John flies solo for this special English-language episode and welcomes Nina Roers, curator of Arab Bank Switzerland’s corporate collection and one of the most consistent bridges between the digital art world and traditional art institutions.
Big news: Arab Bank Switzerland (ABS) is the official co-organizer of NFC Summit Lisbon this year, taking their partnership to a whole new level.
And they’re not coming empty-handed.
📍 What ABS is bringing to Lisbon — June 4–6:
A full-floor exhibition titled Systems, curated by Nina, housed in the extraordinary Fábrica de Moagem
An ABS lounge on-site
Talks and panel contributions on the main NFC stage
The Digital Art Prize 2026 Award Ceremony, live in Lisbon
🏆 The ABS Digital Art Prize 2026 — Open Call is LIVE
This is the one to watch if you’re an artist.
The prize has evolved since its launch in 2023, from NFT Art Prize to the broader Digital Art Prize, and this year comes with a major upgrade: the exhibition now brings together works from the ABS collection alongside 3 finalists selected via open call, creating a fully curated show under a single theme.
The theme: Systems. Inspired directly by the venue, the machines running from floor to ceiling in the Fábrica de Moagem, once powering bread production for the Portuguese military, still intact.
Systems in code, in nature, in society, in AI, in the human body th,e theme is wide open.
What the winner gets:
💰 $10,000 cash prize
🖼️ Acquisition of a work by ABS
📍 Inclusion in the Systems exhibition in Lisbon
🎤 Panel presence on stage at NFC Summit
⏳ Deadline: May 3rd one submission per artist, no resubmissions.
The application form asks you to contextualize how your work relates to the theme of Systems, so take your time and think it through.
→ Apply via the form shared on @ArabBankCH on X
🎨 Artists already confirmed in the Systems exhibition (from the ABS collection):
Kim Asendorf, Victoria Beerstock, Jack Butcher, Linda Dounia, Andreas Gysin, César Makán, Operator, Elena Sarin, Paul Seidler and a few more surprises to come.
🏭 About the venue — Fábrica de Moagem, Lisbon:
NFC Summit is moving to a brand new site this year: a 6-building former industrial complex covering the full food production chain — flour mill, bread factory, cookie factory (yes, cookies) — all connected, all preserved. The art building alone spans 2,000 sqm with the machines still running through it floor to ceiling.
Alongside ABS, 100 Collectors (curated by Fanny) will take over two additional floors of the building. Applications to exhibit with 100 Collectors are closing end of March — reach out directly if you’re a gallery or artist.
💡 Why this matters:
ABS is one of the rare Swiss private banks operating in digital assets, offering custodial services for crypto to its clients , and has built its digital art engagement from that foundation, genuinely and consistently.
Key quote
“Systems are everywhere, from machines to AI to our own bodies, and artists can approach them from infinite angles.”
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