Despite the gloomy context of cryptocurrencies, the operator announces a new sale of works of art accompanied by an NFT.
The cryptocurrency world is going through a period of turbulence . Bitcoin's value plummeted 65%, NFT trading volume fell 97%, and the bankruptcy of cryptocurrency exchange FTX showed that this sector is still fragile.
One would think that this is not the ideal time for Christie's to continue its sales of NFT . The auction house has just announced "Next Wave: The Miami Edit", its second sale on its Christie's 3.0 platform . "Despite the new cycle of cryptocurrencies, interest in digital art remains strong, justified on Artnet Nicole Sales Giles, director of digital art sales at Christie's. Collectors want to own the best works of art and Christie's 3.0 is the vector of this".
The auction, which will run from November 30 to December 7, is timed to coincide with Miami Art Week . The highlight lot is Mother Flock , an evolving virtual sculpture, resulting from the collaboration between the Random International collective and the artist Danil Krivoruchko, which allows the viewer to manipulate a swarm of thousands of bird-like figures. Other lots include a shot by American photographer Dave Krugman, Untitled , by nature-focused painter and programmer Zancan, and Cory Van Lew's City of Miami.
This auction follows the debut of Christie's 3.0 with the sale of works by NFT artist Diana Sinclair last October. The auctioneer reports that all works sold for 145% above the low estimate and that 300 customers logged into their Christie's 3.0 cryptocurrency wallets. "Building on the success of our inaugural sale, the Christie's digital art team is absolutely thrilled to bring to life the first sale of cross-ownership works on Christie's 3.0," said Nicole Sales Giles.
Christie's was an early player in the NFT and crypto-art market. Last year, the auction house hosted a record $69 million sale of a digital work by American artist Beeple, placing its author among the three most expensive living artists in the world.
Seen in LEJOURNALDESARTS.FR Alexandre Clappe