WATCH: FMT And Mart Expo Collaborate To Amplify Art Tourism In Malaysia, Leveraging On Picture-Perfect NFTs

By Lara Kramer  •  03 Jun 2022 in Features

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NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) have been making waves globally as radical, contemporary art forms.

Now, Malaysia’s largest English-language news portal, Free Malaysia Today has announced a partnership with Mart Expo, a global network of artists, with the aim of promoting Malaysian art tourism, including through the use of selected NFTs.

Dato Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri, Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, debuted the collaboration at an event here on Tuesday, with 15 ambassadors and diplomats hailing from Argentina, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Croatia, Cuba, the Netherlands, Namibia, Senegal, Kuwait, Iran, Ghana, and Tajikistan in attendance – commemorating artists on a global scale.

Also present was Dato Saraya Arbi, the newly appointed secretary-general of MOTAC.

 

Primarily, FMT and Mart Expo will join forces to provide artists with opportunities to display their artwork, such as paintings and calligraphy, both physical and digital.

The masterful creations of 100 creatives, half of whom are Malaysians, will be handpicked for exhibition.

The event also saw the liftoff of the FMT Accelerator programme – a new initiative which seeks to invest in promising regional startups and artists.

The projects of these lucky artists will be minted into NFTs and made accessible to the international digital market to provide assistance to passionate creatives.

Mohsen Golshiri, founder of Mart Expo Globe Sdn Bhd, also stated that he has been aiding and supporting artists all over the world, and has received tons of DMs from budding artists on his Instagram page.

“Artists play an important role in the community, which is why we always quantify a civilisation’s success by how well it treats its creatives,” he said, adding that “Mart Expo selects and promotes artists from various cultural backgrounds.

“By having thousands of artists on our platforms with varying sorts of artworks and rates, we make art accessible to all.”

Meanwhile, Dato Sri Nancy mentioned that the government is all for the idea, and keen to witness how technological advances such as NFTs can be used as an alternative platform for artists.

“Due to the pandemic, they no longer have an audience or a platform to continue their work,” she said.

“We encourage initiatives to promote tourism through art in order to monetise it more effectively, perhaps even to the point of promoting art globally as an export industry.

“I trust the collaboration will attract foreign art buyers to Malaysia while also showcasing our artists and their works on a global scale,” said the minister.

She also stated that the partnership would supplement the government’s initiatives to support artists, such as the Buy Art Malaysia Program.

This programme, held in conjunction with the ministry’s Aspirasi Keluarga Malaysia objectives, assisted 33 art gallery technicians in their recovery from the Covid-19 outbreak.

The government is also offering up to RM50 million in matching grants for the tourism, arts, and culture sectors.

FMT managing director Azeem Abu Bakar expressed his delight at the alliance with Mart Expo.

“As Malaysia’s largest English language news portal, FMT is devoted to adding value to this incredible community,” he said.

“While we are aware that many tech-related markets are currently experiencing some volatility, we are confident that the underlying technology and fundamentals of NFTs will persist in providing a net positive impact to artists worldwide.”

FMT and Mart Expo invite you to join them on this journey to meet their artists, admire their work, and discover more about the world of art and NFTs. Simply visit the Mart Expo Globe’s Instagram and leave a comment on the “Art & Society Campaign” post to interact with artists and art enthusiasts from all over the planet!

Do you have a start-up or SME that needs more firepower? Check out the FMT Accelerator programme by heading over to freemalaysiatoday.com/accelerator now.