Beeple is arguably the most renowned digital artist of our times, and last night’s Christie’s 21st Century Evening Sale is further proof. “Human One”, a 3D digital artwork featuring an astronaut walking around a glass cube, stole the thunder at the event after it sold for an impressive $28 million. Importantly, “Human One” also has a corresponding NFT attached to it, essentially making it an NFT art piece as well.
Christie’s and Beeple have a long-standing relationship, as the artist’s most valuable sale to date also happened through the auction house. In March, Christie’s held the auction for Beeple’s “Everydays: The First 5000 Days”, which sold for a whopping $69 million. This is still the most expensive NFT purchase to date, even though the sale didn’t take place on-chain.
Building on that relationship, Beeple is now becoming a central figure in the high art world. Christie’s auctions usually feature works by big names in the art world. During last night’s auction, “Human One” appeared next to works from Cindy Sherman, Christopher Wool, and Banksy.
Despite the stellar lineup, Beeple stole the show once again, recording the third-highest sale price for the evening. An artwork by Jean-Michel Basquiat sold for $40 million, while another one by Peter Doig got a new owner for just a little less at $39.9 million.
Beeple’s success was not left unnoticed by the NFT community as well, with supporters and fans cheering on their favorite artist. Big names in the space like Farokh.eth also expressed their support.
Beeple breaks boundaries
Last night’s auction at Christie’s is just another example of how Beeple is revolutionizing both digital art and the NFT space as a whole. According to the official introduction of “Human One”, this is a kinetic video sculpture. In order to display it, you need four video screens with 16k resolution. Additionally, the artwork is also an endless video with a corresponding dynamic NFT created for it.
Combining various modes of expression, 3D visualizations, and physical elements alongside NFTs, Beeple is reshaping the look and feel of modern art. According to Beeple, the idea for “Human One” came out of nowhere while he was messing around with his colleagues in their art studio. However, as inspiration strikes, even a couple of TVs on rollers can turn into art.
In an interview for Christie’s official blog, Beeple explained that “Human One” is a story point in a more major plot he’s trying to tell with his artwork. Hinting at the next five years, Beeple said that more groundbreaking art is on the way.
DappRadar will continue monitoring the NFT space as more immersive and revolutionary art projects drop. To find out the latest news surrounding NFT sales, top NFT collections, and trending NFT marketplaces, check out the helpful links below.