Famous NFT photographer, Justin Aversano, opens a physical NFT gallery in Los Angeles where artists can showcase their digital work in a real-world setting.
Justin Aversano, a prominent NFT photographer, has co-founded a new art installation and recently opened its doors to artists who want to showcase their digital work to the world. Called Quantum Space LA, the hub is located on the iconic Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California.
Quantum Space LA is the latest in a growing trend of physical NFT galleries. At the same time, this LA hub is the first of many Quantum Spaces that Aversano plans to build in his efforts to foster real-world Web3 communities.
Who Is Justin Aversano?
Aversano became famous for the in-demand Twin Flames NFT photography collection, which features a series of 100 consistent, but each slightly different, photographs of twins worldwide. On Quantum Space LA’s launch on Friday, Aversano took the opportunity to launch his latest project, Doppelgänger.
Doppelgänger is a collection of 1,000 outtakes from the Twin Flames project. Hence, it continues Aversano’s favored trope of taking pictures of twins and transforming those into collectible NFTs.
Last fall, Aversano co-founded Quantum Art, a photography-centric NFT platform. The platform raised $7.5 million in funding in February, prompting the establishment of Quantum Space LA. In April, people learned about the Santa Monica space way ahead of its grand opening this past weekend.
During the launch, guests were treated to displays of images from different digital artists who collaborated with Aversano, shown on large flat-screen televisions strategically placed throughout the space. These digital artists were given a chance to showcase and sell their work. Aversano’s trademark photos of twins from around the world were likewise projected onto large hanging curtains in the middle of the space.
“Twin Flames basically gave birth to Quantum. The success of Twin Flames, the community around Twin Flames, pushed me to support other photographers,” Aversano said at Friday’s opening event.
According to Aversano, the newly-opened space is an experiment, with the following opening planned for this fall in New York. He hopes to launch similar installations worldwide. “We plan to open one a month next year,” Aversano said. “We want to have 20 to 50 spaces around the world.”
“I’m thrilled and really interested to see how it kind of plays out and how we could potentially change the narrative of ‘NFTs are bad,’ and ‘NFTs are not eco-friendly,’” said UnicornDAO’s Rebecca Lamis, who also manages Quantum Space LA. “I think there’s a lot of impact we can do in that capacity.”
Although last Friday’s opening was a soft launch, passersby were quick to show interest, demanding to enter the space out of curiosity.
Aversano explained that money raised from selling NFT minting keys was used to pay for the Quantum Spaces. For instance, Quantum Keys were minted in March in time for the opening of the LA location. On secondary marketplaces, the Keys are priced at Ξ 4.15, or about $7,300). Those who hold the Quantum Keys are allowed entry into an exclusive area of the gallery and can even use the venue to host their events.
“We have enough treasury funding to work with artists and commission them to do mints,” Aversano said. He added that each Quantum Space location that will open would mint its own NFT collection to ensure the site is unique and hold its own membership group.
Aversano explained that this pet project is not entirely about him. He said he wanted to enable other artists and creators as well. “I was able to uplift other artists with my success, which is what I love to do,” he said. “And I want to share the abundance because being an artist and a good person is about—to share the wealth.”
Although Quantum Art’s initial focus is photography, it will soon branch out to include other types of artwork from sculptors, painters, digital artists, fashion designers, and others.
“We want to put up quality art, with a quality community of people that get together and thrive off each other, and support each other,” Aversano said.
“I think that’s why IRL spaces are important. Especially after a pandemic, we want it even more,” he added. “Quantum is in the perfect position to build these community hubs around the world.”
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