The Appearance of The NFT Phenomenon on Social Media

Abstract

NFT is defined as “blockchain-traded rights to any digital asset; including images, videos, music, even the parts of virtual worlds” (Dowling, 2021, p. 1). Blockchain-based technologies and therefore NFTs, an application of this technology, trigger an industrial-scale change in many areas. This technology has started to gain acceptance for different solutions for commercial transactions, ledger of works, proof of ownership or authenticity control. It is possible to deal with this subject, which attracts a lot of attention, with its technical or financial dimensions. In addition, the application of blockchain technology in art has brought a unique innovation to the art world. The first reason for this is the crypto art style brought by artists who quickly perceive the formal aspect of technology. This type of content (web memes, gifs, videos, etc.) is intertwined with crypto assets and social media streaming, resulting in a practice of artistic production that is difficult to describe. The second dimension of uniqueness is the operational side of technology. The decentralized recording and transfer of knowledge about the authenticity, legitimacy and value of art creation is an innovation that has never occurred before. At the same time, it is a development that threatens the customary ownership practices or the existing intermediation structure in the art world. In this study, the blockchain-based NFT phenomenon has been examined through its technological and financial dimensions as well as its potential to transform the art world. Tweets publicly published in Turkish language were collected through the Twitter API service using NVivo NCapture browser plug-in and subjected to qualitative analysis. How NFT technology is interpreted on the platform in terms of artistic production, consumption or other features has been evaluated thematically.

Keywords

• Blockchain
• NFT (Non-Fungible Token)
• Art
• Cultural Production
• Social Media

NFT Olgusunun Sosyal Medyadaki Görünümü

Abstract

NFT, dijital varlıkların blok zincir teknolojisi ile tescili ve haklarına ilişkin ticari işlemleri düzenleyen algoritma temelli nesneleri tanımlar. Blockzincir tabanlı teknolojiler ve dolayısıyla bu teknolojinin bir uygulaması olan NFT’ler pek çok alanda endüstriyel ölçekte bir değişimi tetiklemektedir. Bu teknoloji ticari işlemler, eser tescili, sahipliğin ispatı ya da özgünlük kontrolü için farklı çözümler için kabul görmeye başlamıştır. Oldukça ilgi gören bu konuyu teknik ya da finansal boyutlarıyla ele almak mümkündür. Buna ek olarak blokzincir teknolojisinin sanatta uygulanması sanat dünyasına da benzersiz bir yenilik kazandırmıştır. Bunun ilk nedeni teknolojinin biçimsel yönünü hızla alımlayan sanatçıların getirdiği kripto sanat türüdür. Bu tür içerikler (internetteki meme’ler, gif’ler, videolar vb.), kripto varlıklar ve sosyal medya akışı ile iç içe geçtiği için tanımlanması güç bir sanatsal üretim pratiği ortaya çıkarır. Benzersizliğin ikinci boyutu ise teknolojinin operasyonel boyutudur. Sanat yaratımının özgünlüğü, meşruluğu ve değeri konusundaki bilginin merkezsiz şekilde korunması ve aktarılabilmesi daha önce gerçekleşmeyen bir yeniliktir. Aynı zamanda sanat dünyasındaki alışılmış sahiplik pratikleri ya da mevcut aracılık yapısını tehdit eden bir gelişmedir. Bu çalışmada blokzincir temelli NFT olgusu teknolojik ve finansal boyutları yanında sanat dünyasını dönüştürme potansiyeli üzerinden incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. NVivo'nun NCapture tarayıcı eklentisi kullanılarak Türkçe dilinde ve herkese açık olarak yayınlanan Tweetler Twitter API hizmeti aracılığıyla toplanmış ve nitel analize tabi tutulmuştur. NFT teknolojisinin sanatsal üretim, tüketim ya da diğer özellikleri açısından söz konusu platformda nasıl yorumlandığı tematik olarak değerlendirilmiştir.

Keywords

• Blokzincir
• NFT
• sanat
• kültürel üretim
• sosyal medya

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