THE PLASTIC EXCHANGE PROJECT
A series of 16 NFTs - unique, animated Playing Cards
A series of 16 animated short stories in the shape of playing cards. Portraying Bali, in visuals and sound. The short stories will be launched on after another as 1/1 edition NFTs on SuperRare.
Why, the PLASTIC EXCHANGE PROJECT?
It started with Bali. I’m a freebird and somewhat more or less traveling since 2008. I feel home in many places, but probably have a very unconventional understanding of what „home“ means. One very special place, where I spent a lot of time, is Bali. This island vibes with arts & an appreciation for all sorts of creativity. Not so much in „the old cultured“ (or, colonial?) way of „western taste fine arts“, along with extraordinary museums and the sparkling wine establishment. More with how much art is engraved into the fabric of every day life, into spirituality & society. When I decided to jump & fully dedicate myself into the world of arts in 2017, I knew I would spend even more time here. Art is nothing fancy here, arts is just something deeply humane, and very much normal.
For a long time I had the desire to document what I see on Bali through a series of „short stories“: Animated playing cards, portraying Bali in visuals and sound. I wanted all paintings, the animation and also the music to be hand-crafted.
And then, the crisis hit. The ongoing pandemic hit the islands hard, as 80% of income relies on tourism. According to the Worldbank (see below), an additional 5.5-8 mio Indonesians fell into severe poverty (totals 26.42 million indonesians below the severe poverty line). Which, in the case of Bali, means people struggle to cover the basic needs: Food. Rice, in the case of Bali.
Also, there is a huge trash problem in Indonesia, in rainy season the beaches are littered with plastic. A tremendous hit on our environment and our health. Nearly half of Indonesia’s trash ends up in rivers and ultimately in the ocean. While countries such as Germany, France, Australia, China and the United States still send their trash to Indonesia and „feel good because they recycle“. Hence, this is not an indonesian problem. This is all OUR problem!
There is a great program from a local guy, I Made Janur Yasa, called the „Plastic Exchange“: They came up with the idea that people can collect plastic and exchange for rice. First core value of the foundation is Dignity: „a sense of pride and self-worth that by working together we can create a better future for ourselves“. Also, it is Community Led – organized independently by youth initiatives, newly formed groups, and other existing groups.
I found the idea to treat plastic as a „currency for rice“ and also their values around community & independence a great analogy to the crypto community. Could not be more different, yet all so similiar with some core values & ideas.
I wanted to connect these two worlds, because we all need to work together & start to think more about how everyone and everything is related to each other. The chain: Art -> NFT -> Collecting Plastic -> Rice.
The ANIMATED SHORT STORIES
Status Quo. I painted all the cards already. Now, next up – I’ll pull 1 card after the other. Then, animate them & create the music. Here is an overview on the finished & minted artworks:
Jack Of Diamonds:
A tribute to the legendary Balinese Dances. The music adds another layer: A flashback to the late 14th century, when Islam arrived on Hinduistic Bali: As traders and sailors, who came by the sea. Their (only 1) god was welcomed as 1 of many. A few even married into Balinese families. Bali maintained a strong cultural identity, integrating the new blood: Among so many others, they now pray to their „ancestors from Mekkah“, especially in the villages in the north of the island.
Open for auction on SuperRare!
Jack Of Clubs:
There’s always one exception :). This card is „excluded“ from „The Plastic Exchange“ donation system. A tribute to the crypto community, in their quest to find solutions & answers for the environmental impact of NFTs.
Donation to Green NFTs: 492 USD.
A Bounty For More Ecologically Friendly NFTs. Read more here.
Current Owner: Crypto Collect
Won the auction with a bid of 3.5Ξ
Queen Of Hearts:
Showcasing Leah Dawson, one of my favorite surfers. Frequently visiting Bali & environmental activist. Co-founder of the Changing Tides Foundation.
Donation to The Plastic Exchange: 489 USD.
Buys 489 kg of Rice.
Feeds 4 people for 489 days!
Collects 1956 kg of Plastic.
Current Owner: Parrott_Ism
Won the auction with a bid of 3.236Ξ.
Ace Of Spades:
Dirt Bike Culture is a big thing in Indonesia. Loads of freedom. Loads of carbon in the air.
Donation to The Plastic Exchange: 234 USD.
Buys 234 kg of Rice.
Feeds 4 people for 234 days!
Collects 936 kg of Plastic.
Current Owner: Crypto Collect
Won the auction with a bid of 2Ξ (open offer 2.5Ξ).
THE general idea
summary
TELL ME – I’LL FORGET
INVOLVE ME – I’LL LEARN
EMPOWER ME – I’LL CONTINUE
Outcome of donations so far:
Donations of 1.215 USD Totals.
– 723 USD for the Plastic Exchange
– 492 USD to Green NFTs
The Plastic Exchange:
Our donations buy 723 kg of Rice.
Our donations feed 4 people for 723 days!
Our donations collect 2.892 kg of Plastic!
All playing cards will be minted exclusively on SuperRare.
Stay tuned for new drops & some process takes on my Twitter account!