Historic 250-year-old auction house Christie's has unveiled “Ascend,” a digital artwork that unites the Bitcoin blockchain with the architecture of bygone eras.
London-based Christie's has announced the auction of a unique digital artwork titled “Ascend,” which was inscribed on the Bitcoin blockchain as an ordinal.
This digital artwork is part of the project The Wild Within, created by artists Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell, who explore the intersection between digital art and ruined architecture from bygone eras.
The auction, Christie's recently reported, presents an unprecedented opportunity for art collectors and cryptocurrency enthusiasts, as in addition to the digital piece, the buyer will have the option of receiving a physical print of the artwork, sent directly by the artists.
Ascend: A work inscribed in Bitcoin block 861.310
Ascend is a unique digital work of art, which was recorded in a satoshi mined on March 24, 2021, as a tribute to the day the first work of art was minted The Wild Within on the Ethereum blockchain.
According to Christie's, this piece is not only a digital work, but also reflects the passage of time and the connection between physical and virtual space. By viewing the work on the blockchain, collectors can experience its dynamics, as Automatically switches between day and night modes, synchronizing with the Bitcoin clock to reflect the time zone of the abandoned building's location in Georgia, assured the auction house.
“When viewed on the blockchain, the artwork is alive and dynamic”, Christie's noted.
The work represents The interior of a ruined sanatorium located in Tskaltubo, Georgia, which has witnessed decay and the passage of time. The building was built between 1952 and 1962, and was a popular destination before being abandoned following the collapse of the Soviet Union. According to the artists, the representation of this space in the work “Ascend” seeks to capture not only its current state, but also the essence of its history and its connection to the natural environment.
Physical printing of Ascend and connection with the artists
An innovative aspect of the Ascend auction is the option offered to the buyer to receive a physical impression of the artwork, custom-made and shipped directly from the artists. According to Christie's, this combination of digital and physical art creates a unique experience for collectors, who can not only acquire a digital piece, but also a tangible representation of the work in question.
This possibility also reflects Koopmans and Wexell's desire to connect with their audience in a more personal way. By offering a physical print, the artists seek to Bridging the gap between digital art and traditional collecting, allowing their works to be appreciated in multiple formats.
The Wild Within: Connecting the past with new technologies
Artists Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell, behind The Wild Within, started this project as a way to connect the past and the present, the physical and the digital, the natural and the artificial, the real and the imaginary.
This is a series of works that seeks to revive the glory of abandoned buildings through photography and three-dimensional techniques. During an interview with Bitcoin Magazine, the artists revealed that they have traveled to different places around the world, documenting spaces that have undergone dramatic transitions over the years.
In the case of Ascend, the work is a clear example of the artists' philosophy to show the value of spaces through visual representations and create a reflection on the passage of time in architecture. By combining elements of nature with ruined structures, the artists achieve a surreal collision between the past and the future, the physical and the digital. Through this approach, the artists are able to highlight the beauty of what once was and also demonstrate the potential of new technologies to preserve legacy in the digital age.
Christie's foray into digital art
Christie's has been at the forefront of digital art auctioning in NFT format, having hosted several successful auctions of digital works, such as Beeple's famous NFT collection. Now, the unveiling of “Ascend” marks a new milestone in Christie's commitment to innovation and the exploration of new forms of art on the blockchain, as this work represents the first digital artwork based on the Bitcoin blockchain to be auctioned at Christie's.
On the other hand, the London auction house has also admitted the possibility for collectors to use cryptocurrencies to acquire digital works, a fact that reflects the growing acceptance of cryptocurrencies in the art world.
The Ascend auction is estimated at £30,000-£50,000 (about $40.000-$66.000), suggesting a renewed interest in digital art. Bidding on the artwork will begin next week, underlining once again how digital art is evolving and gaining ground in the contemporary art world.
