Christie’s, arguably the world’s most famous auction house, launched last week Christie’s 3.0, a web3-based platform for blockchain-based, non-fungible token (NFT) sales.
The new marketplace will showcase the St James, London-based company’s dedication to Web3 collectors, artists, and enthusiasts, just days after the Ethereum Merge in late September.
Three major tech firms — Spatial, Manifold, and Chainalysis — launched a joint effort with Christie’s to develop the platform.
Users buying and selling on Christie’s 3.0 use the Ethereum blockchain across the auction process while providing compliance and taxation tools essential for cryptocurrency regulation.
Phases, my first solo exhibition with @ChristiesInc, is now live for bidding on Christies 3.0 ✨!!!
Bidding is open till Oct 11th.
Below is a thread of all the artworks 💙. pic.twitter.com/Vzb8jDUcYl
— Diana Sinclair (@dianasinclair) September 28, 2022
Web3 and NFT artist Diana Sinclair will auction eight of her minted collections, including Doomsday, Ego, I Am That I Am, I Want to Nurture, and River over Stone, for the platform’s launch from up to 11 October, with artworks priced from 4 to 8 ETH.
The artist, curator, and activist earned recognition from Forbes as One of the 50 Most Influential People in NFTs for creating artworks on numerous social justice causes. She stated that the next renaissance would develop from the merger of art and technology.
Comments on Christie’s 3.0
Nicole Sales Giles, Christie’s Director of Digital Art Sales, said in a statement her enterprise was “excited” to launch the project with artworks from Sinclair.
She added Christie’s move to NFT and digital art allows it to remain the premier venue for exhibiting “the best artworks of this emerging category.”
She concluded, stating,
“I am delighted to be able to work with such inspiring digital artists – as well as a remarkable Christie’s team – to offer the public the opportunity to collect exceptional NFTs in the way they are meant to be transacted, on-chain. By incorporating regulatory tools, such as anti-money laundering and sales tax, we have built an inclusive solution where both veteran and new NFT collectors can feel secure in transacting with Christie’s 3.0.”
Eric Diep, Founder and Chief Executive of Manifold, added his firm was “honoured” to join the partnership for a “fully on-chain art marketplace.”
He continued,
“The launch of Christie’s 3.0 signifies an institutional expansion of the regulated market for digital assets, which both validates NFTs as an art form, and provides incredible benefits for digital artists”
Jonathan Levin, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer for Chainalysis, added that NFTs were one of the “most dynamic areas of both Web3 and the digital art market” by allowing artists to build engaged communities for their brand with digital ownership.
Speaking further, he explained,
“We’re thrilled to partner with Christie’s to provide anti-money laundering technology and open up NFTs to buyers looking for the trust and safety that comes with Christie’s reputation”
Anand Agarawala, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Spatial, concluded that it was a “real honor” to support both Christie’s and Diana Sinclair’s inaugural metaverse NFT drop.
“An auction house and artist of this caliber looking to Web3 and NFTs as the next avenue for sales, makes a big statement to the industry. We’ve enjoyed collaborating on the space with them and are looking forward to a long partnership as they embark on their digital art journey”
Digital Art, Fashion Renaissance
The news comes just after Christie’s opened its Ventures enterprise in July, shortly after its fifth annual Art+Tech Summit in New York City. The auction has also featured the first part of its historical Sixty Years of James Bond collection in early October to celebrate the iconic British film franchise’s legacy.
#AuctionUpdate Sixty Years of James Bond: Part I – Live Charity Auction realised £6,103,500, far exceeding the overall pre-sale estimate. The Online Sale, Part II, is still open for bidding until 4pm BST on #JamesBondDay, Wednesday, 5 October: https://t.co/0jAA8J3kgD @007 pic.twitter.com/Y62tN0KVM5
— Christie’s (@ChristiesInc) September 29, 2022
Bond’s last film with long-running actor Daniel Craig, ‘No Time to Die,’ debuted on Meta Platform’s Quest 2 headsets due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which temporarily closed theatres due to national lockdown measures and restrictions.
A limited-attendance red carpet event took place at the London Royal Albert Hall, with Meta opening its Meta Venues platform for immersive viewings of the film release.
Spatial, a leading metaverse platform for content curators and social meetings, also hosted in September a massive virtual fashion drop for ARTISANT and Red DAO. The collection also featured CloneX avatars from metaverse company RTFKT.
Spatial has also teamed up with Ready Player Me and Polycount for a massive extended reality (XR) fashion expo for Vogue, allowing audiences to visit curated, blockchain-based experiences on the latter’s New World expo metaverse space via headsets, smartphones, and tablets.
