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Yuga Labs is changing the direction of its new CryptoPunks collaboration following significant community backlash over claims that the collection is overly 'woke'.
Punk in Residence Program
The Punk in Residence program was created to foster on-chain collaboration and foster creative experimentation within the NFT space. Yuga Labs chose artist Nina Chanel Abney to lead the initiative, unveiling her “Super Punk World” collection. The launch, which included an opening event at The School at Jack Shainman Gallery in New York, featured new NFTs on Monday.
Abney's Artistic Vision
Nina Chanel Abney's collection incorporates her unique style and reinterprets iconic CryptoPunk characteristics through her unique lens.
About the collaboration, Abney said:
“CryptoPunks is an iconic and pioneering project that has played a significant role in creating the digital collecting space. By collaborating with them, I saw an opportunity to be at the center of the unique intersection of art, technology and culture.”
The 500-piece collection consists of a selection of avatars inspired by CryptoPunks and Abney's previous work.
Addressing implicit bias through NFTs
Featuring colorful backgrounds and a mix of characters, Abney's avatars aim to challenge social norms and implicit biases. This reflects differences in the secondary market value of digital avatars based on gender and skin color.
Nathalie Stone, General Manager and Brand Lead at CryptoPunks, explained the intent of the collection:
“We are trying to bring CryptoPunks to the public in some way and help them understand why digital ownership is important.”
Community reaction and criticism
Despite the innovative and progressive intentions behind the collection, the reaction from the CryptoPunks community has been largely negative. Critics said the piece was too 'woke' and did not fit the established CryptoPunks brand.
There were also complaints about a perceived dilution of the original CryptoPunks collection, with some collectors unhappy with what they saw as an extension of the high-value “blue chip” Ethereum NFT set.
Yuga Labs’ response
In light of the backlash, Yuga Labs has decided to discontinue its artist residency program to focus on preserving the essence of the CryptoPunks collection.
Early Monday evening, Yuga Labs CEO Greg “Garga” Solano tweeted the following:
“Yuga won't touch the punk anymore. They will simply be decentralized and preserved on the blockchain. The only thing we’re trying to do is support some museums and institutions that are trying to acquire punk and help educate their audiences about punk.”
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not provided or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial or other advice.
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