From November 15, 2023, to January 7, 2024, Skygolpe’s "Third Dimension" solo exhibition took place at Foundry Downtown, Dubai, and is now encapsulated within the pages of its limited-edition exhibition book powered by PRNTD technology. Curated by Giuseppe Moscatello and presented by Valuart, in 'Third Dimension,' Skygolpe's canvases combine texture, form, and color to move between the physical and the digital, revealing the complexity of the his journey that spans multiple media from painting to photography, to digital works.
Skygolpe: An Artist Grounded in Philosophy
Skygolpe is one of the leading artists in the field of digital art, and in the NFT space. Skygolpe's journey into the art world began on the streets of London, with his signature street art — an early phase characterized by raw and expressive works that laid the groundwork for his distinct artistic identity.
In 2012, a significant shift occurred when Skygolpe returned to Italy. This move marked a departure from his large-scale street installations to a more introspective exploration on canvas, focusing on the intersections of art and technology. But it also represented a deeper exploration into the theoretical aspects of art, moving beyond the direct impact of street art to embrace a more nuanced and layered approach.
As Skygolpe's interest in digital mediums grew, particularly with the rise of cryptocurrencies and NFT technology, his artistic vision expanded. He began to investigate how these technological advancements could not just augment but also fundamentally change the creative process. This inquiry led to a blend of philosophy, literature, digital art, and traditional painting, signaling a significant evolution in his work.
This period was crucial for transforming the contemporary art scene. Skygolpe's movement between physical and digital art forms challenges and redefines the boundaries of the art world, blending the tangible with the virtual.As he states in an exclusive interview with Fakewhale included within this publication, “Philosophy provides a conceptual foundation for my work, captivating in its exploration of themes like existence, reality, perception, and consciousness. These philosophical concepts guide me as I probe the nature of a technology-dominated reality. As for digital culture, I am fascinated by how it has transformed our view of the artistic sector and its associated market.”
In this transformational landscape, Skygolpe's artworks serve as bridges between two realities: although originating in the digital, they maintain a physical presence through intricate, multi-layered compositions. A fusion, that exemplifies how traditional painting techniques can find new life and depth by integrating digital elements, showcasing a merger of different worlds into a cohesive artistic expression.
Exploring the "Third Dimension" Exhibition Book: A Structured Overview
Skygolpe has always believed that a bridge between the more traditional dimension of visual arts and the new horizons offered by digital art was necessary, and that it needed to be showcased. The concept of hybridization, a cornerstone of his creative philosophy, is powerfully illustrated throughout the pages of this book, which comprehensively covers the works featured in the "Third Dimension" exhibition. From mixed media canvases and AI photography to exclusive interview excerpts, the publication offers a deep dive into the conceptual foundation that has shaped this exhibition over the years, showcasing Skygolpe's journey in merging these two worlds.
Part I : The Exhibition and Its Curation
This section delves into the "Third Dimension" exhibition's core, exploring the artworks that address the complexities of human perception and consciousness. With the newest “Paint on Pixel” series, Skygolpe’s distinctive silhouettes, emblematic of identity and reality's fluidity in the digital age, morph into abstract structures, each symbolizing the evolving understanding of self and existence, facilitated by technological progress. The transition to larger canvases is also highlighted, representing a shift from intimate explorations to broader dialogues.
Part II: Exclusive Insights - The Skygolpe & Fakewhale Dialogue
Here, an exclusive interview with Skygolpe, conducted by Fakewhale, presents a deep dive into the artist's ideation and creative process, shedding light on the past, present, and future of the "Third Dimension." This conversation offers a gateway to understanding the exhibition's comprehensive scope, including detailed analyses of all featured works, and introduces the AI Photography section explaining his interdisciplinary approach in detail.
Part III: AI Photography Series
In this section, the publication outlines Skygolpe's recent pursuit into AI photography, a fusion of technology and artistic expression that challenges the traditional notions of reality and creation. Through months of curating references and training algorithms, Skygolpe crafted photographs that not only simulate reality but also provoke a reevaluation of artistic creation in the digital era. Ultimately, this section conveys the duality of Skygolpe’s art, intertwining the tangible subject matter with the abstract complexities of artificial intelligence.
Part IV: NFT Certification and Its Impact on the Art Market
The concluding part of the exhibition book is one that truly resonates with PRNTD’s vision, emphasizing NFT certification’s transformative role in reshaping the art market towards a more transparent and accessible framework. Skygolpe's pioneering adoption of NFTs as a means of certification for physical works, notably with the first "Paint on Pixel" series auctioned at Christie's for Trespassing III (2022), exemplifies this change. In particular, it highlights how with NFTs, art ownership and public display become integrated into a new dynamic, promoting a sense of communal appreciation of art.