Four Italian museums sell their masterpieces in NFT format

It is called Eternalising Art History and is an initiative that the London gallery Unit London is launching in collaboration with four Italian museums (the Uffizi, the Complesso della Pilotta in Parma, the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana in Milan, and the Pinacoteca di Brera: six important masterpieces housed in these institutions (Raphael’s Madonna of the Goldfinch at the Uffizi, Leonardo da Vinci’s Scapiliata at the Pilotta, Leonardo da Vinci’s Portrait of a Musician and Caravaggio’s Basket of Fruit at the Ambrosiana, Hayez’s Kiss and Modigliani’s Head of a Young Woman at the Brera Pinacoteca) have in fact been recreated in digital format and, from February 16 to March 19, 2022, will be displayed in a virtual exhibition in the form of NFTs, in order to be sold.

These are replicas identical to the originals that can be purchased on the appropriate platforms, and the proceeds will be divided between Unit London and the four museums that have been involved in the initiative (they will be used, Unit London explains, for conservation activities). “The exhibition,” the gallery notes, “comes at a time when travel is still limited and there is a hunger for innovative ways to experience culture. The digital artworks presented in Eternalizing Art History offer an opportunity that would otherwise be beyond the reach of many international audiences. The exhibition also strives to open accessibility to works of art that cannot be transported for international exhibitions for preservation reasons. As such, 50 percent of the sales will go directly to museums, which will use them to subsidize the protection by which these works can be preserved for future generations.”

Each work is produced in a limited digital edition of nine and is created with technology partner Cinello, an Italian company that has patented a new technology for creating DAW® - Digital Art Work. The artworks, displayed on screens, are bounded by exact replicas of the original frames, each handcrafted in Tuscany. Eternalizing Art History will be the first in a series of three exhibitions of digital artwork presented by Unit London, coming at a time when the gallery is dedicated to innovating in the field, exploring the ways in which art can bridge the gap between physical and virtual experiences, benefiting both artists and audiences. As such, Eternalizing Art History, Unit London further explains, “is really the first event of its kind, breaking new ground and paving the way for new cultural experiences.”

Buyers will receive a screen with which the image will be generated, a reproduction of the frame and an authentication certificate in NFT. The work will then be a unique piece that can be resold. Museums will also be able to receive dividends on any subsequent sales, and they will also remain owners of the rights to the works to prevent uncontrolled use of digital replicas. This is not a first: in this regard, the Uffizi in Florence played a pioneering role when in May it sold a Tondo Doni in NFT format for the sum of 70,000 euros, also made with DAW® technology. The sale of similar objects could be an innovative and interesting way to bring new resources into the coffers of our museums.

Four Italian museums sell their masterpieces in NFT format

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