In January 2022, cross-disciplinary artist Ed Fornieles collaborated with art curator Sam Spike to bring an NFT version of electronic pets (Tamagotchi, once all the rage) into reality.
The 'Finiliar' designed by Fornieles is a group of adorable little creatures inspired by the chemical reactions that occur when humans interact with infants. Over the years, this team of little creatures has shortened their name from 'Finiliar' to 'Fini'.
In 2024, Fornieles will further explore the Fini world, taking viewers behind the scenes to understand how he depicts each Fini, their families, and their various emotions and expressions. In the 'Fini Sketches' series, Fornieles shares 25 Fini sketches and storyboards, adding context to the original series from 2022.
The following details how Fornieles originally developed (Fini) and how he paved the way for the (Fini) universe from character development in performing arts.
Introduction to Finiliar
Finiliar is an NFT series created by British cross-disciplinary artist Ed Fornieles, where each Finiliar acts like a digital pet that can respond in real-time to changes in the cryptocurrency market.
The series uses data oracles to track the performance of specific cryptocurrencies. When a currency depreciates, Finiliar shows signs of sadness or sickness; when a currency appreciates, Finiliar appears happy and vibrant.
Fornieles associates each Finiliar with different cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, etc. This direct link between digital art and real-time financial data makes Finiliar stand out in the NFT space, as collectors find this emotional resonance captivating, adding an interactive element to ownership.
Since its launch, Finiliar has attracted significant interest from NFT enthusiasts and digital art collectors. This article will outline how Fornieles conceived this series, the creative process behind it, and the impact of Finiliar on the NFT community.
Ed Fornieles created Finis 6 years ago and brought it into Finiliar Studios and the world of NFTs.
Fornieles did not start in the Web3 art space. The London-based artist holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art at Oxford University and a Master's in Sculpture from the Royal College of Art in London, utilizing both degrees from the outset of his career.
He showcased various sculptures, videos, and interactive performance art pieces, most of which aimed to challenge viewers' perspectives on social influence, pop culture, and the power of community.
For example, in one performance art piece, he hosted a party, inviting 300 guests and assigning them roles, allowing them to improvise and play these roles throughout the night. Early in his career, he revisited themes of the American university experience in many of his works, as he was fascinated by how this theme tightly connects personal experiences with community experiences.
With the rise of social platforms like Facebook and Tumblr, he also turned his artistic vision toward social norms, online communities, and how the external social world influences personal lives.
In the context of previous performance art pieces and exhibitions, Fornieles created (Finiliar) in 2016. This GIF animation is tied to RSS feeds of various currencies, and as the currencies fluctuate, the emotions of Fini change accordingly.
Since 2016, Fornieles began exhibiting original (Fini) works through multimedia installations in galleries from New York to Tokyo. The emotions of Finiliar NFTs adjust based on the bound cryptocurrency, with varying intervals for changes, such as hourly, twice daily, or weekly.
In an interview with web3 publishing platform Mirror, Fornieles explained: 'They are the cute embodiments of existing data, utilizing RSS feeds and large screens, sculptures, and some film works, but they are limited to entering gallery spaces or to those who can afford expensive works. What I see in NFTs is that a piece can establish intimate relationships with thousands of people, not just a few.'
After a chance meeting with art curator Sam Spike at an art festival, Fornieles decided to collaborate with Spike to develop Fini World, an NFT collection, app, and media company that ultimately expanded Fini World starting in 2022.
Fini World not only has 10,000 NFT collectibles
Fini World includes multiple NFT series, a messaging app, and social media videos introducing the legends of Fini World.
"Finiliar" is the genesis NFT collection of Fini World, comprising 10,000 PFPs that cover ten different 'families' or types of Finis. Fornieles ties each Fini family to a cryptocurrency, so that the emotions of the Finis fluctuate based on the activity of the specific cryptocurrency on a certain date.
These ten cryptocurrencies include Avalanche, Binance, Bitcoin, Chainlink, Dogecoin, Ethereum, Polygon, Solana, Tezos, and Uniswap.
In his 2024 NFT series 'Fini Sketches', Fornieles describes and shares illustrations of how he assigns personalities, styles, and unique traits to each Fini family, so that each family feels like their own Fini tribe.
"Within these families, there exist clans and small groups that resonate with society; some have leaders, some are more democratic, some are more humane and real, while others are sci-fi and strange, or abstract and gooey," Fornieles explained in an interview with the digital art marketplace Verse.
In a post on the official Fini World X account, the project also explained: Finiliar reveals the emotional bond that exists between us and the vast data controlling our lives. Its audience extends far beyond cryptocurrencies, encompassing all age groups, as seen in some friendly competitions involving collector's children.
As Fini World continues to evolve, Fornieles hopes that community experience remains a pillar of his work and Fini World.
For instance, through the Fini app Oom, the Fini team encourages deeper communication between Fini holders, urging them to 'skip the small talk,' while also gamifying Fini ownership, as the more you interact on the app, the richer your Fini becomes—highlighting that connection and community are the lifeblood of the NFT world and beyond.
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