Short Re-Cap before heading to #HiveFest

(c)Fidel Fernando on Unsplash

About the MAK DAO project.

Dear Alien Art Community, dear Hiveans!
It's been a while and I am happy to take up my projects again.

I am looking forward to meeting some of you at #Hivefest where I am going to present the MAKDAO project and learnings from creating a decentralized and autonomous organization for a centralized institution such as a museum. I have learned a lot about various projects that museums launched in order to use blockchain as an additional income source or to create digitized, independent communities in the spirit of their institution. I am happy to present and discuss the interaction between physical institutions and decentralized, digitized , autonomous organizations.

However, this year definitely didn't start the way I had expected. Instead of following my plans and building the #DAO, where I imagined to connect web3 with the real world museum, I was looking after my Dad who passed away in July. (Cheers Papa, this is for you 🍻)

Despite of the bumpy first half of this year, it would be very unfair to make my Dad the main reason this project never took off. Dad needed quite some of my time but he couldn't have possibly taken away my motivation.

It was about missing the #momentum with the MAK DAO once too often. And I asked myself, why it was so difficult to get this idea off the ground.

Where was my fire, my motivation?

Pondering where my motivation went.

(c)Debby Hudson on Unsplash

This project - it was paid and funded for the first year - started out quite well, the MAK was excited to experiment with the idea of a DAO. We had two IRL meetings with stakeholders of the MAK. It was a diverse group of local artists, immensely motivated and bursting with ideas.

"Let's #tokenize the digital #collection of the MAK and build on it" was one of the ideas.
"Let's #democratize project funding by the MAK - inviting artists into the DAO to pitch for the budgets."
"Let's give artists a fair chance, even if they lack reputation. They could connect with a renowned museum, and profit so much."

Lovely ideas, ain't they?

And this is what happened: The MAK team said No to all of them.
Tokenize the digital collection? - We do not want #NFTs. That's what everyone does.
Democratize funds? - We do not commission artists to produce art work for us.
Young artists? - We are a museum. We have standards.

It slowly killed my spirit. Ultimately, they had tight budgets, a reputation to lose and could find neither a representative nor funds for engaging within the DAO. But, they would host an exhibition and were happy to include (or refer to) the MAK DAO.

Nonetheless, when I met @minigunner and @artakush from @cbrs in Amsterdam at the Blockchain Expo last year, a whole new world opened up. I could see various opportunities in taking the MAK DAO project to #Hive. I hoped that by using a completely #decentralized #blockchain and by connecting with an existing web3 community that was used to engagement, rewards, blogging, curatorship, active contribution, the museum itself would select a team member and start connecting.

Alas, the two worlds were too far apart. And I was driving a project that was not backed by a museum's support as promised. Even the logo didn't belong to the DAO, it didn't run under a commons licence - we shouldn't use it for future competitions building on it etc. It got a bit frustrating. Why was I doing that after all? And for who?

You can't keep a DAO like a flock of chickens.

(c)rowan-s on Unsplash

So what could the DAO do? Would it ever come to life? A web3 artist based in Vienna nudged me: Just give them a #token, and there will be a run.

Is this how a DAO works? If there's a token, there's a crowd? Fomo forever?
I am happy with creating tokens for fun. I can create them as a reward or an investment but I can't create them without a #purpose. And the purpose of the MAK DAO token was to #earn it, not to #buy it.
Its #value would be to create a community which was contributing and crowdfunding. The MAK DAO token would be their #proof of #engagement. Holding MAK DAO tokens could showcase the community member's sincerity and reliability within the DAO.

Still, the MAK team could not think of a purpose for the DAO.
Eventually, I came up with a mission statement (purpose) that the MAK was happy with.

The mission of MAK DAO is to discuss, collect and produce advanced art in web3 and connect with the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna for inspiration and exchange.

Honestly, this mission statement is crap. Who needs a new DAO to discuss, collect and produce applied #art in #web3. We do it all the time, in multiple ways. As seen in #AlienArtHive or in the #nftshowroom just to name those which I happen to know and follow here on #Hive.

MAK DAO project: Should we keep going?

(c)Diana Polekhina on Unsplash

Projects are like children. I love them no matter what. Once the idea is born and I have put some effort in it, set up some structures and come up with a concept it is hard to let go. It feels like abandoning something that I have thought about and lived with for quite a time.

However, I am pretty sure the MAK DAO as it is, waiting for the acknowledgement by the MAK, with no purpose and a meek mission statement will never grow.
There's nothing in it for anyone.

But... the name might help.

I have been thinking a lot about this. See, even if the MAK has no interest in the DAO, the name has some weight and reputation. It opens connections and might help create projects.
Even if the MAK is not involved, it uses the MAK DAO whenever it wants to show off as a well informed, ahead of time institution of art.

The MAK DAO on the other hand can start a narrative, which has nothing to do with the museum but everything with art and the value resting in art.

It could offer a #platform for #artists, that connect and form projects. Just from scratch. Using the reward system in the White paper, or abandoning it. It's a community decision, it's up to you!

By telling the story, people connected with me. They could also connect with you.
There is such a need to find a good way to team up, manage and also create revenue from #art. To promote projects that are created together. To reach out and showcase them.

We could use the name to leverage connections to other museums (I was offered some connections upon mentioning the MAK DAO...)
We could use geographic advantages like a rich funding policy in the European Union. We can discuss all the legal stuff that is needed to connect web3 with the (over-)regulated physical world.
We could create some physical body to manage funds.
And above all: We use #Hive, its diversity of people, its infrastructure, its voting and donating mechanisms.

Or... we just move on. Open the drawer. Put it away. Close it. Go back to business as usual.

I can't do the DAO on my own.
I really need some people who believe that art is a core asset in this world. And who want to make art visible and add value to it.
I found help in @CBRS who connected me and promoted the idea, I met some awesome people at #hamburg #hivebuzz #partymeetup, hosted a first rather unsuccessful talk 😂
I waited for the MAK's concept and our integration into their exhibition. I am tired of waiting.

It won't happen the way we would like it. So, I would cut ties and start again. Use the name. Use the advantages of the narrative. Once, there was a museum which wanted to create a DAO... But I can't do it on my own. A. It would be boring. B. It's boring. C. It's always better together.