Wild, the NFT art platform backed by Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow, has announced its latest artists in residence. The platform is designed to enable artists to showcase their artworks as NFTs and sell them securely on the blockchain. The new artists include a diverse range of creators across various mediums, including digital and traditional art, photography, and performance art. The platform has garnered a lot of attention and investment from high-profile figures for its innovative approach to art sales, and its latest additions will add to its already impressive roster. Wild aims to provide a platform for artists to explore new ways of monetizing their work while offering art collectors a unique opportunity to invest in digitally exclusive pieces.
Wildxyz: The NFT Platform Focused on Experiential Art
Wildxyz (Wild), a relatively new NFT platform, has found a unique approach to the Web3 world. According to its founder and CEO J. Douglass Kobs, Wild is focused on “experiential” artwork, offering a residency program to help artists immerse themselves in the Web3 sphere and a community of creators.
Wild’s unique model has attracted renowned investors such as LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, actress Gwyneth Paltrow, Twitch co-founder Kevin Lin, and Philadelphia 76ers President Daryl Morey. The platform recently announced its Matrix Partners-led $7 million seed round, featuring these investors and others. Notably, the platform is advised by famous NFT artist Emily “pplpleasr” Yang.
The platform is built around a residency program offered to artists worldwide. The initial “Season 0” cohort included artists such as Mitchell Chan, Aluna, and Harm van den Dorpel. Each creator will eventually release new NFT-based artwork through the platform. Wild’s recently revealed Season 1 cohort will match or exceed the achievements of this group.
The Season 1 cohort includes artist and software engineer Sarah Friend, who is known for experimental blockchain projects, and artist and musician Serwah Attafuah, who has worked with GQ and Paris Hilton on NFT drops. Other artists in the group are Jonas Lund, Nic Hamilton, Anna Lucia, Beryl, Lisa Odette, Gabriel Massan, Idil Dursun, Matto, and Tim Maxwell. The Season 1 group is rounded out by StupidGiant, Santiago, Jerk Beasley, Nygilia, Sam Hains, Jenny Jiang, Yuma Yanagisawa, and Mia Pixley.
Wild’s residency program is a starting point for a long-term goal: to build a destination for what Kobs calls “experiential” art. The platform strongly advocates for an immersive, spatial internet that can be experienced in VR or AR, which the company calls the “Wildverse.” Each NFT released through Wild features an immersive 3D environment that viewers can explore. For instance, Wild Oasis NFTs provide platform benefits to holders and let users wander through a jungle setting, while Machines NFTs have both 2D artwork and a virtual art gallery to view it within.
Kobs describes Wild’s residency program as being like Y Combinator for artists, where participants can expand their skills and ultimately connect and share their work with a vibrant community of creators. Wild aims to build an immersive online art experience that allows viewers to create an emotional connection to the artists and their work. As Wild’s cohorts create more block-chain-based interactive games and other experimental projects, the platform hopes to foster a thriving artists’ community that can support ever-more-ambitious future Web3 endeavors.
In short, Wild is a unique NFT platform, offering artists a place to immerse themselves in the Web3 environment, create experiential art, collaborate with other creators, and share their work with a wider community of art lovers. Stay tuned for more updates from Wildxyz.