Christie’s, the British auction house, has announced the auction of its first-ever “purely digital work of art.”
It has been reported that Christie’s said that the nonfungible token (NFT) artwork will be issued in partnership with major NFT marketplace MakersPlace. Named “Everydays: The First 5000 Days,” the piece was created by Mike Winkelmann, who goes by the name “Beeple.”
Christie's is proud to offer "Everydays – The First 5000 Days" by @beeple as the first purely digital work of art ever offered by a major auction house. Bidding will be open from Feb 25-Mar 11. Learn more here https://t.co/srx95HCE0o | NFT issued in partnership w/ @makersplaceco pic.twitter.com/zymq2DSjy7 — Christie's (@ChristiesInc) February 16, 2021
However, the official page of the NFT auction stated that the starting price for the work, which interested parties can bid on from February 25 until March 11, is just $100.
It said in the announcement:
“Minted exclusively for Christie’s in February 2021, this monumental digital collage marks the first time Beeple’s work will be sold at a major auction house.”
Christie’s added:
“It’s also the first-ever purely digital artwork (NFT) to be offered at a traditional auction house, with its authenticity assured thanks to blockchain technology.”
Likewise, Noah Davis, a postwar and contemporary expert based in New York, emphasized that Christie’s move into the NFT industry is crucial for digital art.
Davis added:
“Christie’s has never offered a new media artwork of this scale or importance before. […] Acquiring Beeple’s work is a unique opportunity to own an entry in the blockchain itself created by one of the world’s leading digital artists.”
As it has been reported previously, MakersPlace, Christie’s NFT partner, is a global NFT marketplace, similar to SuperRare, KnownOrigin, and Winklevoss brothers-owned Nifty.
The NFT artist, @Beeple, is making headlines again, and this time his digital work will be auctioned through @ChristiesInc. What price tag will his collection will fetch this time? https://t.co/PqvmvcWRRy — Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) February 17, 2021
Thus, this new auction is not the company’s first foray into blockchain-based art. In October 2020, a similar Christie’s auction sold a Bitcoin (BTC)-themed art piece and NFT based on blockchain technology for $131,250.
Source: Cointelegraph