To expand its collection of “unique” NFTs, Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) is cooperating with Filamen, a new media art group. Pentas, a South-East Asian NFT platform powered by Binance Smart Chain, currently features four NFTs inspired by Volkswagen’s flagship automobile. According to VPCM Managing Director Erik Winter, “Volkswagen has always been at the forefront of Malaysia’s digitalization efforts, and pushing the boundaries of digital technology is something we strive towards.”
The NFTs are included in Filamen’s No-to-scale virtual gallery and co-curated design research platform. The NFTs were commissioned by Filamen’s Syed Mohamad and Jason Choo in reaction to the Volkswagen Arteon’s “design and performance—from the sound to the shape and the tiny aspects that matter.”
Choo calls his NFTs “fictitious pictures.” As he characterises his work as “creating worlds in which we may dwell,” the art is futuristic in nature, including rocketship concepts. “The intersection between art and technology has long piqued my interest. “I respect Volkswagen’s commitment to innovation as an artist, and it was incredible to be able to interpret and change the Arteon into something more than a car through my work,” Jason says.
Syed’s work, on the other hand, is focused on the concepts of “energy” and “motion.” Syed claims that. “It’s meant to look like “ocean surface waves,” and it reminds me of shaggy rugs that you can run your fingers through. Unlike the photos I took of them, all of the NFTs are animated GIFs or video files with the sound of a vehicle’s engine or a car being detonated like a rocket.”
“This project has taught me to perceive automobiles in a different light. It was a wonderful experience to be able to examine every inch of the Arteon and then express my sentiments via painting while remaining true to not only my creative style—but also the Arteon’s DNA, “Syed added further.
The launch of Volkswagen Malaysia’s NFT line was not entirely unexpected. Despite their massive environmental impact, NFTs have the potential to produce large cash for artists and the companies who launch them.
