A new set of CryptoPunks NFT’s has been unveiled behind the ‘Wake Up’ artwork

CryptoPunks Arguably the most popular and influential profile picture (Pfp) set in NFT The world, and later Submitting the project to museumsYuga Labs is trying to expand their access to the art world by getting famous artists to officially remove the punk stamp on their IP.

But the first effort, It was revealed on Monday When a new collection of Pnks-branded NFTs was launched, it was met with immediate backlash from collectors and crypto-watchers alike—including claims of “active” artwork, sometimes accompanied by personal attacks on the artist. Now Yuga is moving, and abandoning future plans.

Artist Nina Chanel Abney was previously selected as the opening act for the Punk in Residence program, and over the weekend she unveiled her new collection, “Super Punk World.” Following the school's opening event at the Jack Shainman Gallery in New York, Yoga Labs and Abney revealed the proposed NFTs on Monday.

The Punk In Residency program is designed to create collaborations across the chain that encourage creative experimentation around the project and NFTs. Abney's limited series of digital collections encapsulate her bold style and perspective, reimagining the iconic characteristics of CryptoPunk through her own vision.

“CryptoPunks is a fantastic and pioneering project that has played a vital role in creating a digital gathering space,” said Abney. Decrypt Before the exhibition. “I saw an opportunity to partner with them to be at the unique intersection of art, technology and culture.”

He previously released a digital art collection called “Super Cool World”. A gallery of digital assets powered by Pharrell Williams (GODA), Abney is no stranger to expanding her career into media. For the “Super Punk World” 500-piece avatar collection, she hand-selected each avatar from over 10,000 submissions.

This collection is randomly generated and handcrafted by Abney, drawing inspiration from popular CryptoPunks features and the world's best features. Each feature was hand-cut by Abney and digitized to create 195 unique 3D-sculpted features based on 25 people. These colorful characters, informed by her previous work and printmaking techniques, reflect Abney's aesthetic and pay homage to the irreverent, early-web 3 roots of the CryptoPunks project.

“What we wanted to do was introduce wallets and generative art and Web3 and NFTs to this traditional art crowd and group of collectors,” said Natalie Stone, general manager and brand leader of CryptoPunks. Decrypt last week.

“We're trying to bring CryptoPunks here to the masses, but make them understand why digital ownership is important,” Stone added.

Abney's digital worldview reflects on virtual and real-world identities, addressing the value disparity between digital avatars based on gender and skin tone. White, male avatars generate higher secondary sales values ​​than their darker-skinned or female counterparts in popular NFT collections.

Her hybrid images combine racial elements and aim to blur the lines between male and female, challenging society's inherent values ​​and pushing viewers to confront implicit biases.

However, after Abney's riff on CryptoPunks was revealed earlier Monday, the project was met with backlash on social media.

Some commentators have taken aim at the art style itself or the concept of trying to imagine an epic project, while others have made accusations of “awakening” by focusing on race and gender. Fueling debates about the intersection of art, identity and digital culture.

It has also received negative attention for dissolving the original Punx collection, with some collectors upset by Yuga Labs' attempts to expand a project that is considered a valuable “blue chip” Ethereum NFT collection.

Yuga Labs initially declined to comment. Decrypt Once the chaos began, however, on Monday evening, the company's CEO, Greg “Garga” Solano He made a statement on Twitter. The NFT was originally planned to be auctioned off, but will now be distributed to Super Cool World NFT holders in some way, possibly through a “random airdrop”. And there will be no subsequent artist residency initiatives, at least not in this fashion.

“Yuga won't touch punks anymore,” he wrote. “They are decentralized and maintained only on the blockchain. All we want to do is support a few museums and institutions in their efforts to find punk and help educate their audience about them.

Abney confirmed Solano's statement on Twitter And thanks to Yuga Labs for supporting her art and helping to get the pieces into the hands of her owners—however, hateful attacks caused her to take to social media as a result of the project's revelations.

“In some racist, sexist, homophobic, [and] “Transphobic comments are the source of the controversy surrounding this project,” she wrote.

“What is under this space?” Abni continued. “Now more than ever, I will continue my mission toward an inclusive society where everyone is welcome and ideas are open to productive discussion. No hate is tolerated.