Marco Santini is an award-winning Impact Artist, mentor, and inventor with international acclaim, currently based in New Jersey. Holding a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistic Anthropology from Brown University, Santini transitioned from a career in marketing and branding to pursue his passion for the arts full-time in 2018.

Renowned for his innovative Illuminated designs, Santini elevates rare books and magazines into captivating three-dimensional art pieces. His creations aim to honor the narratives within these literary treasures, breathing new life into once-neglected volumes that adorn shelves worldwide. Santini introduced this unique artistic approach through his Signature Series, a celebrated 22-piece collection inaugurated at SCOPE Miami in 2022, featuring signed works by luminaries such as Basquiat, Picasso, O’Keeffe, Dalí, and more.

Santini’s artwork is on permanent display at the Museum of Art and Photography in Bangalore, India, where he also painted a collaborative mural at the entrance to the museum. Notably, Santini live painted at the United Nations General Assembly in 2019. His collaborations with esteemed global brands, including MIT, Sandals, and Fidelity, underscore his versatility and reach in the art world.

He also paints and speaks at schools all around the world to share the importance of inclusivity, creativity, and positivity.

Santini’s work has been covered by the New York Times, Forbes, New York Post, Chicago Tribune, and more, further solidifying his status as a visionary artist.

Interview with Beeple: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN7K1nhOVgg

About the work:
Illuminated: Bitcoin Magazine Issue #1
Presenting the Illuminated rendition of Bitcoin Magazine's inaugural issue from May 2012. In this unique creation, Marco Santini delves into the magazine's content, meticulously selecting key elements that encapsulate Bitcoin's pivotal moments in history. Employing his signature technique, Illuminism, Santini delicately preserves the magazine's original structure while infusing it with depth and dimensionality.
Within the artwork, viewers will discover curated excerpts featuring:

● Editor-in-Chief Matthew N. Wright
● Contributions by Vitalik Buterin
● A concise narrative tracing Bitcoin's inception
● A central visual detailing the Nash Equilibrium
● The only personal details ever provided by Satoshi
● Notable quotes
● Historical summaries

After cutting up the physical magazine, Santini embellished the magazine with reflective oil paint markers. The pages, affixed with velcro stickers, create a layered effect, where all intricate details can be viewed from various angles within the UV Plexi Box.

Furthermore, Santini extends the artwork's digital presence through his first Ordinal. By photographing the Illuminated design and integrating digital components, he creates a digital, animated rendition. The magazine image floats atop Santini's signature golden geometric motif, evoking the essence of digital circuitry.