Digital artists seeking to expose their work to a broader audience have been offered a helping hand courtesy of Palm Foundation. The organization, tasked with nurturing creative projects on Palm Network, has done much to support emerging artists in recent years. Its latest initiative adds the prospect of a shared $4,000 grant and an exhibition spot at the prestigious ZsONAMACO art fair.
Hosted annually, ZsONAMACO is the largest art fair of its kind in Latin America (LATAM). This year, the event will be hosted in Mexico City from February 7-11. Artists selected by Palm Foundation with the help of Palm Collective, which will be tasked with voting on the best submissions, will have their work shown to over 70,000 art fans.
From Digital to Physical
Palm Network is dedicated to providing a low-cost and low-energy blockchain on which digital art can be minted, collected, and traded. Its most famous collection to date was The Currency by British artist Damien Hirst, but most of its work is at grassroots level, supporting artists whose names remain unknown despite their brimming talent.
This year will be the 20th anniversary of ZsONAMACO and Palm Foundation intends to make it a memorable event for the artists whose work is selected by the Curatorial Committee led by Direlia Lazo, Glam Beckett, and Superchief Gallery. But the journey to ZsONAMACO starts on Palm Network, where applicants must mint an artwork. The NFT can then be shared with Palm Collective to be passed on to the curatorial committee for consideration.
The artist whose work receives the highest number of votes will be awarded a $1,500 grant, while all of the artists who are exhibited in the Palm Collective booth at ZsONAMACO 2024 will be awarded a $500 grant.
Palm Community Calls the Shots
In keeping with the ethos of a decentralized community, Palm Foundation will ultimately let its DAO have the casting vote on which artworks make the grade, giving creators a chance to show their work to a mainstream audience.
For new artists, getting a foot in the door by receiving their first exhibition opportunity can provide a foundation to developing a successful career. Being shown at an event of the caliber of ZsONAMACO can pave the way for further opportunities to be exhibited at galleries and art fairs. Even for artists who don’t go on to turn their passion into a career, it promises to be a memorable experience that will broaden their knowledge of digital art creation.
For artists selected to be exhibited at ZsONAMACO, the event will be an immersive three-day spectacle. Last year’s event welcomed over 77,000 visitors, with more than 50 international museum groups in attendance. For this year’s fair, over 200 exhibitors are anticipated including the Palm Collective booth. Here, visitors will be treated to a selection of pieces created by unknown artists taking their first steps towards achieving the recognition their talent deserves.
