The .ART Art Market Recap: First NFT Museum, Mercedes and More
So little time, so many new things going on in the world of digital art and more... If you want to stay clued in, but don't have the time to trawl through endless content, you've come to the right place. Here is your recap of all the hottest art market news.
Image above: Mercedes x @iamethee
1. NFT art gets a physical space in the form of a museum and gallery in Seattle
On January 14th, the first museum dedicated to revolutionising NFT art opened its doors in Seattle. SNFTM seeks to carefully manage the line between the virtual and the physical. One way this is done is through using QR codes, which direct visitors to online portals while in the museum, opening up the possibility of artists adding additional ways to interact with artwork. SNFTM has partnered with Samsung to create a number of frames that can add or subtract several inches from the borders of the work as a way to give curators and artists flexibility in how to present their digital-based work.
“We want to be rotating work so we can give as much exposure as possible to new artists. Based on feedback from our supporters and members of the museum, we can learn what people would like to see in our future collection.” – Peter Hamilton, founder of the museum.
2. Sotheby’s to auction rare impressionist paintings by Monet
Several early works by renowned Impressionist painter Claude Monet will be up for sale at British auction house Sotheby’s in London this March. Their overall score — $50 million, according to CNN. And, according to Sotheby’s, the auction will feature five paintings reflecting Monet’s transition to abstract expressionism over a fifteen-year period. All works are dated 1900, which means that they give an idea of the development and style of the artist before he painted his most famous works from his series «Water Lilies» at the beginning of the 20th century. “These five stunning works, reflecting the path to his great water lily paintings, brilliantly reflect Monet’s history as the father of modern art”, said Helena Newman, Chair of Sotheby’s Europe and Head of Impressionist and Contemporary Art in the world.
3. Mercedes-Benz Enlists Five NFT Artists For “NF-G” Project
Mercedes-Benz has debuted its first collaborative NFT project, collaborating with crypto artist collective ART2PEOPLE to find five talented artists who have created unique digital interpretations of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. The participating artists include Baugasm, Antoni Tudisco, Klarens Malluta, Charlotte Tayler x Anthony Authié, and Roger Kilimanjaro, who deliver powerful and unique sensory experiences in short-form video format with accompanying audio.
“This project is about the digital art world intersecting with the hand-made craft and past of the motoring world; merging these two spheres together to bring an ‘OG’ into the world of NFT and establishing it as an NFG,” ART2PEOPLE wrote in an introductory post.
How to use your .ART domain name as your crypto address. Read More .ART Domain Name: Your Digital Business Card Read More How to link your .ART domain to your website Read More
4. Robbie Williams to auction off three of Banksy’s most famous works, including Girl With Balloon
Girl With Balloon, Kissing Coppers and Vandalised Oils (Choppers) will go under the hammer at Sotheby’s in London on 2 March. The former Take That star said the paintings were some of the street artist’s best work. “I remember seeing Girl With Balloon, Vandalised Oils (Choppers) and Kissin
g Coppers for the first time,” he said. “I believe they are some of his best paintings and I love how closely linked they are to the street pieces. As a collector of Banksy’s work, you become part of a broader cultural movement.” The classic pop-art image of Girl With Balloon first appeared under Waterloo Bridge in 2002. A version of it made headlines in 2018 after it was partially shredded at the end of a Sotheby’s auction. Williams’ version is on metal and will have a starting price of £2m.
5. Gagosian Announces New Gallery in Gstaad, Switzerland
Located in the Bernese Oberland region of the Swiss Alps, Gstaad is well-known for its luxury hotels and ski resorts. Due to zoning and building restrictions, the area has maintained its old-world elegance and is considered as one of Europe’s most expensive alpine villages. Gagosian first appeared in the town through various pop-up activations back in 2018, featuring artists such as Giuseppe Penone, Andreas Gursky, Marc Newson, and Ed Ruscha. Joining the Basel and Geneva locations, the Gstaad gallery will be located along the historic promenade in the heart of the village and feature an inaugural exhibition of works by Damien Hirst opening on February 14, 2022.