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The Gateway is returning to Miami for its third edition during Miami Art Week. This year’s event promises to be unlike any other, making its South Beach debut at the stunning Faena Forum for the Dec. 6-8 festivities.
Over the course of three exciting days, attendees can immerse themselves in an audiovisual wonderland featuring the world’s leading digital artists, engage in thought-provoking conversations with industry leaders, and enjoy immersive partner activations by Christie’s, LG Art Lab, Lens, Mercedes-Benz NXT, SHISEIDO, Wilder World, Ekos Genesis Art Collection, and Atomic Form.
Request an invite here to join Gateway Miami.
This year’s theme is “Blossoming,” celebrating the creativity and resilience of artists through floral adornments and springtime motifs emulated by many of the works on display. Check out the full list of exhibiting artists here.
In a conversational Twitter Space, we caught up with a few of the many talented artists who will be showcasing their work at Gateway Miami, including FVCKRENDER, Osinachi, Jenni Pasanen, and Ryan Koopmans. Learn more about each of their exhibitions in our Q&As below.
FVCKRENDER
FVCKRENDER is a self-taught digital artist currently based in Vancouver, BC. Known for his unique, futuristic, and mechanical style, he uses his art to illuminate and overcome past traumas. FVCKRENDER will be exhibiting a sleek new piece called “BIOLOGICA//” at Gateway Miami, reflecting the theme of “Blossoming” in its futuristic, flower-inspired design.
nft now: Having exhibited at The Gateway before, how do you feel about this year?
FVCKRENDER: Everytime I go to these group shows, I meet so many great people that we see online and everything, and we don’t tend to have a conversation. So that’s what’s important to me— getting together for the same reason. I love what you guys are doing. Every artist should be doing group shows like this. It’s so important to go outside of our screens.
nft now: This has been a big year for you with the LVCIDIA project and other things. Tell us what you’ve been up to.
FVCKRENDER: I’m excited to have a piece with [nft now]. The piece is a 1/1 that comes with a physical print. I have some immersive experiences, a HOLYFVCK show, and I am very excited about many things. I don’t even know where to start.
nft now: You’ve gone from doing 3D in the beginning to doing physical. Why was it important for you to branch out into the physical medium?
FVCKRENDER: It’s funny because when I first started doing digital art, I was literally not interested in physical art. Then I had the opportunity to do a sculpture for Christie’s, and after that moment, I was like, “Yeah, it just blew my mind to go from a digital mode to a physical mode.” I started taking clay lessons and have been working with amazing people to help me with sculptures. I have seven new pieces coming. I think it’s cool to see how you can bridge NFTs with something that is physical.
Osinachi
Osinachi is a Nigerian digital artist and crypto art OG who currently serves as the inaugural artist-in-residence at the Toledo Museum of Art. Osinachi will be exhibiting a colorful new piece titled “Abitt: The Second Renaissance is Coming” as part of the Christie’s showcase at Gateway Miami, exploring the unique cultural history of Toledo.
nft now: We would love to hear your perspective on events like The Gateway. Why is IRL so important?
Osinachi: I think it’s important in a way that it answers a lot of questions about digitals. Collectors have a lot of questions: who are the artists? What are they making? When we have these events, they serve as a gateway for people to see the artists and participate in what they’re doing. I say this as an African artist who works mainly digitally, which means that most of my collectors are from the West and not from Africa. It’s important to have these events where you can converge collectors from the traditional art space and digital art so they can understand and play a role in what is happening. They can learn how Web3 functions.
nft now: You’re involved in the Christie’s sale and the Toledo Art Museum. Give us a full rundown on what you have going.
Osinachi: I am the digital artist in residence at the Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio. It’s going to be nine months by the time the residency wraps up in December. It’s my first time in the United States. Engaging in a traditional institution like a museum, they reached out to me to be their artist in residence because they wanted to engage in digital art. The museum wanted to move intentionally and not just move into something because it was trendy. It’s also about empowering local artists.
In my work, in particular in Toledo, I make 1/1 art. ABITT is the model we go by; it stands for “Art Brings Toledo Together.” I do all my work using Microsoft Word. It is all about Toledo’s past, present, and future. This quiet city is working together for the upliftment of Toledo. I had the pleasure of making a stained glass artwork during my residency here. At the residency, what we hope will happen, is that museums across the world see what we’re doing here and want to do things with digital artists, too.
Jenni Pasanen
Jenni Pasanen is an AI-collaborative artist best known for blending digital art with AI. From her “layer cake” approach to her unique use of flowers, Pasanen’s work is a testament to the fusion of creativity and technology. She expanded further on her surreal and dream-like piece, “Myosotis,” that will be exhibited at Gateway Miami.
nft now: We’d love to hear more about the piece you’re exhibiting. When we first came up with the “Blossoming” theme, we immediately thought of your work because it’s so ethereal and lush.
Jenni Pasanen: I have 15 years of experience in digital painting, and I use AI as a fixture and idea; it works as an infinite imagination that I use in my works. I love to draw flowers and blooming and petals. I usually go with the gut feeling for what I create.
The piece I will be showing is called “Myositis.” Usually, I have ideas for work, I keep them in my mind, and when I have a chance, I put them on canvas. There’s a story behind [Myositis] and it’s about love and lovers. I also hide hints in the description and in the work. To this day, not even one person can find any of the secrets in it.
Ryan Koopmans
Ryan Koopmans is a Canadian-Dutch artist and international photographer best known for exploring the relationship between architecture and nature. He will be exhibiting his elegant and serene new artwork, “The Thought of You,” as part of the Christie’s auction showcase at Gateway Miami. Created from a set of photographs taken in a rural Italian villa dating back to the 1700s, the piece explores the passage of time through growth and decay.
nft now: You’re exhibiting with Christie’s for Gateway Miami this year. How is that going?
Ryan Koopmans: It’s been going great. It’s been a lot of work to finish up the piece; a tremendous amount of things going on. I am grateful for the opportunity and excited to be there. I’ve actually been to the previous two, and they’ve been super amazing events.
nft now: Tell us about your piece and what you’re showing.
Ryan Koopmans: I’ve been working on this project for a couple of years. It is a photo-based work. “The Wild Within.” I go to a particular country and photograph abandoned interiors and implement plants and digital foliage, flowers, and essentially bring back these vacant architectural spaces to life. The piece that will be at the Christie’s x nft now exhibition, is a piece based on a building I recently explored in central Italy. It’s an abandoned villa from the 1700s. “The Thought of You” is a continuation of the project “The Wild Within.”
nft now: What are your thoughts on events like Gateway Miami in the art space?
Ryan Koopmans: The actual venue this year looks super interesting. As someone who likes and cares about architecture, the architecture behind the [Faena Forum] is super interesting. I always find it fascinating when the artwork and the architectural space have a relationship formed through an exhibition by work being in the building. It makes it very special.
This interview transcript has been edited for concision and clarity.
For the full and uncut interview, listen to our Twitter Space.
