Edison Peñafiel

Go behind Peñafiel’s NFT collection MARE MAGNVM: ULTRAMARINI, which was inspired by a multichannel film installation rooted in contemporary and historical migration movements.

Edison Peñafiel | CODAMADE Multimedia Installation Artist

I Was Here

A monument rooted in American history and slavery, the NFT collection I Was Here reveals the history of place via AR, image, narrative, soundscape, and blockchain.

I Was Here | CODAMADE Artist Collaboration

Cory Van Lew

Go behind Van Lew's NFT collection Medicine Man, which depicts his spiritual experience with Kambo, a medicinal ritual practiced by the Amazon’s indigenous peoples.

Cory Van Lew | CODAMADE NFT Artist and Painter

ET Projects

Dive into ET Project’s NFT Collection Ridgeline.00, which uses dance and music to lead and inspire movement with light, speaking to the human role in nature.

ET Projects | CODAMADE Collection of Creative Artists

Joseph O'Connell and Creative Machines

Discover how the NFT collection Toward Justice honors history, social justice, and reconciliation by extending public art beyond its installation.

Joseph O’Connell and Creative Machines | CODAMADE Artist Studio

Susan Narduli

Narduli’s NFT collection Light Crossings extends scans of her public art commission to build immersive explorations beyond the physical world via a 3D environment.

Susan Narduli | CODAMADE Artist and Architect

Pierre Gervois

The NFT collection VICE explores the exercise of power in all aspects – from socially humiliating micro-moments of our daily life to future political issues within the Mars colonies. 

Pierre Gervois | CODAMADE NFT Artist and Painter



Maria Finkelmeier

Dive into Finkelmeier’s NFT collections Oscillation to the Edge and Melody Figments Live – IGNITE 2023, bridging rhythms and melodies in musical performance with visual mediums.

Maria Finkelmeier | CODAMADE Musical and Percussion Artist

Ana María Caballero

Caballero’s signature NFT collection explores how biology delimits societal and cultural rites, exposing the truth behind romanticized motherhood and virtuous female sacrifice. 

Ana María Caballero | CODAMADE NFT Artist and Poet

MADISON, WI, August 22, 2022&nbsp;-&nbsp;CODAworx, the hub of the commissioned art economy, today announced a partnership with&nbsp;Mad NFT, a division of Yes We Are Mad, an innovative creative agency with NFT expertise in deploying next-generation technology and digital media. In joining forces, the CODAworx/Mad NFT partnership has formed a new company, CODAMADE, which will create and sell NFTs with the long-term goal of&nbsp;launching&nbsp;a new creative economy focused on bridging the physical and digital worlds of art.
CODAMADE&nbsp;is building a marketplace that will offer value to NFT buyers and the NFT community by featuring a unique and curated list of NFT art that is connected to public art.&nbsp;CODAMADE will focus its services and offerings on the global CODAworx network of creative professionals and the public that enjoys and engages with public art. In doing so, the CODAMADE goal is to help artists, commissioners, and the art audience to be more involved in the public art process &ndash; whether through ownership, asset creation, or even enjoyment through the use of new technologies.

CODAMADE intends to build on the CODAworx ecosystem that connects public artists with commissioners by developing NFTs that benefit the multiple collaborators in major commissions.&nbsp;Most importantly, artists receive proceeds from the sale of the artwork &ndash; both from the initial sale and future resales of the work into perpetuity.&nbsp;&ldquo;NFT &lsquo;smart contracts&rsquo; allow for various parties to benefit from the sale of NFTs in the digital world,&rdquo; stated Marc Aptakin, CEO of Yes We Are Mad. &ldquo;This opens up the possibility of a revenue flow for public art agencies that can support future public art commissions.&rdquo;

&ldquo;We are excited to partner with Mad NFT to build a leading company in the creation and sale of NFTs,&rdquo; said Toni Sikes, CEO of CODAworx. &ldquo;Mad NFT has extraordinary technology talents and a long history of working with artists; their industry expertise and strategic vision make them an ideal partner as CODAworx commits to bringing an NFT platform to the world of public art.&rdquo;

CODAMADE has identified seven leading artists/artists teams with whom it is working to initially develop new NFT offerings. These efforts have been documented as case studies that demonstrate the process of creating NFT artwork that bridges public art with sophisticated digital offerings. Participating artists include:&nbspMaria Finkelmeier,&nbsp;i was here,&nbsp;Susan Narduli, Joe O&rsquo;Connell, Edison Pe&ntilde;afiel, Elizabeth Turk,&nbsp;and&nbsp;Cory Van Lew.&nbsp;The CODAMADE platform, along with the artists, their NFTs, and case studies, will debut at CODAsummit (October 12 - 14 in Denver, CO).

An early version of the CODAMADE website will premiere in October, with the fully functioning website to be launched in early 2023. The NFT marketplace will be powered by an easy-to-use online platform; the website will offer information and education for both artists and buyers, and streamline the complicated process of setting up a digital wallet on the blockchain. Educational offerings&nbsp;and technical services will empower artists to enter the NFT market.

Toni Sikes and Marc Aptakin will serve as co-CEOs of CODAMADE. Both CODAworx and Mad NFT will continue to function separately with their operations ongoing as usual.

About CODAworx:
CODAworx is on a mission to transform every space in the world by making great commissions happen. Serving as the hub of the commissioned art economy, we connect all members of the industry, matching creative talent with creative opportunities, and providing digital tools that streamline the commission workflow process. Our network connects artists and creative teams to architects, design and art professionals, and the universe of companies that provide services and products for commission projects. The CODAworx website, which launched in December 2014, has attracted design + art members from 93 countries. To date, over 9,000 projects are featured on CODAworx with art budgets totaling over $1.9 billion. Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.codaworx.com" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;">www.codaworx.com</a>

About Mad NFT:
MadLabs, the in-house idea generator at Yes We Are Mad, provides an exploratory space for performing cutting-edge research into high-end tech. With its team already dedicated to enhancing customer experiences and predicting future trends, the progression to Mad NFT was a natural one, devoting its focus to creating, producing, and leveraging NFT art within the emerging NFT marketplace. Beyond carrying each artist&rsquo;s strategic plan to fruition, we also collaborate with them to add cutting-edge motion and 3D technology to their projects, making the experience even more appealing to the NFT community. Using the resources of the agency &ndash; software development, augmented and virtual reality technology, and award-winning design capabilities &ndash; the company is building an important knowledge base of information about the NFT creation process. To learn more, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.yeswearemad.com" style="text-decoration:none;">www.yeswearemad.com</a>&nbsp;

CODAMADE Mission Statement:
To empower artists and communities to create expansive artworks that bridge the physical public art world with the digital art sphere, and thus cultivate an NFT ecosystem based on creativity, collaboration, and mutual support.

The CODAworx/Mad NFT partnership launches a new company, CODAMADE, which will unveil its website and initial offerings at CODAsummit in Denver, October 12-14.

CODAworx Partners with Cutting-Edge Creative Agency to Form a Curated NFT Marketplace Focused on Public Art

<h4>CODAworx Partners with Cutting-Edge Creative Agency to Form a Curated NFT Marketplace Focused on Public Art</h4>
<h5 style="
font-style: italic; font-size: 20px; margin-top: 12px; line-height: 28px; font-weight:400">Partnership launches a new company, CODAMADE, which will unveil its website and initial offerings at CODAsummit in Denver, October 12-14.</h5>

Seven NFT collections were realized with the help of experts at the CODAMADE laboratories this year. As prime examples of how CODAMADE helps artists bridge the physical public art space with the virtual sphere, these NFT collections were guided by fearless, creative spirits and the advanced technology at their disposal: &nbsp; &nbsp;

Melody and energy fuse in Maria Finkelmeier&rsquo;s&nbsp;Oscillation to the Edge. For more than twenty years, Finkelmeier has been making waves in the universe as a musician. Her work has been celebrated by&nbsp;The Boston Globe,&nbsp;Vulture, and Cincinnati Public Radio. Finkelmeier&rsquo;s new (and first) NFT collection was developed using 3D motion capture technology, encouraging observers to reflect on musical and spatial elements. Adhering to a guiding principle of CODAMADE, the bridging of the physical and the digital, Finkelmeier&rsquo;s collection brings &ldquo;expression of the human touch in the digital space.&rdquo;


Another creative whose collection impresses is Cory Van Lew. Entitled&nbsp;Kambo, the artwork is inspired by a healing ritual known to some indigenous tribes living in the Amazon Rainforest. Spirituality, joy, and the introspective journey are themes represented in Van Lew&rsquo;s collection. Using his &ldquo;Theory of Transmission&rdquo; process, he conveys his own thoughts through his NFTs while also leading observers on quests to find answers for themselves. The celebrated Van Lew has worked with big names like Pixar, Mike Tyson, and TIME &ndash; a testament to his creative prowess and artistic style. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Light Crossings&nbsp;by Susan Narduli accomplishes a goal only possible when dreams become realities in the digital world. Narduli&rsquo;s impeccable instincts for architecture and design directed her to this experimental conclusion as she planned her NFT collection in collaboration with the CODAMADE team. Physical bridges were her medium of choice for these NFTs. Scanning technology was utilized to obtain comprehensive perceptions of these bridges from multiple angles, as well as their relationships to the environments they are part of. This data was then interpreted by Narduli, who produced a vision for the collection. Ultimately, real-time effects will alter the experience of these NFTs based on a combination of factors. Narduli&rsquo;s work makes perfect sense for the NFT world, as her acclaimed, California-based studio often conducts research and is influenced by data-driven tools. &nbsp;

Uncomfortable truths are what Edison Pe&ntilde;afiel specializes in portraying. There are 14 boats and 81 characters that appear in his&nbsp;MARE MAGNVM: VLTRAMARINI, a representation of the Mediterranean Sea&rsquo;s role in human migratory patterns over the ages, as well as the dangerous and disheartening conditions that these migrants encountered. The faces of the massive characters are obscured with masks, while the boats are constructed from a hodgepodge of materials. The NFT collection was closely designed with assistance from the CODAMADE team and is based on a video installation exhibited by Pe&ntilde;afiel in 2021, adding to the forlorn reality of these travelers.&nbsp;

Thanks to the power of blockchain technology, the project&nbsp;I Was Here&nbsp;has another dimension to communicate its powerful message. This NFT collection is based on a collaboration between artist Marjorie Guyon and the talents of Patrick J. Mitchell, Barry Darnell Burton, Daniel Ware, Michael Baer, Michael Preacely, and Syndy Deese in 2016. The project was organized around Ancestral Spirit Portraits representing African American slaves displayed at historic locations in Lexington, Kentucky. Now, using augmented reality, storytelling, imagery, and sound design, this NFT collection can reach more people in new ways. Evoking big questions and emotions about injustices in society, ancestry, and our shared history,&nbsp;I Was Here&nbsp;establishes a historical record and pays respect to those who came and suffered before us.&nbsp;

Toward Justice&nbsp;is the name of a fresh NFT collaboration between Joseph O&rsquo;Connell and Creative Machines Inc. Traveling from Arizona to Florida to work with the CODAMADE team on this concept, O&rsquo;Connell had a very specific vision of how NFTs could influence sculpture. Moved by a quote from Theodore Parker that inspired both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Barack Obama, O&rsquo;Connell wanted an NFT collection with a video component about a project commissioned by the City of Atlanta. Lighting elements on the physical sculpture will be able to change through the purchase of these NFTs and through people&apos;s on-site interaction with the sculpture itself. Sensors installed on it can change the lights, symbolizing the choice and ability everyone has to move &ldquo;the arc of the moral universe&rdquo; in the direction of justice. &nbsp;

MacArthur Fellow, Elizabeth Turk enters the world of NFTs with&nbsp;Ridgeline.00.&nbsp;Emphasizing the joy found in a collective and how we can all be part of the art world, her NFT is a collaboration with dancer Demetia Hopkins and The Assembly Dance. Original musical compositions from ImaniWorks, the host of the Affrolachian On-Time Music Gathering, are also a key part of this collection. ET Projects is a nonprofit, and Turk is interested in the possibilities of the NFT world and metaverse in creating performances that are free to the public. With help from Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Piedmont Environmental Council, and CODAMADE, her artwork is taking on a new form.&nbsp;

The NFT case studies are uncharted territory for many public artists, sparking inspiration and ambition. Explore seven NFT collections realized with CODAMADE’s help.

Uncharted Territory: Seven Unique NFT Collections Debut on CODAMADE

<h4 dir="ltr">Uncharted Territory: Seven Unique NFT Collections Debut on CODAMADE&nbsp;</h4>

<h5 dir="ltr" style="font-style: italic; font-size: 20px; margin-top: 12px; line-height: 28px; font-weight:400">The NFT case studies are uncharted territory for many public artists, sparking inspiration and ambition.</h5>

The City of Atlanta commissioned Joseph O&rsquo;Connell and Creative Machines to create&nbsp;Bends Towards Justice, a sculpture which will feature lighting components capable of displaying animations. Described as an &ldquo;interactive gateway,&rdquo; this sculpture will be dynamic, changing as people interact with it.&nbsp;

Teaming up with CODAMADE experts in Florida, the Creative Machines team from Arizona will use a combination of sensors and NFT technology to encourage participation in this continuous public artwork. Scheduled for completion in 2022,&nbsp;Bends Towards Justice&nbsp;will be located in front of the Mercedes Benz Stadium.&nbsp;

Remarking on how NFTs can be used as a medium, O&rsquo;Connell said: &ldquo;NFTs give the opportunity to allow the commissioning of digital works that change the way the art acts, interacts, and lives in its community.&rdquo;

O&rsquo;Connell was inspired by a quote about abolition from Theodore Parker, which has been paraphrased in speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Barack Obama:&nbsp;
&ldquo;I do not pretend to understand the moral universe; the arc is a long one, my eye reaches but little ways; I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by the experience of sight; I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice.&rdquo;&nbsp;

How CODAMADE Supports Artistry, Public Art Funds, and Community Involvement

Adding an NFT component to an RFQ or making the creation of NFT(s) the primary goal of a public art project can lead to a number of outcomes that involve more stakeholders and more value for those stakeholders. Selling NFTs on CODAMADE can help stakeholders such as the City of Atlanta fundraise and continue to profit from the success of the artwork. Artists and community members can also benefit by staying involved with a project.&nbsp;

As with other forms of art, brand new concepts can become NFTs, or NFTs can be made by adapting ideas in novel ways. Technology may be used as a tool to take ideas to a new level. Artists experienced in various mediums and with many commissions to their name may know a lot, a little, or not much at all about NFTs. After learning more about the process, they can mint with CODAMADE, receive information and feedback, and make use of incredible technological tools and expertise. This combination of support, education, and communication helps maintain the authenticity of creative visions while also informing how NFTs can amplify messages, affect observers in various ways, and help secure funding for projects. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Leaders of public art funds will be in particularly advantageous positions in this model because of the ability to earn from royalties and smart contracts, allowing them&nbsp;to fundraise for citywide initiatives including more public art funding. NFT collections can become more valuable over time as they expand in size or change ownership, special editions or limited mints are made, and artists and artworks become known to the citizen community. When the public engages with NFT art or other public art projects, the art inherently becomes part of history through the meaning it develops.

Read about how NFTs can provide utility in multiple ways. A new public art project in Atlanta, GA links physical and digital art, while providing a resource for social justice movements.

CODAMADE, Joseph O'Connell, and Creative Machines Find a Model for Adding Value to Public Art Projects

<h4 dir="ltr" ">Working Together: CODAMADE, Joseph O&apos;Connell, and Creative Machines Find a Model for Adding Value to Public Art Projects&nbsp;</h4>

<h5 style="
 font-style: italic; font-size: 20px; margin-top: 12px; line-height: 28px; font-weight:400
">Proving NFTs can provide utility in multiple ways, a new public art project in Atlanta, Georgia links physical and digital art in impressive fashion, while also providing a resource for social justice movements.&nbsp;</h5>

What is CODAMADE

A New Creative Economy Bridging Public & NFT Art

NFT Education

Empowering Artists and Buyers Through Education

Curated Marketplace

Linking Physical and Digital Art in A New Dimension