When we talk about feelings it is about humans - not computers - that we think of. But what once seemed to be a dichotomy is getting more and more entangled: technology is increasingly approximating human experience to machines. The new exhibition organized by Artpool spotlights our emotions on non-human portraits. And the more we look at these digital characters, the more we see ourselves.
Emotions in Motion is a solo exhibition by Ukrainian artist Denys Boldyriev which inaugurates the first NFT Gallery in Lisbon. The exhibition space located at the Poolside - the new Web3 hub in the city -, explores the physicality of NFTs and the experiences on-site shows can promote to connect the digital and physical worlds.
Curated by the Founder and Director of Artpool Pauline Foessel, the exhibition displays digital portraits that depict playful and baloney creatures which represent our complex and multi-layered selves.
"Denys explores emotions through colorful characters, and by doing so, exposes the layers that reveal sometimes less-than-perfect personality traits: shyness, egocentrism, the ups and downs we all experience, universally," explains the curator.
The 3D animations show portraits of these characters, which are presented with names and a short description that summarises the complexity of their inner selves. Much more than being simply "happy" or "stressed", the emotions of Denys' portraits create atmospheres that represent states of mind and our inner paths.
Boldyriev worked as a designer and illustrator, and started his artistic career in 2021. He is highly influenced by suprematism, a creation by Russian Kazimir Malevich who envisioned a possibility of abstract art reduced to its most fundamental geometric forms. The cubism of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braques which used multiple vantage points to fracture images into geometric forms is also an inspiration.
"These artists were thinking about perspective and composition. They were all playing around with shapes and dimensions only by using a pencil. But what if they could do this today? How could this be improved in a three-dimensional space with the tools technology offers us?"
Whilst these celebrated references used brush strokes on paper or canvas, Boldyriev takes his brush strokes to the space, where there are no constraints. In the show, his baloney shapes are physically present in the white balloons that decorate the yellow corridors of the venue.
The artist also created an ephemeral monumental piece created for the black box and projected during the opening day. In the video, black organic forms were illuminated with spotlights, like fireflyes, accompanied by the sounds of nature. The beautiful and immersive installation was about enlightment, the present, the here and now. It promoted an experience of self-awareness: it invited visitors to look to their inner selves.
Artpool at Poolside Hub
The Emotions in Motion exhibition marks the opening of the first NFT Gallery in Lisbon, curated by Artpool and hosted at the Poolside Hub. This is the new Web 3 Hub in Lisbon, which apart from hosting co-work spaces also has a restaurant and terraces in the traditional neighborhood of Alvalade (Rua Acácio de Paiva, 19-21, Lisbon).
On April 12th, the art day organized by Artpool at the space offered a guided tour of the exhibition with artist Denys Boldyriev and curator Pauline Foessel followed by a breakfast.
Alongside the Poolside team, we celebrated the launch of 100 Collectors, an exclusive club for art enthusiasts and NFT lovers in Lisbon. During the live podcast, Pauline Foessel unveiled the benefits of joining the club, including access to exclusive art events, private viewings, and curated collections. Click here to learn more about the 100 Collectors club.
We also hosted a talk about the challenges and opportunities in the Web3 space, featuring artists Denys Boldyriev (Ukraine), Fernando Magalhães, aka MGXS (Brazil), and collector Yan Ketelers (Belgium). The talk was moderated by our own Communication Manager Julia Flamingo. We then invited everyone to The Art Terrace, a happy hour with a live performance by Denys Boldyriev, music by DJ Umafricana, and drinks. The amazing night was sponsored by Bombay Sapphire.
The long and intense art day ended on the dancefloor with a DJ Set by Soluma and a happy and dancing team of Artpool.
The show Emotions in Motion is on view until April 25th. Even after that, we will always be happy to welcome you in our new home!
Text by Julia Flamingo