Celebrated new media artist Refik Anadol and the Yawanawá community, indigenous to the Brazilian Amazon, are preparing to showcase their remarkable co-created artwork series, titled Winds of Yawanawá, on Thursday, 13th July 2023. This captivating series features a data sculpture and a limited Genesis NFT collection consisting of 1000 unique Data Paintings. These artworks incorporate weather data from the Yawanawá village in the Amazon rainforest, including wind speed, gusts, direction, and temperature, harmoniously merging with the creativity of young Yawanawá artists Nawashahu and Mukashahu, resulting in a mesmerising display of traditional shapes and colours.
Refik Anadol himself declared Winds of Yawanawá as his “most meaningful and purposeful project of the year,” bringing us closer to embracing symbiotic ways of living on our planet.
Winds of Yawanawá Collection Sale is scheduled for 14th to 16th July 2023.
The Yawanawá community boasts a rich tradition and a profound history of artistic expression, blending patterns, visions, and dreams to convey the strength and beauty of their people. This artwork series is a testament to their cultural heritage, symbolising their symbiotic relationship with the rainforest they nurture.
The NFT sale will commence with an official unveiling at 19:00 local time in Greece (16:00 UTC) on 14th July 2023. Each NFT encompasses a unique video and sound variation derived from the central artwork of the series. Additionally, every NFT purchase includes a museum-quality physical print (44×22 inches), signed by Chief Nixiwaka Yawanawá and Refik Anadol. The sale will remain open until Sunday, 16th July 2023.
Winds of Yawanawá was created as part of Impact One’s Possible Futures collaboration with the Yawanawá community, aiming to sow the seeds of a more integrated approach to sustainability in the future. The Possible Futures initiative originated from Genesis, an indigenous outreach program commissioned by Mikolaj Sekutowicz and curated by Jeanne de Kroon as part of Therme Art’s Wellbeing Culture Forum. In September 2022, Therme Art and Impact One responded to Chief Nixiwaka Yawanawá’s invitation and visited the Yawanawá Sacred Village of Aldeia Sagrada. Since then, the initiative has flourished into a platform to listen to and amplify indigenous voices, co-developing a shared perspective on creating true value impact, known as Possible Futures. The platform was officially launched at the New York Times climate hub at COP27, featuring a program co-curated with Nina Gualinga of the Kichwa People of Sarayaku. The discussion series explored the concept of co-creating symbiotic futures for the planet, with participation from the current Minister of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, Sonja Guajajara, and representatives of the Yawanawá, Xakriabá, Witoto, Terena, Kichwa, Ushigua, and Ponca People.
The Yawanawá community is represented in this project by chiefs Biraci Nixiwaka Brasil, Putanny Yawanawá, and Isku Kua Biraci Brasil Junior, leaders of the Aldeia Sagrada and Nova Esperança villages. Proceeds from the artwork sales will directly support the Instituto Nixiwaka, the organisation representing the Yawanawá communities, in their long-term initiatives to protect Yawanawá territories and cultural heritage. The funds generated will be utilised for various projects, including the development of sustainable infrastructure in the Aldeia Sagrada village and the establishment of an educational program for Nova Esperança.
For More Information: http://possiblefutures.one/
OFFICIAL UNVEILING To inaugurate the Winds of Yawanawá, Possible Futures has partnered with Scorpios Mykonos to present the artwork as part of their newly launched art platform, Encounters. The official unveiling of the artwork series will take place on 13th July 2023, followed by the opening of the NFT data paintings sale on 14th July 2023, which will run until 16th July 2023. In celebration of this historic collaboration, Refik Anadol, Chief Nixiwaka, and Chief Isku Kua will be present at Scorpios Mykonos from 13th to 14th July 2023 as part of Scorpios’ Encounters program. Together with their family members Ninunihu and Ykashahu, Nixiwaka and Isku Kua will lead prayers and musical performances. The event will also feature a panel discussion, curated by Impact One, exploring the concept and creation behind this collaborative artwork and the utilisation of Web3 as an additional catalyst for global stewardship of natural ecosystems.
