by elementum, manfred p. art by kage AS NFTs
As one of the first to bridge new possibilities NFTInfused with art, elementum is a pioneering platform for visionary digital creators as well as collectors – just land at Zurich Airport to see the immersive NFT gallery For example. The platform is at the forefront of digital art, working only with pioneers of algorithmic art. Therefore, elementum left the birth of the NFT of Manfred P. Kage (1935-2019), the famous figure of microphotography.
Picture © 1966 Manfred P. Kage, group exhibition with Carl Strüwe, Copyright © KAGE Mikrofotografie
Manfred P. Kage (1935-2019) was a renowned artist, science photographer, filmmaker, and inventor who was a leading member of the ZERO art movement. His work used innovative techniques to visually depict the complexity of nature, coining the terms ‘art of science’ and ‘art of modern science’. From the Museum of Modern Art in New York to global events such as the Olympic Games, EXPO and the Venice Biennale, Kage’s creations have revolutionized the synthesis of science and art. A true pioneer in digital art whose work was first left as NFTs by elementum platform.
“The fact that things weren’t what they seemed back then was a revelation to me, it was like opening the door to a mysterious world – a universe that can be explored step by step and gain insight.” said Manfred P. Kage.
Image © Manfred P. Kage, courtesy of elementum, Radiolarie – No. 2, 2004
Photos of elementum in Instagram Account manfred s. Kage’s genesis NFT series
The first of formation series called ‘Radiolarie – No. 2’. Radiolaria are microscopic single-celled organisms that form aesthetically beautiful silica skeletons in the sea. Fifty of these skeletons fit into a pen point. The artwork realized Manfred P. Kage’s creative challenge to visually reveal the aesthetics of the smallest micro-worlds. The artist has made this tangible for audiences through his work, thanks to the invention of SEM science art using a scanning electron microscope installed in 1977.
Image © Manfred P. Kage, courtesy of elementum, Dimensionssprung, 2007
Featuring a seemingly natural blur of vibrant colours, ‘Dimensionssprung’ is the second work in the NFT series. The artwork formed part of Manfred P. Kage’s ‘Microverse of Crystals’ series, crystal optic pictorial works created with the aid of a polychromator. This machine is an optical synthesizer for microphotography, invented by Kage in 1957.
Image © Manfred P. Kage, courtesy of elementum, Mikrokosmos Verschmelzung, 2009
Kage’s three NFTs are currently on display at the pop-up elementum.art NFT Gallery at Zurich Airport in the group exhibition ‘Liebe Maschine, male mir’, held in collaboration with elementum and Kate Vass Galerie. Manfred P. Kage’s ‘Mikrokosmos Verschmelzung’ brings art to the stratosphere. In his new multimedia, he illuminates the invisible connection between human existence, nature and the cosmos. The artwork visually combines the crystallization of acenaphtha compounds under a microscope with an astro-image from NASA. Explosions of the elements capture the all-encompassing rhythm of chaos and order in organisms.
“When I first met Manfred P. Kage at the ZERO at Martin exhibition at Gropius Bau in Berlin in 2015, it was a great discovery for me to experience an immersive multimedia performance with microscopic images. I suddenly saw the deep connection between the hidden secrets of nature and the mathematical beauty of digital art. The sheer number of apparatus and inventions Kage built himself in the microscope of history was pretty overwhelming,‘ Explains Georg Bakdigital art consultant and NFT drop curator.
‘In numerous discussions with Gottfried Jäger (founder of prolific photography) and Herbert W. Franke (a close friend of Manfred P. Kage, who wrote the obituary), I learned that many of the early computer artists were heavily influenced by microscopic art. Gottfried Jäger curated an exhibition in Bielefeld in the 1960s with Manfred P. Kage and Carl Strüwe (another great microscopic photographer). Looking back at historical art + technology exhibitions such as György Kepes’ “New Landscape in Art and Science”, microscopic images were displayed quite prominently. However, the context of microscopic and scientific images in digital art remains highly unexplored.‘
array info:
platform: element
artist: Manfred P.Kage
release date: Friday, December 9, 17:00 CET
Explore the work of Manfred P. Kage on the Elementum.art platform and the secondary market on OpenSea.
Visit the group exhibition ‘Liebe Maschine, male mir’, which you can see at elementum.art NFT Gallery, Circle 18, 8058 in Zurich.
