Traversing the world of non-fungibles is a daunting task. With so many new NFT projects, artists, and large-scale collections cropping up weekly, it has become nearly impossible to keep up with all the new and exciting happenings.
Previously, all that was needed to find the latest NFT craze was a simple browse through OpenSea. But things have changed drastically since the 2021 NFT boom. Now, NFT enthusiasts have to be really mindful of what and where they collect.
To aid in the unearthing of awe-inspiring NFT endeavors both new and old, nft now presents Undervalued: a weekly column highlighting innovative projects, collections, and artists pushing the NFT space forward.
Metascapes, which launched on February 2, 2022, is a project that mixes photography and artificial intelligence to create unique, generative landscapes. Curated by Versus Labs, the collaboration between top-tier photographers Cath Simard, Iurie Belegurschi, and Ryan Newburn features 2,555 hand-picked AI pieces, including 266 videos.
Metascpaes is a unique undertaking released during a time when photographers are fighting to solidify a position for themselves within the broader NFT ecosystem. A unique mix between photography and generative art, each of the collection’s fantastical NFT images comes with varying degrees of rarity that can offer collectors an array of incentives.
The most notable facet of Metascapes is likely NFT Iceland Camp — a multi-day exclusive event to be held in late 2022 that will bring artists, collectors, creatives, and builders together with the purpose of driving innovation and fun within the NFT community. The camp provides an interesting use case of the crossover between digital and physical rewards as holders with rare Metascapes pieces will receive presale access to tickets.
Savage Droids, launched on September 8, 2021, is the inaugural PFP projector of artist Savage Dogs. Born from the unique dog-inspired characters found throughout his pieces, this collection features 8,888 avatars NFTs.
The Savage Droids lore centers around the “Droid War,” which meant that collectors were initially prompted to choose a side (either Theos or Community). As the collection grew and developed, holders were incentivized to participate in community events which allowed them to burn a combination of tokens to receive upgraded NFTs.
With more droid-inspired collection mechanics to come, as well as an official comic on the horizon, Savage Droids provides an interesting use case for how independent artists can create in-depth narratives surrounding their works.
Worldwide Webb, launched on November 30, 2021, is a pixel art MMORPG metaverse where players can buy land, build out their own unique online dwellings, and play games to earn items and coins. Possibly the biggest selling point of the game is its interoperability with other contracts and assets on the Ethereum blockchain.
For starters, players can use their own verified NFTs as in-game avatars — transferring the PFP-centric values of the NFT community directly to Worldwide Webb. NFTs are also used as pets, lands, items, and quests, all of which add up to an experience heavily inspired by Ernest Cline’s novel turned movie “Ready Player One.”
As the metaverse games market continues to mature, the pixel-art-centric nature of Worldwide Webb acts as a callback to CryptoPunks and other projects that contributed to the origins of the NFT boom.
Make Yourself at Home, launched on October 1, 2021, is the inaugural collection from critically-acclaimed surrealist photographer Brooke DiDonato. Comprised of 42 pieces, the small-batch of photo NFTs are based on reality, but all include a subtle distortion of the familiar.
Over the course of her decade-long career, DiDonato has worked with an array of influential brands like Adobe, Coach, Gucci, The New Yorker, and more. She became involved in the NFT space in the Fall of 2021 and is quickly becoming a prominent part of the growing NFT photography ecosystem.
DiDonato’s work is a testament to what creative vision and time can do to elevate a body of work. As although photography NFTs have continued to become more popular over the past eight months or so, as previously mentioned, photographers have continued the fight to solidify a position for themselves within the broader NFT ecosystem.
Pxin Gxng, launched on May 13, 2021, is a community-driven collection from GxngYxng, the creator of the popular Ghxsts NFT project. Comprised of over 60 edition NFTs, and counting, the Pxin Gxng is a reflection of the Ghxsts Discord community of the same name.
Those who have been an active part of the Ghxsts Discord community the longest have been continuously rewarded for their support by receiving airdrops and early access to Ghxsts and Pxin Gxng pieces.
The collection is essentially a set of edition pieces created by GxngYxng to offer a wider range of accessibility to those wanting to become an active part of the Ghxsts collector community. The Pxin Gxng floor is much lower than that of the now surging main Ghxsts collection and is mostly made up of memes that reflect the community’s collective sense of humor.