes inside local homes needing clean water.
“We are thankful to Krista Kim and Hrish Lotlikar at SuperWorld for using technology to make a positive social impact, and for helping us close the digital literacy gap in Flint,” says Kay Smith, founder of the Flint Water Festival. “Local and international artists have used their talent to support this important cause and to bring a unique experience to the festival through AR.”
“Digital See” is a free event beginning July 3rd that runs through July 31st, 2021.
LINKS
SuperWorld: https://www.superworldapp.com/
Flint Water Festival: https://flintwaterfestival.com/
Krista Kim: http://www.kristakimstudio.com/
One Tree Planted: https://onetreeplanted.org/
Featured Image: Project Lifeline by Mike Han in collaboration with Abin Thomas
