Artwrld launches AR project Monuments of the Disclosed by Ahmet Öğüt

Thu, Dec 1 - Sat, Dec 31  2022

Artwrld - New York Consulate Region

Commissioned by Artwrld, the AR public art project Monuments of the Disclosed by artist Ahmet Öğüt is now live, and 99 NFTs will drop in December 2022.

Inspired by the acts of multiple truth-tellers, artist Ahmet Öğüt collaborated with Artwrld to create Monuments of the Disclosed–a collection of digital monuments to nine historical whistleblowers. Individuals who, often at tremendous personal sacrifice, exposed the fraud, malintent and wrongdoing of unfettered power; and who, more often than not, remain unrecognized for their acts of courage. Proceeds benefit: Protocinema and the National Whistleblower Center.

Ahmet Öğüt, whistleblower Marsha Coleman-Adebayo from Monuments of the Disclosed, 2022. Courtesy of the artist

You can see the full AR public art component of Ahmet Öğüt’s Monuments of the Disclosed on Artwrld’s website, where you can use your phone to scan QR codes, or click the links if you’re already on a mobile device.The full Monuments of the Disclosed collection of 99 NFTs drops in December, with early access (and a discounted mint price) for those who sign up via Premint.

Ahmet Öğüt, whistleblower Li Wenliang from Monuments of the Disclosed, 2022. Courtesy of the artist

About Monuments of the Disclosed

Monuments of the Disclosed is a collection of digital monuments that are made available as both 3D digital files and Augmented Reality experiences. In providing AR-ready digital sculptures, Öğüt invites the public to participate in populating public space with monuments to those that blew the whistle on corrupt power. Each monument is dedicated to a different individual who stood up to forces far beyond themselves—their busts hover over the plinths making one wonder if they are about to land or be removed, they exist in a perpetual state of transition.

Monuments are built, and monuments are toppled. In recent years, activists have asked the question who gets honored in monumental form. Most commonly, cities are adorned with statues of military generals, philanthropic merchants and well-connected politicians cast in bronze, concrete, marble and stone. Their towering figures offer an exclamation point in the urban body of what and whose history matters.

In 2015, three anonymous artists (later identified as Jeff Greenspan, Andrew Tider, and Doyle Trankina) installed a bust of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden atop an empty Doric column in Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn. Hours later the intervention was removed by NYC park officials. In their statement on the project, the artists claimed to have “updated” the monument in an effort to “highlight those that sacrifice their safety in the fight against modern-day tyrannies.”

Inspired by this guerilla act, artist Ahmet Öğüt collaborated with Artwrld to create a collection of digital monuments to lesser-known whistleblowers. Individuals who, often at tremendous personal sacrifice, exposed the fraud, malintent and wrongdoing of unfettered power; and who, more often than not, remain unrecognized for their acts of courage.

About Ahmet Öğüt

Ahmet Öğüt is an artist, lecturer, and sociocultural initiator. Working across a variety of media, he often uses humor and subtle gestures to comment on pressing social and political issues. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Visible Award for his project The Silent University, an autonomous knowledge-exchange platform by and for refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants.

About Artwrld

Artwrld is an artist-driven organization that believes in building an art world worth inhabiting. It works collaboratively with artists to commission and produce projects that engage broad audiences and explore the emerging possibilities of blockchain technology for creative practice. Artwrld support artists throughout the entire process of making new work—from the initial concept to the final presentation—while fostering critical conversations about the issues driving digital art and culture. Its mission is to create art projects that are thoughtful, challenging, and inspiring, and help artists advance their work and ideas in the space of web3.