Former MLB player Micah Johnson is one of the top creators in the NFT space. The athlete-turned-digital artist has won numerous awards, been named among Fortune’s 50 most influential people in NFTs, and has art sales totalling over $19 million. Aku is a young boy who lives out his dreams of becoming an astronaut and exploring the metaverse. Johnson conceived the character as a means of breaking down societal stereotypes when he overheard his nephew ask, “Can astronauts be black?” As Aku became cemented in the imaginations of an ever-growing community of fans, Johnson wanted to provide a way for them to connect with the digital explorer more tangibly than ever before. To extend Aku’s reach to the physical world, Johnson turned to PHNTM & Matte Projects to develop a futuristic experience where guests could be totally immersed in the world of Aku.  

Presented in partnership with cryptocurrency exchange FTX US, the three-day activation at Art Basel Miami provided fans the opportunity to step into Aku’s story, discover his world, and interact with the character on a whole new level. PHNTM utilized its core competencies of digital and physical production, content creation, web and interactive development, scenic fabrication, lighting, and environmental projection. The result was a space where Johnson’s artwork manifested in ways it never had before, and Aku’s debut was celebrated as a high point of Art Basel.