Justin Aversano »

INTRO-SPECTIVE - Trust the Process

4 September 2024 - 26 January 2025

ART OF PUNK

4 September 2024 - 26 January 2025

Francisco Carolinum Linz

Museumstr. 14, A-4010 Linz
T +43 (0)732-7720 522 00
www.ooekultur.at
Tue-Sun 10am-6pm

Justin Aversano
Everyday is a Gift
INTRO-SPECTIVE Trust the Process
© Justin Aversano

Justin Aversano is a mixed media artist merging conventional art mediums like photography with cutting-edge technologies such as blockchain and AI. "INTRO-SPECTIVE" serves not only as an artist introduction in the art world but also as an invitation for visitors to join him on his personal journey. The exhibition strives to redefine the concept of retrospective, transforming how viewers engage with and perceive exhibitions, while providing a comprehensive insight into the evolution of the artist‘s work from its inception.

Justin Aversano draws inspiration from Andy Warhol‘s artistic style to create series that reflect the individuals he meets and narrate his personal story. In his first series, "Every Day is a Gift," he took Polaroid photos daily for a year, capturing people celebrating their birthdays. The series "Cognition" features surreal collages with symbolic objects, serving as a tribute to his late mother. Aversano‘s well-known "Twin Flames" series consists of portraits of 100 pairs of twins, honouring his fraternal twin sister. His latest project, "Smoke and Mirrors," includes 78 portraits within a tarot framework, celebrating healers, artists, and mystics of our world. The power of his portraits lies in their authenticity and ability to capture everyone’s essence.

Justin Aversano
Smoke and Mirrors
INTRO-SPECTIVE Trust the Process
Copyright: Justin Aversano

Although Aversano primarily employs photography, he skilfully integrates technology, particularly blockchain, to engage and cultivate his community. He has recently incorporated more technology in his practice, particularly through his project "Doppelganger" in collaboration with Kim Asendorf, where he transforms his Twin Flame series into glitch-inspired alter egos using code. Additionally, he has created new AI portraits rooted in his upcoming "Super 8" work, developed during a year-long global tour.

By thoughtfully staging his series with unique furniture elaborated in partnership with Trame and choosing a specific decor for each room, Justin Aversano invites viewers to immerse themselves in the exhibition in innovative ways, fostering a deeper exploration of the human experience.

As he further explores the realm of spirituality, Aversano assures us of a journey that leads not only toward healing but also through a rich landscape of discovery and connection.

Curator:Marlène Corbun

Justin Aversano
AI International Portraits
INTRO-SPECTIVE Trust the Process
© Justin Aversano

Justin Aversano sees himself a compassionate humanist and a fine art photographer whose work serves as a bridge between his creative vision and the world that envelops him. His journey exemplifies the power of innovation and adaptability in the ever-evolving art world. In 2021, Aversano unveiled his "Twin Flames" NFT collection, featuring 100 sets of twins inspired by his own fraternal twin. This collection quickly became the highest-selling photography NFT collection of all time. Notably, one piece from this collection, #49, sold for a staggering $3,781,159 USD in Ethereum, making him the fourth-highest-selling living photographer and the creator of one of the most expensive photographs ever sold in history, following in the footsteps of iconic figures like Man Ray, Cindy Sherman, and Edward Steichen. Furthermore, another piece, #83, made history by fetching $1.1 million USD at a Christie’s auction, the first NFT photography ever sold by the auction house, and surpassing sale prices of historical photographers like Ansel Adams.

Justin Aversano
Installationsansicht, 2024 © Michael Maritsch

Marlène Corbun is a curator and advisor who operates at the intersection of Contemporary Art and the Web3 space. Since 2021, as Head Curator of laCollection, she has extended her expertise to collaborating with museums on pioneering Web3 art exhibitions, featuring prominent contemporary artists. Marlène Corbun holds a Post Graduate Diploma in art history of the Courtauld Institute in London and also earned a Master's in management from EM Lyon Business School in France.

Iggy Pop, Rainer Hosch
Art of Punk, 2024,

ART OF PUNK

4 September 2024 - 26 January 2025

CryptoPunks are a collection of 10,000 unique, 24 x 24 pixel punk heads from 2017, which are stored as non-fungible tokens (NFT) on the Ethereum blockchain. Originally available for free, the CryptoPunks have become coveted collector's items that are now traded for large sums. What began as an experiment has developed into a cultural phenomenon. CryptoPunks are not only works of art, but also status symbols that signalise identity and belonging in the digital world. They have become icons that embody authenticity and exclusivity and have made an important contribution to the popularisation of NFTs.

The community that has formed around these blockchain collectibles is as unique and remarkable as the CryptoPunks themselves: It includes blockchain technology pioneers, developers, art collectors as well as artists. ART OF PUNK is the first museum exhibition to exclusively show works by artists from the CryptoPunks community. A total of 89 positions are represented at the Francisco Carolinum Linz and in the digital branch in the Metaverse Voxels, including established artists such as Tom Sachs or Beeple, Claire Silver, Pindar van Arman, Gordon Berger or Ilan Derech as well as pioneers of on-chain art such as Natealex or 0xDEAFBEEF.

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