OMA / Shohei Shigematsu, together with artists Charlotte Taylor and Nicholas Préaud, created a series of NFTs inspired by an underwater sculpture designed for the ReefLine project. Commissioned by Aorist for its climate-forward NFT marketplace, the video NFT Coral Arena unfolds a virtual narrative of the monument, simulating the evolution of the future physical artwork from an abstract object to being the support of an underwater ecosystem. The NFTs were unveiled during Miami Art Week, and proceeds from their sale will be donated for the completion of the ReefLine project.
The three NFTs comprising a video and two stills correspond to the Coral Arena sculpture, an underwater folly designed by OMA New York for the ReefLine underwater sculpture park. The structure uses the stair as a primary architecture element to form an organic shape whose layers provide a framework for coral reef growth. Nine spiral staircases arranged around a central core shape the underwater experience. ReefLine, a masterplan for a 7-mile underwater public sculpture park, snorkel trail and the artificial reef off the shores of Miami Beach, is meant to help protect the coastline while providing a habitat for endangered reef species. For this project, OMA collaborated with marine biologists, researchers and coastal engineers.
The NFTs were created to promote the ReefLine masterplan and its positive environmental impact. The initiative prompts a variety of questions regarding the relationship between NFTs and architecture, showcasing how the profession could make use of this technology for the benefit of the built environment while bringing art and architecture closer.
