Nomination
Nishikigoi NFT is a project that supports diverse cultures by connecting art and technology with local communities. We work to create a new type of community that uses blockchain technology to preserve the vital local resources that we need to live.
Photo: ykxotkx
Photo: Okazz
Photo: Sho Hirose
As a first project, we’ve released a digital identity-focused NFT collection in a rural region called Yamakoshi in Niigata. Yamakoshi is a region that has a harsh natural environment with heavy snowfall of up to 3 meters in winter and is also known as the birthplace of colored carp (Nishikigoi). But 19 years ago, a massive earthquake devastated the region so badly that the entire village had to be evacuated.
The project aims to increase the number of people involved, the relational population, and we have this idea of ‚digital villagers‘ creating numerous opportunities and encounters to engage with the local community. As of today, there are over 1,700 digital villagers living across the world.
We have a democratic governance system in place, with NFT holders voting on important decisions for the project. We plan to establish this local DAO not only in Yamakoshi, but also in other regions of the world.
Credits
Co-founder: Yamakoshi Public Meeting; Crypto Village
Generative artists: Okazz, raf, ykxotkx
Biography
Toshi (JP) I came across blockchain technology in 2016 and researched its social impacts. Then I started exploring the relationship between art and blockchain, which eventually led to the launch of Generativemasks in 2019 and KUMALEON in 2022. Both are about generative art and communities. In 2022-2024, I held an exhibition called Proof of X with the theme ‘NFT as New Media Art’, which showcased works that use the properties of smart contracts and blockchain as a medium. Nishikigoi NFT is part of this, and is a project designed to work with local governments to combine art and technology to create a relational population.