COSMIC LOVE: THE JOURNEY FROM BURNING MAN TO NFT DROP

By Harmon Leon

“Like a beacon of hope and love, merging metal sculptures, lights, digital art and video, this work is a peek into my obsession with Magical Realism,” says Michael Benisty. Originally from Belgium, Benisty’s work has made a splash at galleries in Europe and Shanghai–as well as Art Basel, Burning Man, and numerous boutique hotels. He’s perhaps best known for large scale sculptures he’s been building and exhibiting over the last 15 years.

Now, this man of artistic metal has entered the NFT space, with his first SuperRare drop: “Cosmic Love.”

The project explores the different forms relationships take through the embodiment of a large stainless steel physical sculpture installed in the Nevada desert, and then documented over a 24-hour period.

“Cosmic Love” is the ideal storm; the art flows between the physical and digital realm as it morphs the two worlds together. “It could represent everybody, and every relationship–in the stages that we all go through, whether it’s in love or friendship,” says Michael.

“Cosmic Love” is also a family affair, a collaborative effort with his brother Steve.

Michael is the designer while Steve does the videography and visual documentation.

“The perfect combination for me to use my passion for film and digital–and use it to tell Mikey’s stories through his creation, his cultures,” Steve states.

INTO THE DIGITAL  

Jumping into the NFT world wasn’t a big stretch for Michael.

“Everything starts with a digital file anyway,” he explains. “That’s how we scale and balance the model and make sure that the sculpture that we’re going to enlarge and build is ready to go,” he adds, regarding creating his massive physical artwork.

Still, Michael found a creative Pandora’s box opened by his induction into the NFT space.

“It’s another outlet for us to tell the same story we’ve been telling with those monumental sculptures, which represents connectivity, togetherness, and love.”

Michael Benisty

ORIGIN STORY: “COSMIC LOVE” WAS SPAWNED IN THE DESERT

Over the past few years, Michael’s main creative muse has been Burning Man. The art festival held in the Black Rock desert in Nevada brings together the best of humankind– from naked people and ravers to families and art enthusiasts (as well as supermodels, billionaire tech bros, and Paris Hilton), they all congregate on a landscape that looks like the surface of Mars.

Michael first shared his monolithic artwork on the playa in 2017 and found it a game changer. An interactivity was sparked between people and his work: joy, sadness, even couples getting married in front of his sculptures.

Before Burning Man: Michael felt that “all pieces were unique and beautiful looking, but they weren’t really telling a message and [didn’t] have the storyline…