November 1, 2021
Beeple, HUMAN ONE (2021). (Courtesy: Christie's)
Mike Winkelmann known
as Beeple launched the art world’s craze for nonfungible tokens by selling one
of his digital collages at Christie’s for $69 million this spring. The sale was
groundbreaking-not only had the work fetched such an astronomical price, the
piece also effectively induced NFT fever within the art world.
A video installation depicting an astronaut-like figure striding through a dystopian landscape. Dubbed “Human One,” the seven-foot-tall artwork comprises four large LED screens installed in an aluminum and wood frame. The auction house behind the sale, Christie’s, expects the piece to attract bids in excess of $15 million when it goes on sale this month.
“HUMAN
ONE” has the aesthetic look and feel of a video game — an industry that
the artist wanted to pursue when he was younger. Although there is no schedule
as to when it will be visually updated, Beeple aims to take his time on each
new addition, stating “I want to make something that people can continue to
come back to and find new meaning in. And the meaning will continue to evolve.”
In a conversation with
Noah Davis, Christie’s Head of Digital Art, Beeple lauded at the advent of
NFTs, adding that it “feels like genuinely new work is being birthed through
this technology, through this movement.”
In a statement, Wikelmann said he relishes the opportunity to fully
explore the potential of making works that combine digital and physical
materials. “While a traditional work of art is more akin to a finite statement,
frozen in time at the moment it was completed,” he added, “this artwork’s
unique ability to be updated makes it more akin to an ongoing conversation.”
Prev | [NEWS] Dubai Art Expo: 500 artists from 170 countries to come together |
---|---|
Next | [NEWS] Francis Bacon's Ghoulish 'Pope With Owls' to Lead Phillips' New York Auction |
List |