MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA—During this month’s Art Basel Miami Beach and Miami Art Week, NFTs seemed to be all the rage. But there was another high-tech feature popping at parties and events: holograms.
PORTL, a company known for creating holographic versions of executives and celebs for conferences and events, including a recent HBO Max party, was pulling the behind-the-scenes sci-fi strings at several of this year’s Art Basel activations.
For example, English musician Maxim of the electronic dance band The Prodigy addressed a crowd of partygoers at the Monolith, a 24-foot-tall NFT art exhibition space produced by ArtRepublic that featured works curated by SuperRare, from his home in London.
And at former MLB player-turned-crypto-mogul Micah Johnson's elaborate Aku World, which was produced and executed by agency Drop Party, PORTL Epic devices showcased oversize holograms of real-life, limited-edition clothing designs by Aleali May, Jerome LaMaar and Pusha T for guests to browse.
At former MLB player-turned-crypto-mogul Micah Johnson's elaborate Aku World, PORTL Epic devices showcased oversized holograms of real-life, limited-edition clothing designs by Aleali May, Jerome LaMaar and Pusha T for guests to browse.Photo: Shadow Lion
For Open Earth Foundation’s #OceanDrop NFT fundraiser, which took place Dec. 3-6 and supported ocean conservation, PORTL supplied holograms of the digital artworks and animations that were up for sale. Nussbaum added that, in addition to interest from galleries, museums and auction houses, NFT collectors are considering purchasing the company’s devices in order to display the art in their homes.
“NFTs were the number one story at Art Basel this year, and the boom has made people look at all digital art differently—whether it's on the blockchain or not—how do you display it effectively?” explained David Nussbaum, founder and CEO of PORTL Inc.Photo: Courtesy of PORTL
In addition to Art Basel and activations for brands like Netflix and Major League Baseball, PORTL recently worked with real estate giant Cadillac Fairview to host a live hologram fashion show at its Eaton Centre mall in Toronto. The models were “beamed in,” making the event safer in terms of COVID-19, plus it allowed for a better layout, Nussbaum explained, in the center of the mall's main atrium. He also shared that PORTL is partnering with venues in London and Paris to use the company’s tech throughout the year.
Some event producers and planners may think that incorporating holograms is cost-prohibitive, complicated or maybe even cheesy, but Nussbaum said, “I think the only thing holding hologram and holoportation tech use back is the perception that it's harder and more expensive to use than it is.” He added that PORTL is “plug-and-play,” available for lease and can operate in any light.
“People love to witness holoportation and realize the depth of the experience that is possible when talking to people on the other side of the world, just as if they were right in front of you,” Nussbaum said. “It really empowers event organizers to bring in guests, artists, experts from anywhere on earth. And people appreciate that there's a sustainability factor—if I can beam to you and save the carbon damage of coming on a jet that's a good feeling.”
The #OceanDrop NFT fundraiser included work from top NFT artists, including Nicole Buffett, Kyle Gordon, Mieke Marple, Gilles Augustijnen, Kevin Mack, Sara Ludy, Anders Hjemdahl and NatGeo photographers Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier.Photo: Courtesy of PORTL
For Open Earth Foundation’s #OceanDrop NFT fundraiser, PORTL supplied holograms of the digital artworks and animations that were up for sale.Photo: Courtesy of PORTL
At Micah Johnson's Aku World, clothing items were displayed in the "Merch Room," where each day a different line appeared in the PORTL devices.Photo: Shadow Lion
