Why the opening of Beeple Studios is a big deal.
Beeple had already become a household name in the art world. And now he's taken it to the next level with the opening of Beeple Studios.
On March 11th I had the incredible opportunity to attend the Beeple Studios opening party, and I can honestly say, it was a night I’ll never forget. I was lucky. But I hope that by the end of this post, you’ll realize you are as well.
As we walked through the first few rooms, which showcase Beeple’s work and life through the years, I began getting glimpses of how significant this event would be. Masked actors wearing the faces of tech moguls and famous artist, delightfully crass audio recordings and art in the bathrooms… it was clear that every corner of this space was designed by Beeple, the space carries his unique personality.
After our time in what I’ll call the “traditional gallery”, the main event opened by displaying art from some of the best motion design and animation artists. I don’t know the measurements of the room, but it’s fucking big! The side and back walls were projection mapped, and LED screen pillars stood in the middle of the room, even the tables we were setting our drinks on turned out to be monitors. The setting is striking, and the opportunities it creates for art to shine in a different and new way, are incredible. This is just the beginning of the future gallery; a playground, made by Beeple, for us, the digital artists.
David Ariew’s work filled this space in a special way
The space doesn’t only show you the art, it bathes you in it. Out of the 50 showcased artists, Mike handpicked 38 himself, and opened the remaining 12 spots for public artist submissions. There were around 500 artists who applied, so you know that everyone who made it into the event is at the top of the game. This is a motion temple, not just for Beeple, or the 50 artists selected for the opening, it’s for all of us. That was palpable through and after the event. The crowd and staff were buzzing with ideas of how to utilize and transform this digital playground.
Beeple already entered the history books when he became the third richest living artist. This event, I believe, marks the pinnacle of what he’s worked so hard for, to have his art recognized and celebrated to the same caliber as traditional media. With this space, he has given a canvas to thousands of digital artists.
This is a moment in art history, and we all get to live it. What’s more, most of the artists being celebrated in the inauguration are people we know, who we’ve followed for years because we believed in them and their art; our friends.
Love seeing the smile on his face. Imagine what it must feel like seeing your art up here!
If you saw the craziness unfold in the Instagram stories or twitter posts, and thought this was just a dope party, don’t be fooled, this was so much more than that. Beeple Studios is set to be a permanent fixture in the digital art world, and I have no doubt that it will continue to push the boundaries of what we thought was possible. So here's to Beeple and all the incredible digital artists out there. The future of art is looking bright, and I can't wait to see what we create next.
Beeple autographing the first dick pic of the day for my book <3
