Unpublished auction of NFT art in France, a first
Audio 02:32
A selection of works from the Unvirtual collection was offered at auction on February 8, 2022 under the hammer of the Aguttes house.
© ©Ariane Gaffuri
Text by: Ariane Gaffuri Follow
2 mins
Public sales of NFT (“
non fungible token
”
), images of art, fashion, or sports are flourishing around the world.
For the first time in France, an auction of certified digital works of art was organized both in a physical space and in the interactive digital universe of the metaverse and its avatars.
It was accessible on a “smartphone” or computer and projected in the sales room on a large screen.
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Last development of the metaverse in the auction room of the Agutte house in Paris.
A young metaclerk equipped with a virtual mask reproduces the gestures of the avatar of the auctioneer.
Claude Agutte, standing behind his desk: “
So that's me, and there they are buyers
”.
A hybrid sale
About fifty non-fungible tokens are to be entered, photos, videos, 3D images of works of art such as NFTs of works by Hokusai, the famous Japanese painter, certified by the British Museum thanks to the
blockchain
, this huge digital ledger that allows data to be stored and exchanged securely.
“
Before, when we did an auction, there was furniture, earthenware, porcelain, silverware, modern paintings, old paintings, and these are immaterial things.
We sell computer codes that allow you to own a work that you download to your computer.
There, we are going to sell a cathedral which is on Mars
, ”enthuses Claude Agutte.
The NFT of this extraterrestrial cathedral will be sold for 15,000 euros to an avatar, his name is George and appears in this virtual space invented for the occasion by Art Atak.
“
We will double the actual auction, we will double it in the metaverse.
So that means that there are people who will follow the event in the metaverse, and at the same time bid directly in the metaverse
”, specifies Anton Toledano, co-founder.
An art that attracts experts and the curious
In the real auction room, potential buyers and many curious people.
Around them the art NFTs are projected on large screens.
“
I spotted works that I know.
" For example ?
"
Antoine Schmitt presents a small piece made of small pixels that wander around
".
“
My name is Olivier Waltman, I am a gallery owner, it is clearly the opposite of our operation for a very long time.
Afterwards, it's a market that exists so you have to take note of it, you have to know it.
There, I see for the first time a screen where a metaverse is presented, so I discover.
»
This American has every intention of acquiring the NFT of a digital work.
“
I was interested in this NFT, a new way of tracing works, possibly to remunerate artists better.
»
This first successful experience, the Agutte house now wants to perpetuate the NFT auctions.
►
To read also: A work by Banksy self-destructs after being sold at auction
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