Kashmiri artist creates map for Indian Parliament; more new buzz in the world of global NFTs

A SUMMARY OF THE MOST EXCITING ART NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

While we focus on Indian art, we can’t obviously function in a vacuum. It’s a small world and everything is connected, especially on the web. So, let’s train our spotlight across the world map to see what’s going on — from art trends to socio-political issues to everything that affects the great aesthetic global consciousness. Or, let’s just travel the world and have some fun!

An old map of Srinagar on cloth using papier-mâché

Kashmiri papier-mâché artist Maqbool Jan is making an old map of the Srinagar region, which he wants to be displayed in the Indian Parliament. The map is being drawn on a 5×7-ft piece of cloth. According to Maqbool, he wanted to show the old beauty of the region through his map. He has been working for a year on the map and it will take another 1-2 months to complete. “My desire is that this map is displayed in the Parliament. Because a lot of decisions on the Kashmir region come from there,” says Maqbool. Hindustan Times shares more.

NFT based on Banksy’s ‘Spike’ sells for over $150,000

A non-fungible token based on the Banksy piece “Spike” has sold for over $150,000 via an auction on Valuart, a new platform that mints licensed NFTs derived from original artworks. Banksy, notably, was not involved in the sale. Instead, the “Spike” NFT was minted and sold by Vittorio Grigòlo, an opera singer and Valuart co-founder, who is in possession of the actual “Spike” piece. Banksy created “Spike” in 2005, acquiring a piece of Israel’s West Bank Barrier, writing a secret word on it, then launching a scavenger hunt; the person who found the rock and emailed Banksy the secret word (“Spike”) would get to keep the piece. Rolling Stone unfurls the rest of the tale.

Louis Vuitton to launch NFT game with Beeple art

Luxury brand Louis Vuitton will launch a game app, “Louis: The Game”, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of founder Louis Vuitton. The game will follow the journey of the fashion brand’s mascot Vivienne to Paris and feature 30 NFTs to be collected by players along the way, 10 of which were designed by digital artist Beeple. The NFTs are collectible but not for sale. This is not Louis Vuitton’s first endeavor in the gaming world. Louis Vuitton partnered with the League of Legends franchise in 2019 to design some of the game’s characters’ clothing. Ledger Insights tells all.

Artists lost to HIV/AIDS honoured by transatlantic exhibition series

Marking 40 years since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS crisis, David Zwirner gallery has organised a series of solo exhibitions across its New York and London locations, to honour the memory of artists whose lives were tragically cut short by the disease. Titled ‘More Life’, the series explores responses from the perspective of gay men, a community that disproportionately suffered the devastation of the virus. The first round of shows opened on June 24 and will close this week. Wallpaper has all the details.