721
Seven cities, twenty-one artists
I developed 721 as a way to establish Ethereal Collective through the artists it supported: 21 solo exhibitions across seven countries. The programme would bring together 21 emerging artists, each creating their first solo show as an Ethereal resident, with artist selection, curation and onboarding forming part of my role.
Each artist would create 21 original physical works, with every piece captured as a 3D model and paired with an NFT. This connected the exhibition experience with digital ownership, allowing the work to exist beyond the gallery.
contract architecture
Ethereal’s original contract architecture followed a fairly standard NFT model. I proposed a rework centred on the holder experience, with greater transparency, more useful functionality and opportunities to improve returns. The aim was to make the contracts support participation in the wider art and exhibition programme, giving holders a clearer understanding of what ownership offered.
website redesign
I redesigned Ethereal’s website to give visitors a clearer understanding of the business and how they could take part. The proposed design brought the art, exhibitions and token model into a more coherent experience, with clearer routes from discovering the collective to participating in it.
For art token holders, I designed flows to upload and manage artwork they wanted to display at exhibitions, connecting their online activity with the collective’s physical events.
event materials
I art directed and produced all the materials for Ethereal’s early events, ahead of the 721 programme. These paired conversations with leaders in the blockchain space with digital exhibitions of token holders’ artwork, bringing the collective’s identity into a live setting.
interactive displays
I designed and built two display units that could switch between portrait and landscape on the day. To achieve a premium finish on a tight budget, I used 18mm beech ply with custom walnut feet that slotted into place.
The screens supported Leap Motion, and users could use hand gestures to swipe between artworks. For screens without gesture control, I produced videos that automatically cycled through the submitted artwork.
submitting artwork
I designed the submission form for holders to upload their artwork. The prototype lets users preview their work in portrait and landscape, toggling between the two display orientations.
