NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Renowned international art pioneer Andy Valmorbida, who earned the moniker “King of Pop-Up” for the 45 pop-up art shows in 12 countries, recently announced the launch of River-Labs, a groundbreaking Web3 digital marketplace offering uniquely handcrafted generative digital art from established as well as emerging artists. The first to be offered by Valmorbida and curator Jordan Watts is Keo-Xmen, available for the month of November. A new artist will be offered each month. The following two months will feature other industry icons Vahid Sharifian (December) and Nunca (January).
Along with the artist roll-out, River-Labs announced the launch of river-labs.io through which its Global Mint Pass and FoundersCard will be made available. Fans and collectors can sign up now for early info, alerts and access. With the passes, members gain access to exclusive drops from heavyweight artists, the opportunity to own 1:1 digital and physical generative art, and access to members-only parties and events. FoundersCard owners will also receive access to River-Labs’ physical club in Brooklyn with exclusive amenities.
Prominent Brooklyn Graffiti/Street artist Blake Lethem, or Keo-Xmen, began his career in 1979 and rose to be one New York’s most prominent street artists of the 1980’s along with along with Futura, Hambleton, Haring and Basquiat, and is credited with being a major influence on Kaws and the modern day graffiti movement as a whole. As a forerunner in the street art movement who represented Retna, Futura, and owner of the Richard Hambleton copyrights, Valmorbida recognized the impact of Keo-Xmen and the other artists being made available on River-Labs.
Vahid Sharifian’s work, heavy in surrealism and sexuality, has been exhibited around the world and in such institutions as Chelsea Art Museum, the Institute of Contemporary Arts, the Gwangju National Museum, and the Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art in Denmark. In 2015 his work was presented at the Iranian Pavilion of the 56th Venice Biennale.
From São Paolo, Brazil, Francisco Rodrigues da Silva or ‘Nunca’ is one of the world’s most acclaimed international street artists, and is the youngest artist exhibited at a major show at Tate Modern in London.
“River-Labs marries culture and utility in the art world,” Valmorbida commented. “It empowers the creative community and offers emerging and established contemporary artists a compelling opportunity to seamlessly enter into an emerging marketplace, acting as an incubator and harbouring their assets on the blockchain while allowing collectors who could otherwise not afford the original fine art to enjoy their own unique generative art piece. The option to own the generative physical artworks on canvas from River-Labs artists is an industry first, and so is the opportunity for collectors and artists to interact in physical spaces like our Brooklyn club. We have also decided to accept credit cards in addition to cryptocurrency to make the art accessible to everyone.”
Unlike any offering currently available in the Web3 space, River-Labs will manage and offer established and emerging artists a platform that creates a long-term digital presence, while preserving their legacy and value in both the physical and digital art worlds. River-Labs offers automated royalty allocations to the artists and allows owners of art to lease the rights to display in the metaverse and virtual reality platforms.
In addition, Valmorbida is committed to establishing a River-Labs non-profit to provide art education grants and opportunities for emerging artists consistent with his many philanthropic efforts.
About River-Labs:
River-Labs is a digital marketplace harboring art history and curating cultural programs for collective ecospheres rooted in contemporary and urban art. River-Labs will manage and offer established and emerging artists a platform that increases their relevance and establishes a long-term digital presence, preserving their legacy in both the physical and digital art worlds. River-labs.io.
