In line with Saudi Arabia’s Green initiative, which was publicly commended this week by US Special Presidential Envoy John Kerry, Saudi artist Abdullah Qandeel moved forward with his plans to fight climate change.
HOFA Gallery Releases New NFT Programme of Crypto-artworks by Established Contemporary ArtistsQandeel announced a groundbreaking partnership with Mangrove Conservation & Restoration (Pvt) Ltd. a subsidiary of Supreme Global Holdings, working closely with mangrove plantation and Blue Carbon expert organization, Worldview International Foundation, to accelerate the sustainable restoration and planting of mangroves, which are the most effective method in the fight against climate change.
At the forefront of the creative and tech industries, Abdullah Qandeel has both broken records as a Saudi artist at Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips, and now, as the first Arab and Saudi entering the NFT space combining fintech and art to mint Artist Approved Physical and Digital Non-fungible Tokens (AP/AD-NFT).
Technology is reshaping its patterns
Experts from many regions are collaborating on joint projects and initiatives with the shared goal of achieving sustainable development. Chilliswap is proud to announce that it is the first NFT platform to adopt Qandeel’s white paper AP/AD-NFT standard to be a part of this eco-friendly effort.
The first AP-NFT The King of Offset is named after its main objective to offset carbon emissions. The sale will be divided into 50,000 crypto tokens and offered for sale on Chilliswap.org for $1,000 per AP-NFT Token. Collectors will enjoy exclusive benefits of increasing value with multiple token purchases.
Artist Approved Physical and Digital Non-Fungible Tokens (AP/AD-NFTs) are a new class of NFTs that will redefine the art and NFT landscape. AP-NFTs marry for the first time physical and digital assets and AD-NFTs are exclusively digital assets. Conceived by Abdullah Qandeel and Alex Alexandrov, founder of velas.com and coinpayments.net, the world’s first and largest alternative coin payment processor, the AP/AD-NFTs will be inclusive to all forms of creators, and extend their reach beyond the limits of digital-based creations.
They are designed to protect creators’ rights and enable them to truly commercialize their art with innovative and enhanced ‘smart contracts’ that contain the artwork’s IP and rights of usage. “I invite all creators and collectors across the world to join this Decentralized Positive Impact (DePi) movement and adopt AP/AD-NFTs, not only as the new standard for the creative industry, but as a determining factor for the future of our planet as well,” said Qandeel.
The AP/AD-NFTs will be featured on MPWR.com, a new creative platform formed to empower emerging creators, enabling them to tokenize their creative energy and commercialize their art wholly (IP) using efficient and highly transparent blockchain technology.
Alex Alexandrov, founder of velas.com and coinpayments.net, said: “I believe MPWR will revolutionize the financial exchange for art creation between artists and buyers. MPWR will remove middlemen and bring clarity to all forms of art being traded, copyrighted and distributed to end-users.”
Net proceeds from the sale of Qandeel’s The King of Offset artwork will be donated to Mangrove Conservation & Restoration (Pvt) Ltd to mitigate harmful carbon emissions released annually from degraded Blue Carbon ecosystems through mangrove planting projects in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia and extending to other countries.
Qandeel continued: “As a Saudi creator, I am proud to follow through on the commitment of my nation to reverse environmental degradation and climate change and extend it internationally. Working with Mangrove Conservation & Restoration (Pvt) Ltd with the guidance of Worldview International Foundation to offset carbon emissions was born from my deep respect for nature and desire to shift consciousness. The high-impact, high value deployment of capital generated through the sale of The King of Offset, is just the beginning. While heralding a new standard for the tokenization of creative energy, it will give up to 50,000 people worldwide the opportunity to offset their carbon emissions while enjoying my new artwork.”
R.M.Manivannan, Chairman of Supreme Global Holdings, stated that “It is an absolute pleasure to witness the historic efforts of Mr. Qandeel and we are so proud to become an integral part of that noble mission. Although we think of the Amazon rainforest as the ‘lungs’ of our planet, that title should really be with mangroves; no other ecosystem is able to store as much carbon.
Mangroves are the keys to preventing climate change and the success of our partnership with Mr. Qandeel means we have contributed immensely for this cause, which is on par with any other environmental cause worldwide.”
About Abdullah Qandeel
Born in Saudi Arabia and educated at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK, Qandeel’s creative career began in a studio in Park Slope, Brooklyn. His talent was recognized early on, with many of his works becoming the coveted gifting choice for many public and private institutions. His Ganesha: Remover of All Obstacles (2012) was presented by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as one of the Kingdom’s first contemporary artworks to be officially gifted to the government of the United States of America through then UN Ambassador, Susan E. Rice, currently the Director of the US Domestic Policy Council.
Since then, his paintings have been displayed across the world, with special exhibits at the Judith Charles Gallery, MISK, Taittinger Fine Art Salon, the Grand Prix in Monte Carlo. The established creator has had record-breaking sales at Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Phillps, with famous art pieces such as ‘The Race’ selling at Sotheby’s for US $274,000.
Qandeel has also been active philanthropically, including providing access to education for disadvantaged children in Lebanon via his ‘Artists Kits’ project. His painting ‘Kingdom of Love’ was presented by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the first contemporary artwork to be officially gifted to the United States of America. He has received an award for art from the Saudi Heritage Preservation Society and is a Board Member of Saudi Youth Initiative.
He is also a Lecturer on ‘Art and Identity’ at the Universidad Camilo José Cela in Madrid. Increasingly focused on fostering the creative sector and nurturing the next generation of creators. As part of his Decentralized Positive Impact DePI mission, to empower both creators and collectors to meet their creative and commercial goals, Qandeel launched the world’s first Artist Approved Non-Fungible Physical Tokens (AP/AD-NFT), a new class of NFTs that marry for the first time physical and digital assets, and is set to shape the future of the creative industry.
About Mangrove Conservation & Restoration (Pvt) Ltd. and Worldview International Foundation
Mangrove Conservation & Restoration (Pvt) Ltd. (MCRL), a subsidiary of Supreme Global Holdings (www.supreme.lk) is on an ambitious mission to preserve fragile ecosystems through mangrove planting projects in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia and extending to other countries.
MCRL has partnered with environmental leader Worldview International Foundation (WIF), which is dedicated to Blue Carbon Climate Impact in support of the UN Paris Climate Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Headed by Dr.Arne Fjortoft, WIF cooperates with private and public partners on cost-effective offsets of carbon footprints.
