How David Bianchi Is Elevating Socially Conscious Issues Through NFTs
It’s no secret that the NFT market is absolutely saturated with one-off PFP projects and 3D memes. An ecosystem undoubtedly defined in the shadow of Beeple’s landmark $69 million sale, it can be difficult at times to remember that the NFT space isn’t solely comprised of collectors and flippers, but real people — many of whom are minting fantastically stunning pieces of art on the blockchain.
As a creator leveraging blockchain technology, David Bianchi may be a man who makes a living as an actor, but he is, first and foremost, an artist. Through his chosen medium, spoken word cinema, and influential projects like “The Revolution Is Being Televised,” Bianchi is not only aiming to change the perception of what an NFT can be but doing so in a way that is socially conscious and actionable.
Speaking Truth to Power
As an actor featured on a laundry list of movies and TV shows, Bianchi has already set himself up for Hollywood success. Yet, his passion lies not on a blockbuster set, but within the spoken word, and the unique niche he’s carved for himself as an independent filmmaker.
Spinema™, which Bianchi defines as “spinning cinema through spoken word,” is spoken word cinema that comes in a variety of flavors and mostly focuses on socially conscious issues. With Spinema, Bianchi aims to elevate the artistic conversation surrounding what can be difficult and sensitive topics, while at the same time raising money for non-profit organizations that are working to change the problems his art addresses.
“I’ve been producing spoken word films for 17 and a half years, and I’ve been doing so out of my own pocket,” Bianchi tells nft now. “This is just what my heart tells me I need to do. Creating socially conscious work is part of my heartthrob.”
While Bianchi has compiled an impressive catalog of Spinema films throughout the years, in March of 2021 he garnered national attention with I Can’t Breathe — a foreboding, five-minute spoken-word film centered around the murder of George Floyd. The film quickly found its way into the hands of Floyd’s family and was played at the one-year memorial of his death.
I Can’t Breathe ultimately made history as the first-ever award-winning spoken word film to be minted as a nonfungible token. It also helped introduce the NFT space to Spinema and set the stage for many of Bianchi’s future NFTs. “When you watch a Spinema film, not only is it socially conscious, it packs a punch and holds the audience in a way that typical narrative doesn’t do,” Bianchi tells nft now. “I cried so many times when this work was embraced by the NFT community. Never in my life had I had my work praised, loved, discussed…”
“If it wasn’t for NFTs, my work wouldn’t have the purpose that it has,” Bianchi tells nft now. “As a result of that [NFT technology], we can really raise real socially conscious topics, have great discussions about the ills of society, while I donate thousands of dollars to nonprofits and create high art that is respected by a community of sophisticated young, tech-savvy individuals hungry for change.”
While Bianchi is not alone in his experience of gaining visibility by way of NFTs, his approach to the art he mints is vastly different than the majority of projects and collections topping the charts of the world’s largest platforms. While photography and music have slowly but surely been finding a foothold in the digital art-dominated NFT market, few have attempted to onboard film onto the blockchain, and it seems that none have succeeded quite like Bianchi.
In 2022, Bianchi is partway through his latest Spinema NFT series, “The Revolution Is Being Televised.” Following his influential “Break The Bars” MakersPlace drop, the filmmaker has returned to curated NFT platform SuperRare for the series of six provocative film offerings. Currently, two pieces from the collection — which premiered at DreamVerse presented by MetaPurse & TIME — have been minted, and the series of high-concept cinematic NFTs is to continue once both have sold.
Notably, what you see is not necessarily what you get with “The Revolution Is Being Televised,” as Bianchi says the series will become more meaningful and intense as each subsequent NFT is released.
Aside from releasing his own NFTs, Bianchi is also an active part of the NFT community and regularly engages with collectors, artists, and builders through social media. As an independent filmmaker and all-around creative who has been collecting crypto since 2017, it’s no surprise that Bianchi has found a community all his own in the NFT space.
With his own unique creations now paving the way for his independent success, Bianchi says he’s inspired by the current state of the NFT ecosystem but is focussing on the long term in hopes of leaving something palpable and significant behind for generations to come.
“I think I have a specific responsibility to the generations before me to forge through and use the blockchain to try to change the world,” Bianchi tells nft now. “I want to leave a legacy. What I leave behind me is a side effect of who I have become.”
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Photos courtesy of David Bianchi.