Car: Saturn Sky 2008

Custom engine and hood
Street Legal Art NFT Car nr.3 in UAE

Artwork: Praying Mantis by VESA
Digital original wrapped on the car, painted on top of with acrylic paint.
Possible to make a 3D version
Pre-buy access to the Art Car Race game

Saturn produced the Sky roadster from 2006 to 2009. According to official production numbers from General Motors, a total of 34,415 Saturn Sky cars were built during that time. However, it's worth noting that not all of these cars were sold in the United States; some were exported to other countries where Saturn had a presence. Additionally, the number of Sky cars still on the road today may be lower due to accidents, thefts, and other factors.

The financial crash of 2008 had a profound impact on the auto industry, and the Saturn car company was no exception. As consumer spending plummeted and credit markets froze, car sales stalled and many Americans put off buying new vehicles. This hit Saturn particularly hard, as the brand was still relatively new and struggling to establish a foothold in the market. General Motors, which owned Saturn, was also in financial trouble, and in 2009 it decided to shut down the brand as part of a larger restructuring effort. The closure of Saturn was a sad end to a promising experiment in American car manufacturing, but it was ultimately a casualty of the larger economic forces that were at play during the financial crisis.

The artwork “Praying Mantis” is symbolic of the Kintsugi Japanese art form that involves repairing broken pottery or ceramics with lacquer mixed with gold, silver, or other precious metals. Instead of hiding the cracks or fractures, kintsugi highlights and celebrates them, turning them into a feature of the piece. The philosophy behind kintsugi is that broken objects can be mended in a way that not only restores their functionality but also enhances their beauty and value. By embracing the flaws and imperfections of an object, kintsugi reflects the Japanese aesthetic principle of wabi-sabi, which values the transience and impermanence of things. Kintsugi is a powerful metaphor for resilience and growth, reminding us that brokenness is not the end but rather an opportunity for transformation and renewal.

The NFT community often talks about utility. We jam packed this baby full of utility in story, as well as transforming a liability into a web3 asset than can potentially earn you passive income. It’s a testament to innovation and education coming together.

A demo reel on the cars

Digital original of Compound Defiance
Mixed media 2020

Compound Defiance printed out to a 2x1M canvas, with acrylic paint on top

Compound Defiance wrapped on a Tesla owned by Dr Marwan Al Zarouni, who is the main partner in the art car project in the UAE.

Compound Definace wrapped around a 3D asset built by Zoan.

Gary V signing a print version of Compound Definance, while being presented the art NFT car project in Dubai.