Deeply impacted by the ongoing collective experience of COVID19, visual artist Cory Van Lew has responded to the crisis with a series of paintings and NFTs featuring pandemic-related motifs— anonymous figures in hazmat suits, their faces obscured by masks—uncannily rendered in his signature washes of warm pinks and blues. For the 365 Party, Van Lew will organize an on-site painting performance resulting in 4 unique paintings/NFT pairings, 3 of which will be auctioned to benefit the museum, and 1 of which will enter the museum’s collection.

In this first-ever performance, Van Lew will use live figures in hazmat suits as subject-stencils, directing them through the museum space and rendering their forms with an irreverent process of painterly gesture and chance. The resulting paintings—indexical images that document a specific moment in time and culture—will be minted as NFTs and sold on ICA Miami’s dedicated blockchain platform.

Cory Van Lew (American, b. 1990; lives and works in Miami) is a visual artist known for his spirit of innovation. Since his entry into the NFT community, Cory has risen as one of the prominent artists and voices in the space, working with figures and brands such as Mike Tyson, iHeart Radio, RTFKT Studios, and Disney, and minting on platforms including SuperRare and OneOf. He continues to develop a traditional painterly practice and pursues performative collaborations in tandem with his strong Web3 presence.