Exhibit Curator, Director, Producer
MAD Arts, Dania, FL, 2022
Curatorial Statement — Obscura: The World Today
This IRL NFT exhibition, curated by multidisciplinary artist Maritza Molina, showcases the works of 138 international photographers across 6 continents, 39 countries, and over 90 cities, uniting world-renowned artists and emerging talent alike. The participating photographers include contributors to National Geographic, Magnum Photos, Guggenheim Fellows, and recipients of the World Press Photo, Pulitzer Prize, and Emmy Awards.
Each photographer was given one month—March through April 2022, a time when much of the world was steeped in uncertainty and change—to capture a microcosm of life. The result: 13,800 native 1/1 NFT photographs documenting cities, landscapes, communities, people, events, and conceptual explorations that will tell the story of our time for centuries to come.
An ode to the legendary 1955 MoMA exhibition The Family of Man curated by Edward Steichen, The World Today offers a glimpse into our 21st-century connections—with ourselves, with nature, with humanity, and with the shifting landscapes of culture, technology, politics, architecture, community, family, ancestry, imagination, and the unseen worlds that surround us.
“A camera testament, a drama of the grand canyon of humanity, an epic woven of fun, mystery, of holiness – here is the Family of Man!”
—Carl Sandburg, Prologue to The Family of Man
—Carl Sandburg, Prologue to The Family of Man
Portions of this vast visual ledger come to life in the physical space of this IRL exhibition, composed of interchangeable environments where no moment is ever the same. Visitors can scan a QR code beside any work to access the NFT auction for that artist—becoming collectors and active supporters of both TWT projects and the artists’ journeys in Web3.
The Talking Space, a distinctive feature of the exhibition, highlights Q&A interviews with 26 participating artists from TWT, offering insight into their photographic practices and processes. These conversations span 15 countries, including Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Georgia, India, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Oman, Spain, Trinidad, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The World Today is, ultimately, a world history lesson—an exploration of geography, culture, economics, and politics through the lens of art. It provides rare, intimate access to the lives and landscapes of people and places not often seen with such depth.
“Going through all this work makes me fall in love with photography all over again.”
—Maritza Molina, TWT Curator
—Maritza Molina, TWT Curator