Illustrative Space, the team that brought you the world’s first augmented reality (AR) non-fungible token (NFT) with the MF DOOM in 2020 and the first traveling AR Exhibition “Ghosting” in 2021, will launch Proof of Presence (PoP) at SXSW in Austin, TX on March 11, 2022, followed by a secret event in Austin on Sunday March 13, 2022 for select PoP token holders.
Through the Illustrative Space browser application, users will be able to “check-in” at participating art installations to receive PoP tokens to gain access for gated events, exclusive communities, NFT airdrops from their favorite artists and more. A PoP can be seen as a location based digital ticket which is stored as a proof on Polygon, an environmentally sustainable L2 blockchain.
NFT marketplace Mint Gold Dust and Illustrative Space are working with non-profit Austin Muralist Collective HOPE Campaign to engage Texas artist, including Kimie Flores, Austin-based mural and tattoo artist, to create 10 unique murals at the SXSW convention center and geo-drop digital artworks throughout Austin. Visitors will have the opportunity to claim a PoP token, marking their presence at the activation on the blockchain. This earned token will give the first 250 users access to an exclusive live performance at Something Cool Studios on March 13th presented by Illustrative Space, Mint Gold Dust, Mesh Records, Marfa Spirits, and Searchlight Art. The event will also feature local artist Miles Starkey painting a live mural during the event.
"Over 40,000 years ago mankind left an illustration of its stenciled hand on a cave wall. Our human need to create is palpable and is core to the idea that we at one point we were present in space and time. In our new technology age where the internet is decaying, Web3's more immutable public ledger offers individuals and creators the opportunity to acknowledge their shared moment in the world and is the core inspiration behind Proof of Presence."
-Rob McCarty, Co-Founder and CEO Illustrative Space
The geo-drop digital art locations will also be along Austin’s Lady Bird Lake and surrounding city hotspots. Each piece is inspired by Austin’s many tributaries, rivers or streams that flow into a larger body of water. The theme serves as a larger metaphor for local responsibility leading to impact on a global scale.
The 10 murals will be visible to the public and available for purchase on Mint Gold Dust’s marketplace beginning March 11, 2022. The NFT collection will act as an archive of the activation and give the participating artists an opportunity to earn royalties on their work.
