Sharjah’s House of Wisdom hosts ground breaking Gateway to Metaverse exhibition

Dubai: The House of Wisdom, an iconic futuristic and cultural hub that is under Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), is hosting the first non-fungible tokens (NFT) art exhibition in Sharjah to bridge the gap between traditional and digital art worlds and introduce visitors and the art community to the new wave of creativity that is transforming the art landscape worldwide.

Held from March 1 to April 15, the ‘Gateway to the Metaverse’ exhibition will cover a multitude of themes and feature artworks of a diverse group of more than 60 international and 15 local artists engaged in the digital and crypto art world. Sharjah’s pioneering NFT exhibition, targeting artists, tech enthusiasts, cultural institutions, and art collectives, also aims to promote cross-cultural dialogue between local and global artists and introduce the public to the inclusive world of the Metaverse.

What are NFTs?

NFTs are unique digital assets that represent different forms of art, graphics, music, videos, or images, and are linked to blockchain — a digital database. The unique identification codes on the digital collectible guarantees ownership of the original item.

The dynamic multifunctional space, Al Khawarizimi Exhibition, at the House of Wisdom will host the physical iteration of the NFT art exhibition across 24 screens that showcase a broad spectrum of art including digital art, crypto art, musical renditions and performance art. Artists from the UAE and across the MENA region, Europe, Asia and the United States will be represented in the ‘Gateway to the Metaverse’ exhibition in two rotational rounds — the first featuring more than 30 international artists, followed by a second round covering roughly the same amount of artists

Stimulating dialogue on new, creative technologies

A two-day seminar, held alongside the exhibition, will stimulate conversation on the advent of creative new technologies in the art world and introduce visitors to the emerging channels for artistic expressions and contemporary practices. An exciting workshop at the seminar has been created to empower artists and visitors with practical guidance on transforming their talents into NFT works.

Commenting on the launch of the NFT exhibition, Marwa Al Aqroubi, director of the House of Wisdom, said: “We always seek to host events that enrich the artistic and cultural landscape in Sharjah and the UAE. Through organising this exhibition and its cultural programme, we look forward to providing professional and aspiring creative artists alike with the opportunity to harness the innovative technologies in order to achieve more success and enhance the position of Sharjah and the UAE as a leading destination for modern art trends in the region and the world.”

Al Aqroubi pointed out that the House of Wisdom prioritises education and awareness as one of its most important goals in line with the Sharjah’s educational, cultural and enlightenment vision. NFT is a new creative field that can be deployed in multiple sectors, and it is the gateway to the future — thanks to the array of options it provides to access new artistic products and expertise. This is why this exhibition offers artists, photographers and innovators a gateway to the limitless global market.

A unique futuristic exhbition

Stefano Favaretto, co-founder of Global Art Exhibition (GAE) and curator, said: “It is my honour to collaborate with House of Wisdom and Morrow Collective to curate this Global NFT Exhibition in Sharjah, UAE.”

The exhibition is organised by House of Wisdom and Global Art Exhibition, a multidisciplinary global project connecting talents to ‘Gateway to the Metaverse’ (GAE), in collaboration with MORROW Collective, the UAE’s leading NFT curatorial initiative.