"First" Crypto Art ExhiBit(c)ion next month
...In brief
Crypto-themed artworks by Beeple, Robert Alice, and more are part of a Chinese exhibition set for next month.
It’s organized by a crypto art company called Block Create Art.
In December, digital artist Beeple sold a collection of pieces and accompanying NFTs for around $3.5 million; now, those works are set to make their Chinese debut at a new crypto-centric art exhibition in Beijing, China.
The show is called “Virtual Niche: Have You Ever Seen Memes in the Mirror?” and comes courtesy of a crypto art marketplace called Block Create Art. Sun Bohan, the company’s CEO, curated the exhibition.
Crypto art is typically associated with NFTs, which are non-fungible tokens: cryptographically secured assets on the Ethereum blockchain. They can take any form (videos, images, multi-layered interactive animations) and are a convenient medium for digital art, since ownership is easy to prove.
The NFT market has blown up in recent months. In 2020, it was valued at around $100 million. Just two months deep into 2021, and that figured has ballooned to $250 million, according to a report from Nonfungible.com. And February is set to be the biggest month yet for NFT art sales, per data from Dune Analytics.
But while the "Virtual Niche" exhibit in Beijing will be centered around the idea of "crypto art," this show will feature physical artworks.
Other featured artists at the show include Robert Alice—the pseudonym of Ben Gentilli—whose Bitcoin-themed Block 21 was the first NFT sold at Christie’s, as well as Refik Anadol and the DJ Deadmau5.
According to a press release, the show will mark Beeple and Alice’s debut in China.
Also making an appearance: an artist called Alotta Money, who deals primarily in NFTs.
The show is being funded by Kusama Network, an offshoot of the Polkadot network, and the Chinese Bitcoin mining company Bitmain; it’s set to run from March 26 to April 4.
