“I think there are a lot of parallels to the art world in terms of how things operate. On the flip side, many aspects are just entirely divorced from the art world and that’s the beauty of it,” describes Lavalette. Though there is a significant difference in access for artists and collectors in the NFT space compared to the traditional art world, parallels continue to exist between them. More often than not, emerging technologies do not sever existing hierarchies, but amplify the most crucial relationships within them.
Davis and Lavalette often find themselves operating in an advisory role similar to their role in the fine art world: introducing enthusiasts to artists they might be interested in, and helping collectors understand why certain works carry richer artistic and cultural values over others.
As new collectors enter the field, the advisory and curatorial role that Assembly takes on stems from the growing importance of community. Davis and Lavalette accompany this excitement with a measure of lucidity of where NFTs fit within the larger context of photography.
“I still think that NFTs are a niche within the crypto world. Art NFTs are another niche within that. And photography is an even smaller subset of that,” says Lavalette. “NFTs aren’t going to be for everyone, just like how exhibitions or books aren’t for everyone. All of these vehicles for photography should be fitted to the work itself and to the interest of the artists.”
Like many institutions in this nascent field, Assembly’s story is one of a coming of age, a story that we follow with fascination as it looks for meaningful ways to engage with people, photography and technology.