Sotheby’s is hosting its first-ever NFT auction in Paris, featuring works inspired by the “Oddly Satisfying” subreddit. From March 17 to March 24, 2023, buyers will have the chance to purchase works from featured artists including Anyma, Beeple, Lucas Zanotto, and Josh Pierce. Following this sale is the New York-based auction “Natively Digital: Glitch-ism” from March 24 to March 31 which will feature works by XCopy, Luis Ponce, and jakethedegen.
The art world has become increasingly digital as technology continues to evolve. Michael Bouhanna, Head of Digital Art and NFTs at Sotheby's recognizes this intersection of art and technology being “the most exciting thing happening in contemporary art right now." As a result of this merger between traditional art and digital media, Sotheby's has been expanding its presence in the NFT market.
In April 2021 they conducted their first Natively Digital sale featuring works by Kevin Abosch and Robert Alice among others. The focus of this sale was to incorporate both physical and digital elements into a single work rather than creating a purely digital piece. This trend towards combining physical artwork with digital assets continued into April 2022 with their generative art NFT sale featuring works by Charles Csuri, Tyler Hobbs, and Vera Molnar which sold for $2.3 million.
Now with their meme-inspired NFT auction coming up in Paris next month followed by their glitch-ism auction in New York soon after that they are continuing to expand on their presence within the industry while also showing an appreciation for contemporary trends in visual culture such as memes. This upcoming series of auctions promises to be an interesting one that shows just how far we have come when it comes to the intersection of art and technology!
Sotheby's is pushing boundaries when it comes to incorporating new technologies into traditional artwork through their upcoming meme-inspired NFT auctions in Paris and New York City. By doing so they are not only increasing awareness about digital media but also introducing innovative ways for us to appreciate both traditional art forms and contemporary trends such as memes! Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for these upcoming sales if you want to get your hands on some truly unique pieces!