NFTs are one of the newest technologies which have made their mark on the cultural sector. Promising future or temporary hype, this question seems still undecided for NFTs. However, what is clear is that NFTs have found their space in culture, and it is important to understand the nuances of the technology.
Cultural heritage, whether material or immaterial, represents the collective memory and identity of a community. It plays a vital role in fostering social cohesion and inclusivity, serves as a unifying force, bringing communities together and is strengthening bonds among individuals.
Chain Unchained invited artists, creators and practitioners across diverse fields to come together to critically examine NFTs and their relevance to culture. In a four-week Mintathon across Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata, participants delved into the challenges and opportunities posed by NFTs in the context of cultural heritage.
Chain Unchained is an initiative that brings together practitioners and experts from India and Germany from the arts and creative and technological industries. The project intends to take a closer look at the issues surrounding web3 and NFTs in order to better understand the opportunities, possibilities and risks involved.
18:00: Connecting NFTs and Cultural Heritage: Project ideas from the Mintathon
Project presentations of the participants of Chain Unchained
With:
Akankshya Padhi,
The Indian Percussions Project Delhi
Navya Khurana, Consequences, Delhi
Ojasvi Gupta, Purani Kahawatein, Delhi
Moderation: Blessin Varkey
18:45: Cultural Heritage and Blockchain: Preserving Culture in the Digital Era
What role can NFTs play in preserving and promoting cultural heritage? Experts, participants of the Mintathon, and mentors sharing their insights and experiences.
With:
Sumangala Damodaran, Musician and Academic
Neekita Singh, Artist
Aditya Mani, Founder, YOLOgram Style
Moderation: Blessin Varkey
About the panelists
© Akankshya Padhi
Akankshya Padhi
A multidisciplinary artist from Delhi, akankshya integrates design, technology, research, and storytelling into her creative pursuits, infusing a distinct flair for innovation. As the Multimedia Content Visualiser at EPW Engage, the digital arm of Economic and Political Weekly, akankshya’s role transcends boundaries as she reimagines the digital landscape, crafting graphic features, interactive content, comics and more inspired by scholarly papers.
© Navya Khurana
Navya Khurana
Navya is an experienced designer and tech enthusiast located in New Delhi, devoted to creating an impact through experimentation at the intersection of design and technological innovation. Her interests revolve around exploring a more inclusive approach to designing digital products. She is an alumnus of the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, she is currently engaged in design and front-end development at Cognizant India.
© Ojasvi Gupta
Ojasvi Gupta
Ojasvi is a multi-disciplinary tech researcher with interests in Responsible AI, Behavioral Intelligence and most importantly wicked problems. She’s currently a graduate student at TU Dublin, and until recently was working as a Data Strategy Analyst at Accenture Strategy and Consulting. She is a part of the founding cohort of Plaksha’s Tech Leaders Fellowship, has been a visiting scholar at Purdue University USA, and a Fellow for the Forbes Ignite Fellowship of 2021.
© Sumangala Damodaran
Sumangala Damodaran
Sumangala Damodaran has a rich background in Economics, Development Studies, and Popular Music Studies. She's also renowned for her extensive archival work on the Indian People’s Theatre Association's musical tradition and her collaborative efforts with South African poets and musicians.
© Neekita Singh
Neekita Singh
Neekita Singh, a painter based in Delhi and Ahmedabad, specializes in figurative art with occasional digital painting. She began creating NFTs in July 2021 and has exhibited her paintings in New York, Miami, London, and India, with works featured on Times Square billboards, and in private collections across the US, UK, Canada, Singapore, and India.
© Aditya Man
Aditya Man
Aditya Mani, the YOLOgram Style founder, is a prominent figure in the digital fashion world, focusing on avatar styling and immersive storytelling. He serves as an advisor for AIXR's Retail Industry and the Metaverse Standards Forum, and is a member of the Metaverse Fashion Council's Advisory Board, with a particular interest in AR, metaverse, and 3D and playable commerce.
© Blessin Varkey
Moderator: Blessin Varkey - Project Facilitator
Blessin Varkey is a technologist who works in the emerging technologies space – AI & Blockchain. Since 2015, Blessin has been exploring applied improvisational theatre in mental health and leadership and also teaches improvisation through The Impro Company. He is a NASSCOM-recognized Social Innovator and has been working in the technology space since 2013.
The discussion will be followed by a cocktail and exhibition of the projects developed during Chain Unchained.
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