In the world of art, innovation often takes the form of creativity and self-expression. For Francesca K. Augustine, a visionary artist and entrepreneur, innovation also means bridging the gap between the traditional art world and cutting-edge technology. As the founder and CEO of Neftwerk Inc., Francesca has embarked on a journey to revolutionize the art market and make it accessible to all.
Francesca’s lifelong love affair with art began as an artist. For over 25 years, they delved into the depths of contemporary art markets, building a career that spans a multitude of roles. Francesca’s studio work (under the artist name Francine K. Affourtit) includes awe-inspiring large-scale sculptural installations. These installations are crafted from intricately hand-carved wood and printed meticulously in multiple layers on Japanese paper.
What makes Francesca’s art truly unique is the intricate interplay of elements within their work. Their pieces are not just static representations but rather dynamic systems. The smaller blocks that constitute the installations connect and interweave, forming a cohesive, evolving, and intricate image that responds to the chaos of the world.
Francesca’s journey as an artist has provided them with a unique frame of thinking, one that values the intricate interplay of elements, the fluidity of systems, and the translation of chaos into harmony. This perspective sets them apart and fuels their commitment to bridging the gap between traditional art and innovative technology, all with the ultimate goal of making the art world more accessible and equitable.
Francesca is not just an artist but also an activist, educator, theorist, and entrepreneur. Francesca’s journey in the art world has been marked by their dedication to supporting artists and fostering the art community.
Their career boasts several significant achievements. Francesca successfully built and managed non-profits, developed crucial systems and protocols for international art fairs, and served as an art advisor to corporate clients. They have also worked with galleries and institutions across all seven continents. Their deep understanding of the complexities of the art market and passion for art and artists drive them to find solutions to the challenges they face.
In 2021, Francesca was asked to curate an NFT (Non-fungible Token) exhibition despite initially having little to no interest in NFTs, this challenge would change the trajectory of their career. Francesca learned that NFTs serve as smart contracts, recording the sale and acting as certificates of authenticity for artworks. But what was truly groundbreaking for artists is that NFTs also offer them the unique ability to earn continuous royalties on the resale of their works.
The problem is the challenging and complicated process of buying NFTs, which Francesca experienced. It took them almost two weeks to successfully acquire their first NFT from an exhibition they had curated, underscoring the underdeveloped and non-user-friendly aspects of the current NFT acquisition process. Other challenges involved obtaining cryptocurrency, configuring a digital wallet, and navigating the transaction procedure.
Despite these obstacles, there is a strong interest in purchasing NFTs, with 96% of high-net-worth collectors expressing their desire to do so in the future. Francesca recognizes the market’s groundbreaking potential.
To address the challenges encountered in this laborious process, Francesca created My Pocket Gallery. This innovative platform is designed to make purchasing NFTs easy for anyone, with a user-friendly application that caters to art collectors’ needs. Users can collect NFTs from any marketplace using a credit card, organize their artworks into personalized collections, and share their collections with others participating in the space.
Francesca’s vision for My Pocket Gallery goes beyond digital art. They envision a future where NFT technology can be used to provide a permanent, immutable record of sale and a certificate of provenance for all artworks, including paintings, sculptures, performances, and more. The goal is to make this technology accessible and beneficial to artists across the entire spectrum of art forms.
Moving into the new year, Neftwerk plans to partner with local and state-wide governments, as well as non-profit entities in Philadelphia, as the city positions itself as the Most Diverse Tech Hub. Joining the city’s initiatives to bolster workforce development, foster community engagement, and promote inclusivity within its burgeoning tech sector, Neftwerk aims to champion a forward-thinking landscape that celebrates diversity and propels Philadelphia as the pinnacle of inclusive tech excellence.
Francesca’s vision represents the perfect blend of art and technology, creating a promising future for the art world. In the chaos of change, they are the architects of a new system that interconnects, bringing art to everyone. For more information, visit www.neftwerk.com or connect with Francesca on LinkedIn.
