Can flip-flops be art? Or, more importantly: can flip-flops be art of the kind that ends in non-fungible token? Alpargatas, popularly known for its Havaianas products, wants to prove that it can. The company will launch its first NFTs on the market.
The “products” are artworks developed by designer Adhemas Batista. Five in total, to be sold on the Foundation app, in a virtual auction, instead of a fixed-price sale. Interested parties will be able to participate on May 12, next Wednesday. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this Havaianas experience is the purpose of the action, which will revert the proceeds obtained in donations to the Favela Galeria Project. This is an open-air art gallery in the east side of São Paulo. More specifically in the Vila Flávia community, the project has been in existence since 05, and serves as a showcase for local talents to exhibit their graffiti art.
NFTs, blockchain, speculation and digital assets
For Fernanda Romano, the company’s CMO, Havaianas NFTs are a path to “autonomous communities that self-regulate, without the need for central leadership.” In fact, the concept of blockchain, in theory, can put everyone on an equal footing on the network, but just like in art galleries or store windows, every name is a name, and every brand has its own weight.
Many people may still find the concept of NFTs somewhat abstract, after all, we are talking about selling rights to digital assets — files — that for the most part can be reproduced without difficulty. See the case from a classic meme from the last decade, recently sold by an auction platform.
Still abstract for many, the concept of NFTs will be used by Havaianas and many others. The first Twitter post, for example, was also auctioned in this system. In the end, non-fungible tokens can also be interpreted as unique currencies that, depending on the demand of this market, can be worth even more in the future. Just like cryptocurrencies.
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