Crypto-Art Event Mixes Beeple, Warhol in Singapore Vault

(Bloomberg) -- A collaboration between cryptocurrency platform Coinhako and Appetite, an art and culinary concept, has led to an exhibition of digital art in Singapore that includes works by Andy Warhol, Beeple and Sarah Meyohas.

The exhibition, “Right Click + Save,” explores the history and visual cultures of crypto communities, and features early artistic explorations around cryptocurrencies. It’s curated by Clara Che Wei Peh, the art lead at Appetite -- a multi-concept space and research center led by Ivan Brehm, the chef/owner of Michelin-starred restaurant Nouri.

The future of non-fungible tokens -- typically digital art -- “is being drawn as we speak,” Brehm said in an interview. “While we all might not be ready yet to determine which way the wind will blow here, exhibitions like this are a great attempt at a start.”

Works featured include Robert Alice’s Portraits of a Mind (2019), Andy Warhol’s Untitled (Flower) (circa 1985; minted 2021), Tyler Hobbs’s Fidenza series, and an immersive data visualization from Refik Anadol that focuses on Mars landscapes.

NFTs “have much potential to grow -- considering their synergy with crypto, art, music, and e-sports,” said Yusho Liu, founder and chief executive officer of Coinhako, in a statement.

One piece from the exhibition is up for auction, “Doge to the Moon: Boss Edition,” a work by Mighty Jaxx that’s listed on OpenSea.

“It’s about the Doge meme, so something that is very native to crypto and digital communities and an identifier that’s recognizable to anyone familiar with crypto culture,” Peh said in an interview.

The show will be open for the week through Nov. 14 at Fine Art Storage Services in Le Freeport, a high-security storage and display facility in Singapore located within a free-trade zone. It specializes in areas like fine art, wines, jewelery and watches -- and is increasingly looking at the digital space as well. 

“Right Click + Save has shown us that digital artworks do not always exist within the digital sphere; physical components often form part of the artwork,” said Chaw Chong Foo, managing director of Fine Art Storage Services. “Our fundamental business has long supported collectors in the secure storage of their high valued collectibles, and we hope to do the same for collectors who have a need for a safe space to hold their crypto wallets, artefacts and other components essential to the crypto and digital sphere.”

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