our 2nd art event 2021: After the Inc Art Fair, the ArtMuc 2021 was possible again despite Corona.
This time it wasn't about the topic of “VR”.
We had some interesting discussions on the subject of NFTs in Hamburg and now wanted to continue and deepen these discussions in Munich.
It turned out to be a lucky coincidence that we met the Lüpertz master student Martina Kolle in Hamburg, who followed the topic of NFTs with interest early on and wanted to discover it for herself.
Between the trade fairs in Hamburg and Munich, we were able to support the painter technically and strategically in taking the first steps in the exciting NFT environment.
So we stood by the painter's side for 4 days at the fair and explained to interested visitors and artists what this digital art is all about, which we have shown on an LCD screen.
We showed “digitally extended” variations of the painter's works and also an NFT based on 3D scans by the sculptors Isabel Ritter and Karl Orth.
One thing in advance: there was great interest and the conversations were very interesting.
Since we were one of the very few at ArtMuc who even used a digital medium for presentation, the screen itself was an eye-catcher. That we used this screen as a hook to discuss the subject of NFTs made it even more interesting.
NFTs are certainly the most abstract and technically demanding topic in the art market right now. So it was no wonder that we only met a few who had penetrated the topic and already had concrete plans for themselves.
But there were those few. Much more often it was the case that artists had already vaguely heard of NFT, but lacked the digital access to go deeper and discover the topic of NFTs for themselves.
Most often it was certainly the case that the term NFT was completely new and we were able to explain in exciting discussions what this abstract term is all about.
In their simplest form, NFTs are, as it were, a digital certificate of authenticity in a blockchain, which makes it possible to trace digital art back to its originator and also makes every transfer of ownership transparent.
When we speak of “property” here, this term is not meant so much in legal terms: NFTs represent a socially accepted concept of property: It has become established in the community that the “owner” of an NFT is who it is in whose digital wallet it is NFT is located.
Many artists we spoke to immediately realized the value of such a technology and idea:
A digital certificate of authenticity for digital art makes a digital art market possible - a digital art market can be a new sales and marketing channel for the artist.
Of course we were also able to speak to many visitors and collectors.
Here, too, a mixed picture emerged: some already knew the topic of NFTs and were thrilled that it was present at ArtMuc, others remained interested, listened for a long time and carefully studied our flyers.
And of course there was also a small group of visitors who didn't like the topic of digital art.
Conclusion
The perceptions that we made at the Inc Art Fair in Hamburg this year continue:
There is a strong need for artists to become more digital, but there is often a lack of time and affinity for digital topics.
Of course, that gives courage for this entire ecosystem: because those who do not discover a digital path for themselves in these digital times will probably have a hard time.
We look forward to the many interesting conversations and have the opportunity to continue them soon: Martina Kolle will open her studio from October 22nd, 2021 - October 24th, 2021 and we will explain everything about NFTs again.
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