Digital art gets physical home, buyers
in Union Square gallery
BY DANIEL FASTENBERG
REUTERS
Digital art, whose prices
can now rival those of
Old Master paintings,
is on display at a new physical
gallery in New York that aims to
show how such pieces can fi t into
the home or offi ce.
Digital artist Beeple made
headlines in March when his
video artwork “Everydays: The
First 5000 Days” sold for over
$69 million at Christie’s. The
video was an example of a digital
asset called a non-fungible token
(NFT), which exist only online
and have exploded in popularity
recently.
So why do they need a physical
space?
Ed Zipco, founder of the
Superchief Gallery NFT, which
he calls “the fi rst physical permanent
NFT gallery space in
the world,” said it can fulfi ll the
artist’s “ideal intent” to show a
The Superchief Gallery NFT director and co-founder, Ed Zipco is seen in his gallery in Union
Square on April 7, 2021.
high resolution digital canvas on
the wall.
“It shows you how you live with
the work,” he said.
DAN FASTENBERG/REUTERS
The gallery, which sold
$150,000 of art in its fi rst week
in March, accepts cryptocurrency
payments. While digital images
are easily copied and shared online,
tokens provide proof of ownership
for fi les that supporters say
are the equivalent of the original
signed painting.
At the gallery in Manhattan’s
Union Square neighborhood, the
work of fi ve artists will be shown
each day through the end of May,
for a total of 300 artists, including
Swoon, James Jirat Patradoon and
Mashkow. Artists receive 85% of
the sales proceeds.
The NFT of Mashkow’s “NFTesla”
on display is a rotating digital
image of an original physical
version exhibited at Superchief’s
main SoHo Gallery.
Superchief Gallery NFT breaks
new ground, said Cody Kennedy,
44, whose NFT work, “In the
service of,” is on display there.
“One of the best things about
showing in this gallery in particular
is… this is what’s coming
next,” he said.
Pilot program lets bicyclists park their wheels
at Manhattan’s Port Authority Bus Terminal
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
The Port Authority Bus Terminal in
Manhattan will provide space for
low-cost and secure bicycle parking
through a pilot program launching later
this month.
The program, in partnership with the
nonprofi t Transportation Alternatives, will
give commuters the opportunity to park
their two wheels in a secure area within
the terminal for just $3 a day or $30 per
month. Delivery workers will be able to do
so for free.
Parking space for bicycles has been increasingly
diffi cult in Manhattan even as
more individuals take up bicycling to get
around, and as the city’s bike lane network
continues to grow. Transportation Alternatives
believes this pilot program, though it
runs only through mid-June, will help ease
parking issues in Midtown.
“New York City has a severe lack of
secure bike parking, and we’re stepping up
to address this by piloting a solution in the
heart of Midtown Manhattan,” said Danny
Harris, Executive Director of Transportation
Alternatives. “Right now, cycling is
more popular than ever, and this pilot will
be even more critical as commuters begin
PHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES
returning to the offi ce.”
The program is being provided through
a partnership with the Port Authority,
Transportation Alternatives, Green Mountain
Energy and Oonee, which operates
a similar bicycle parking area at Journal
Square in Jersey City.
Transportation Alternatives will operate
the two-month bike parking service, with
the Port Authority providing the storage
space as well as a kiosk where bicyclists can
sign up for the program. Users will be able
to access the space between the morning
and afternoon rush hours, from 6:30 to
10:30 a.m. and from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Those who sign up for the pilot program
will also get a free bike light, courtesy of
Transportation Alternatives.
“The Port Authority is pleased to provide
a sustainable commute and peace of mind
for cyclists and bus terminal users seeking
to have their bikes are secured when not
in use,” said Diannae Ehler, director of
Tunnels, Bridges, and Terminals at Port Authority.
“The agency continues to advocate
for increased travel options and a better
customer experience at all of its facilities.”
Commuters who are interested in the
bike parking program can sign up transalt.
org/pabtbikevalet.
4 April 15, 2021 Schneps Media