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[PROJECT 1.1]

THE PRAYER FLAG PROJECT

The META Foundation, in collaboration with VAST Bhutan and the Rubin Museum of Art, pioneers virtual travel with a collection of 1080 NFTs spreading good wishes and positive messages from Bhutan — a small Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas that measures happiness instead of gross domestic product — across the metaverse.

Sales will support educational programs, and the cleaning of the mountains surrounding Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital-city.

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[PHILOSOPHY]

[IMPACT]

[STORY]

[ATTRIBUTES]

[ROADMAP]

[PARTNERS]

Prayer Flags Mountains Bhutan -

[PHILOSOPHY]

Prayer flags promote peace, compassion, strength and wisdom to benefit all beings across the universe. From handwritten pieces of silk, to woodblock printed cloths, to mass produced prints on synthetic polyester fabrics, they have always been produced through purposeful use of available technologies and materials. Today, prayer flags embrace their digital future as NFTs.

WATCH THE INTERVIEW

[IMPACT]

Prayer Flag imprint - META Foundation

1. SPREAD YOUR PRAYERS

Send prayers and good wishes evoking and promoting peace, compassion, strength and wisdom to benefit all beings across the universe.
VAST Bhutan Logo - META Foundation

2. SUPPORT 
VAST BHUTAN

Sponsor the contemporary art collective VAST Bhutan. NFT sales will contribute to their educational programs, teaching their students about web3 technologies.
Mountains - META Foundation

3. CLEAN THE MOUNTAINS

Free the mountains surrounding Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital-city, of their accumulating fallen, faded, and entangled polyester prayer flags.
Community Logo - META Foundation

4. JOIN OUR
COMMUNITY

The META Foundation supports real world issues, from ambitious UN Goals to empowering specific communities through web3 projects and initiatives.

[IMPACT]

1. SPREAD YOUR PRAYERS

Send prayers and good wishes evoking and promoting peace, compassion, strength and wisdom to benefit all beings across the universe.

2. SUPPORT 
VAST BHUTAN

Sponsor the contemporary art collective VAST Bhutan. NFT sales will contribute to their educational programs, teaching their students about web3 technologies.

3. CLEAN THE MOUNTAINS

Free the mountains surrounding Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital-city, of their accumulating fallen, faded, and entangled polyester prayer flags.

4. JOIN OUR
COMMUNITY

The META Foundation supports real world issues, from ambitious UN Goals to empowering specific communities through web3 projects and initiatives.

[STORY]

MEANING
Generally, the mantras of prayer flags request protection and positive outcomes from deities for those who hoist them as well as for everyone else. They are typically placed on the high points of mountains where the wind is strong and can carry their invocations further. Pure intention directed to all living beings is most important when hoisting prayer flags.Their ancient forms remain mostly consistent. In Bhutan, the five colors of the cloth reflect symbolic association with elements: white for air, red for fire, green for water, yellow for earth, and blue for space.
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SUSTAINABILITY
In contemporary times, prayer flags are largely mass produced in polyester. Though the intentions behind this modern production is to make the flags and their prayers longer-lasting, their synthetic material impedes their assimilation into the ecosystem. Their intrinsic and symbolic ephemerality, with prayers being renewed with each newly raised flag, is also disrupted.Acknowledging the importance of prayer flags’ natural decay within virtual space, the NTFs will interpret their impermanence by fading over the course of several months, reverting to their original state with each transaction.

Mindful of blockchain’s own sustainability concerns, these virtual flags are minted on Polygon’s proof of stake network, in which each transaction produces just 0.2g CO2, making it significantly less ecologically taxing than the 124kg of CO2 per transaction on the Ethereum network.
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PURE INTENTION
Inspired by Krista Kim’s techist manifesto of 2014, which promotes a metaverse for the benefit and healing of humanity, The Prayer Flag Project consists of 1080 unique NFTs designed from original assets by Asha Kama, a leading Bhutanese artist. It seeks to spread reconciliation and connections around the world through the symbolic gesture of transferring virtual prayer flags from one person to another, blowing benevolent winds throughout the metaverse.While the NFT market has, for the most part, accelerated the commodification of art and greedy speculation, the distribution and cyclical renewal of these prayer flags calls attention to a different and relevant approach to collective thinking that encourages forwarding goodwill, positive intentions, and care along the blockchain, from owner to owner.
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PURPOSE
A significant part of the proceeds from the NFT sales will be donated to VAST Bhutan, a contemporary art collective and NGO co-founded in 1998 by Bhutan's leading contemporary artist, Asha Kama. Promoting art and community service among youth, these funds will contribute to their educational programs teaching art students about web3 technologies, opening up a whole new world of possibilities for global exposure and community engagement.In 2021, the META Foundation commissioned Asha Kama to create his first virtual piece, “Windhorse NFT”, as a commentary on both the environment and (im)permanence. The sculpture is made of fallen, faded and entangled polyester prayer flags, which Asha Kama and his students collected from the mountains surrounding Bhutan’s capital-city Thimphu.

The sale of each NFT will help fund the collection and repurposing of these fallen flags, breathing new life into the prayers of those who put them there, and sustaining this cultural tradition in the age of commodification and mass consumption.
Read more ↴
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[ATTRIBUTES]

Painting by Asha Kama - Paintings section - METAFoundation

1. PAINTINGS

The 1080 unique NFTs are designed from original paintings by Asha Kama, a leading Bhutanese artist fascinated by the flag’s Windhorse symbolism.
Stamp Meta Foundation - Prayer Flags

2. STAMPS

Each NFT features a prayer stamp, with a Windhorse surrounded by the four great animals symbolizing the cardinal directions, well-being and good fortune.
Inprint Prayer Flag Meta Foundation

3. WIND

Just as prayer flags are typically placed on the high points of mountains for the wind to carry their invocations further, these NFTs have different wind conditions.
Prayer Flags - Meta Foundation

4. DECAY

The NFTs will interpret their impermanence by fading over the course of several months, reverting to their original state with each transaction.

[ATTRIBUTES]

Painting by Asha Kama - Paintings section - METAFoundation

1. PAINTINGS

The 1080 unique NFTs are designed from original paintings by Asha Kama, a leading Bhutanese artist fascinated by the flag’s Windhorse symbolism.
Stamp Meta Foundation - Prayer Flags

2. STAMPS

Each NFT features an prayer stamp, with a Windhorse surrounded by the four great animals symbolizing the cardinal directions, well-being and good fortune.
Inprint Prayer Flag Meta Foundation

3. WIND

Just as prayer flags are typically placed on the high points of mountains for the wind to carry their invocations further, these NFT have different wind conditions.
Prayer Flags - Meta Foundation

4. DECAY

The NFTs will interpret their impermanence by fading over the course of several months, reverting to their original state with each transaction.

[TRADITION MEETS TECHNOLOGY]

We sat down with Elena Pakhoutova, Ph.D., the Senior Curator of Himalayan Art at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York to learn more about the deep cultural roots of Prayer Flags, and their digital evolution as NFTs.

[ROADMAP]

Roadmap META Foundation 4

MAY 30

Whitelist opens with pre-access to the limited editions of 1080 prayer flags designed by Asha Kama for our collaborators, partners and donors.
Roadmap META Foundation3

JUNE 10

Public 360 campaign starts in collaboration with our PR, community and social media partners. Everyone will have access to join the whitelist at this point.
Roadmap META Foundation1

JUNE 20

Public minting starts on our website with a launch event at NeueHouse New York City to inaugurate the global META Foundation community.
Roadmap META Foundation

JUNE 30

The first virtual travel experience for all flag holders will take place in Virtual Bhutan on Spatial.io. A conversation around preservation and the
future of travel.

[ROADMAP]

Roadmap META Foundation 4

JULY 15

Whitelist opens with pre-access to the limited editions of 1080 prayer flags designed by Asha Kama for our collaborators, partners and donors.
Roadmap META Foundation3

JULY 25

Public 360 campaign starts in collaboration with our PR, community and social media partners. Everyone will have access to join the whitelist at this point.
Roadmap META Foundation1

AUGUST 24

Public minting starts on our website with a launch event during the Decentraland Art Week and an IRL event in New York City to inaugurate the global META Foundation community.

AUGUST 30

The first virtual travel experience for all flag holders will take place in Virtual Bhutan on Spatial.io A conversation around preservation and the
future of travel.

[PARTNERS]

The Rubin Museum Fast CompanyVAST Bhutan, META Foundation

Our Partners

Fast Company LogoSpatial LogoNeueHouse LogoVAST Bhutan Logo
Decentraland LogoThe Rubin Museum Logo
"As a country that has always had a sustainable approach to tourism, Bhutan offers a unique case study for pioneering a purpose-driven prototype for virtual travel. This project explores how virtual experiences can connect visitors to real communities to support and fuel local economies, while fulfilling and inspiring travel dreams from afar."

— Savinien Caracostea, META Foundation
Savinien Caracostea, Meta Foundation at Fast Company Innovation Festival NeueHouse New York City
"As a country that has always had a sustainable approach to tourism, Bhutan offers a unique case study for pioneering a purpose-driven prototype for virtual travel. This project explores how virtual experiences can connect visitors to real communities to support and fuel local economies, while fulfilling and inspiring travel dreams from afar."

-Savinien Caracostea, META Foundation
Savinien Caracostea, Meta Foundation at Fast Company Innovation Festival NeueHouse New York City

FAQs

[What is The Meta Foundation?]


The META Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization promoting cultural, social and environmental sustainability through the metaverse. Inspired by concepts of hospitality, we see the metaverse as a more accessible and collaborative space to travel, discover, and engage with new and existing worlds with purpose.From aligning with ambitious and important UN Goals to supporting specific communities and organizations, the META Foundation addresses these real world issues through engaging and actionable virtual projects and initiatives.

[What does this project stand for?]


The Prayer Flag Project seeks to spread reconciliation and connections around the world through the symbolic gesture of transferring virtual prayer flags from one person to another, blowing benevolent winds throughout the metaverse. While the NFT market has, for the most part, accelerated the commodification of art and greedy speculation, the distribution and cyclical renewal of these prayer flags calls attention to a different and relevant approach to collective thinking that encourages forwarding goodwill, positive intentions, and care along the blockchain, from owner to owner.Additionally, the Prayer Flag Project supports:

— Education: This project will fund the educational programs of VAST Bhutan, a contemporary art collective and NGO promoting art and community service among youth, teaching their art students about web3 technologies and opening up a whole new world of possibilities for global exposure and community engagement.

— Sustainability: In contemporary times, prayer flags are largely mass produced in polyester. Though the intentions behind this modern production is to make the flags and their prayers longer-lasting, their synthetic material impedes their assimilation into the ecosystem. The sale of each NFT will help fund the collection and repurposing of these fallen flags on the mountains surrounding Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital-city, breathing new life into the prayers of those who put them there, and sustaining this cultural tradition in the age of commodification and mass consumption.

[Where do the proceeds go?]


— 40% of the proceeds from the NFT sales will be donated to VAST Bhutan, a contemporary art collective and NGO promoting art and community service among youth. These funds will contribute to their educational programs teaching art students about web3 technologies, opening up a whole new world of possibilities for global exposure and community engagement. Additionally, these funds will be used to collect and repurpose fallen polyester flags, breathing new life into the prayers of those who put them there, and sustaining this cultural tradition in the age of commodification and mass consumption.

— 10% of the proceeds are going to Asha Kama, the artist behind the painting on the prayer flags and founder of VAST Bhutan.

— 40% of the proceeds will fund future projects and operations of the META Foundation, including the creation of its DAO (decentralized autonomous organization) to identify relevant initiatives, and commission works from artists, activists, and other organizations to broadcast in the metaverse. Furthermore, the Foundation provides relevant training and resources for the selected communities to sustain their projects autonomously beyond their launch. As our projects multiply and represent more and more communities and causes internationally, the collected body of work will eventually constitute a more sustainable and purposeful way of traveling.

— 10% of the proceeds go to our technical and marketing partners.
‍

[What are the SDG 17?]


United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere. The 17 Goals were adopted by all UN Member States in 2015, as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which set out a 15-year plan to achieve the Goals.To learn more about these goals visit:

https://sdgs.un.org/goalsWith the Prayer Flag Project, we are proud to be one of the first NFT projects to commit to these goals:

Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

[Do you accept Credit Card Payments?]


Yes, credit card checkout is provided by our credit card processing partner Winter Corp. For more information about the terms & conditions of the credit card checkout process visit their page under https://www.usewinter.com/terms-of-service. If you mint using a credit card you will have the option to mint to a temporary wallet provided by Winter Corp. This will make the checkout process quicker and allow you to move the NFT from a wallet provided by winter to your own at any time after the checkout.

For more information please contact support@usewinter.com.

[Technology & Smart Contract]


Polygon uses a modified proof-of-stake consensus mechanism to efficiently operate the platform, with each transaction producing just 0.2g CO2, making it significantly less ecologically taxing than the 124kg of CO2 per transaction on the Ethereum network. The dynamic NFT will be hosted on IPFS.

[Which Wallets are Supported?]


Polygon (previously Matic Network) does not have a native mobile wallet. So if you’re looking for the best wallet for Polygon, we highly recommend you use MetaMask. Please follow the instructions under "How to open a Wallet" below if you do not have a Polygon Wallet or your MetaMask is not connected to the Polygon network.

[How do I open a Wallet?]


For instructions on how to open a wallet please follow these steps.


STEP 1
Click here to set up your MetaMask Wallet


STEP 2
Click here to connect your MetaMask Wallet to the Polygon network



To view your NFT collection, connect your wallet to a Platform that allows NFT view or open MetaMask on your mobile phone
‍

‍STEP 3
Click here to create an OpenSea account and connect your Polygon MetaMask Wallet with OpenSea to view your NFT collection.


[Metrics]


Total number of tokens: 1080

Attributes: Paintings, stamps, wind direction & wind strength

Total number of airdrops: 200

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