生成藝術品NFT平台Art Blocks交易額突破1億美元

生成藝術品NFT平台Art Blocks交易額突破1億美元

數據追蹤公司DappRadar數據顯示，生成藝術品NFT平台Art Blocks交易額已突破1億 美元 ，交易者人數突破9000人。過去7天，Art Blocks智能合約的交易額飆升500%，用戶互動增長近50%，交易數量增長逾60%。生成藝術品是目前NFT社區的熱門話題，Art Blocks已成為創作、收集和策劃此類NFT的首選平台。Fidenza、Eternal Pump和Chromie Squiggles是其最受歡迎和銷售額最高的藏品系列。（DappRadar）

現代藝術史分水嶺！區塊鏈解放數位創作，傳遞NFT超現實之美｜數位時代 BusinessNext

無論你是不是在藝術圈，「NFT（非同質化代幣）」已成為近半年來最熱門的話題之一，許多拍賣公司更紛紛開設專場進行拍賣、屢創天價成交金額。像是今年3月佳士得（Christie’s）首次拍賣美國數位藝術家Beeple的加密藝術（CryptoArt）作品，以約新台幣19.5億元落槌。

在這之後，蘇富比（Sotheby’s）亦跟進，透過區塊鏈平台Nifty Gateway加入NFT的拍賣行列，甚至開放投資客拿同樣使用區塊鏈技術的加密貨幣進行買賣；6月底拍出的101 克拉水滴狀鑽石，買家就史無前例地以1,230萬美元等價的加密貨幣完成付款。

從藝術圈風靡到加密貨幣圈， NFT成為大家亟欲了解和加入的領域，而NFT透過區塊鏈的加密技術產生永久鏈結，能錨定數位創作不被隨意複製、分割，確保創意結晶的獨一無二 ，正如鳳凰藝術聯合創辦人暨總編輯肖戈所言，「NFT改變了數位藝術的創作、版權與交易模式，是21世紀最具創意的藝術變革，是屬於未來的新藝術生態。」

接下來的介紹將著重在以NFT形式的加密藝術，從作品、虛擬展覽再到實體展，可以說科技與藝術看似是兩個對立的世界，但背後都由好奇心與想像力驅動，結合能激盪出更多火花。

將爆炸瞬間，化作唯一的永恆

中國藝術家蔡國強透過「火藥」作為創作的材料和形式，打破了許多人對於藝術的想像和可能，多年前曾在台北市立美術館展出，吸引了無數的觀眾前往觀賞。

「火藥」作為破壞性強大的工具，固然可以在畫布、紙張、牆壁等媒材留下痕跡，但作為一個強調時間性的藝術品，尤其是「瞬間」的狀態，從準備引爆的過程，到轟然巨響化為寂靜，配合當下的人事物，形成無法複製的感受。

以往都需要邀請觀眾到火藥施放的現場，作為一種觀賞的體驗，只有在當下才能感受瞬間，或者透過影像、照片等用資訊產品紀錄的形式保存，少數成為蒐藏家的珍藏。

這次由上海外灘美術館（Rockbund Art Museum）委託的作品《瞬間的永恆——101個火藥畫的引爆》藉由NFT將這些講究「引爆當下」的感受，透過高科技和區塊鏈技術，來創建唯一的「瞬間即永恆」。

蔡國強分享這個作品，有別於傳統意義上記錄爆破瞬間的影像和照片，也並非爆破誕生的實體火藥畫，而是希望「每個作品的引爆瞬間都獨一無二，各自濃縮著當時當地的環境氣候，包含著我與周圍的人們，所共同經歷的一場小小命運占卜，體驗短暫的錯位和恍惚……。」

因此他才從NFT核心價值出發，開創更新的視野、將藝術的價值透過這樣的形式儲存起來。《瞬間的永恆》將進行48小時的網路慈善拍賣，作品會在網路上展出持續至8月14日。

發售蔡國強NFT作品的平台，是新成立的「TR Lab」。和一般的銷售平台相比，TR Lab更像是一個有交易功能的畫廊，同時也是藝術製作公司，裡頭的成員包含策展人、設計師、創意技術的工程師等，提供藝術家數位作品和NFT創作上的協助，同時為蒐藏家訂製服務。可以瞧見，NFT作為一種呈現的形式，為蔡國強開創了嶄新道路，從創作本質上的找尋各種可能性。

史上第一個加密藝術美術館

藝術品的蒐藏，有時候不僅僅於「擁有」本身，而是希望更多人分享，讓更多人了解你所鍾愛的藝術。雖然NFT近年來蓬勃發展，似乎是一種發財生意，讓投機份子可以一夜致富。但對許多蒐藏家來說，NFT是一種支持新藝術形態和發展的可能，從這個角度出發，加密藝術美術館（Museum of Crypto Art , 簡稱MoCA）便在2020年成立了。

MoCA存在於與網路上，和一般美術館一樣蒐藏和展示NFT藝術作品，但它的初衷並非把藝術當作貨幣或交易形式，而是為虛擬的展示空間建立基礎。

MoCA關注的NFT焦點多放在數位形式的展現，但具故事性的作品，也會透過雲端平台展出，讓藝術家打破時空展現創作，同時也讓數位藝術可以轉賣或是流通，創作者更公平地從得到收益。更重要的是，MoCA希望以去中心化的藝術策展和展覽平台，讓大家更專注於藝術的本質，而不是所帶來的經濟效益。

目前MoCA有超過3,000件的蒐藏品，其中在他們的創世紀蒐藏（Genesis Colleciton）就是一個時空膠囊，有最早區塊鏈的商品，就像遠古以前洞穴上的壁畫般。

MoCA表示，未來人們可能是透過演算法和區塊鏈來解讀藝術的作品，而在博物館的編年網頁上，更有著加密藝術發展史上重要的展覽、作品、事件里程碑，目前已收羅包括來自160位加密藝術家的160件作品，讓大家清楚了解加密藝術發展。觀眾若要觀展，除了用瀏覽器，他們在虛擬實境（VR）社交平台Somnium Space創造出了一個Metaverse（元宇宙），讓觀眾可以在裡頭欣賞藝術。

至於什麼是Metaverse呢？其實把這兩個字拆開來看，Meta有後設、超越之意，Verse則是宇宙，也就是說，這是一個由AR（擴增實境）、VR、3D等技術建構，平行於真實世界的網路世界，人類可以在這裡頭做任何事情；而NFT作為一種數位資產，能透過加密貨幣在虛擬世界裡交易，環環相扣形成元宇宙的價值。

當NFT加入實體展覽，玩出更多變化！

然而，實體的NFT展覽又如何呈現呢？今年3月時，北京舉辦了世界第一場實體的加密藝術展「虛擬生境——鏡中迷因可曾見」，以在網路上受到廣受歡迎的「迷因（meme）」作為展覽核心，展示結合藝術和區塊鏈的加密藝術，透過獨特的現場布置和燈光設計，為觀眾帶來互動美學和沉浸式體驗，傳達前衛意義的思想和文化。

展出作品包含點燃NFT藝術品狂潮、第一件在佳士得拍出的NFT作品《Robert Alice》，迷因《Nyan Cat（俗稱彩虹貓）》、知名數位藝術家Beeple的系列創作等等。

不過與其說是一場藝術展，「虛擬生境」更像是技術展，讓觀眾對於這類型的藝術有更多的認識。從主辦的單位的組成就能略知一二：由亞洲首家加密藝術平台Block Create Art（BCA）發起，由實驗性區塊鏈機構金絲雀網絡（Kusama.Network）、科技公司比特大陸（BITMAIN）、區塊鏈和數位資產投資公司DFG（Digital Finance Group）以及區塊鏈整合行銷解決方案供應商Winkrypto聯合主辦。

照理來說NFT藝術品都是以一個數位檔案呈現，然而在實體空間，展出的作品需要經過收藏家的同意，再經由授權機構來呈現在螢幕或是投影上。像是Beeple的作品就是經由收藏家機構Metapurse的借展合約，編寫合約代碼以呈現給在場的觀眾。

參展之一的中國藝術家CryptoZR（劉嘉穎）也曾於今年5月舉辦個展，同以區塊鏈和加密藝術作為主題，延續「虛擬生鏡」環繞在不同形式的加密方式和創作上；其知名作品《紅與藍》，就是利用支持以太幣的區塊鏈以太坊（Ethereum）來實踐創作。

CryptoZR於2019年9月在以太坊發布100個由紅到藍的漸變色塊，並在NFT拍賣平台OpenSea進行長達一年的競價，期間人們可在虛擬藝術社區網站CryptoVoxel觀察這些色塊的分布，藝術家事先並未告知色塊的含義，有趣的是，大家總會選擇最極端的紅和最極端的藍。

最後由Geoffrey X以約5.3塊以太幣（約1,978美元）拍得紅色和藍色加密色塊，CryptoZR則公開這是關於大國關係的作品，她從兩國國旗上分別選取紅色代表中國，藍色代表美國，中間色塊的過渡代表價值認同的傾向。

還有人告訴CryptoZR，《紅與藍》讓他（她）聯想的不是中美關係，而是甜豆腐腦和鹹豆腐腦的關係。她表示，希望技術的進步和藝術的演變，可以再一次幫助人類社會重新凝聚，而作品意義的臆測、去中心化和加密貨幣的交易，亦成為作品的一部分。

責任編輯：林佳葦、張庭銉

Is NFT art already over?

Supporters say NFT art gives creators better control over their work and more opportunities to make money. Digital artist Beeple sold a digital collage of his digital drawings for £50 million and became the face of NFTs. But with some artists making so much money, why are many other digital artists strongly against it?

The idea behind NFTs is you sell the ownership of your art or register it to yourself as the creator, similar to a certificate of ownership. The spectre of piracy and digital art theft is consigned to the bin, right? Not quite, an assigned NFT won’t stop someone opening or downloading your art. Confused? Read up on the finer details of NFTs.

The idea is sound, just. NFTs feel like a step in the right direction towards enabling artists to control where and how their art is used. Some artists are making life-changing fees from the sale of NFTs, or simply making sales of digital projects easier. So what’s the problem?

NFTs, the downside

Artist Catherine Graffam doesn’t believe NFTs will combat illegal redistributing and sharing art (Image credit: Catherine Graffam)

Chances are, if you’re reading this then you’ve had somebody right-click and save your own art. You’ve probably had somebody share or repost your work without proper credit or permission. Maybe you’ve even had somebody pass your work off as their own. NFTs can help with this.

You’d have every right to see NFTs as a way for you to regain control of your art and maybe even make a little money doing it. You’re unlikely to make untold millions, but even a small fee is better than having your work taken from you for nothing, isn’t it?

“There is absolutely an issue of redistributing and sharing art without credit,” Catherine Graffam says. “However, I don’t think NFTs solve that problem. In a vacuum NFTs can appear like a solution to this. But in reality the money made from NFT sales, especially by new artists, won’t counter the fees associated with actually ‘minting’ NFTs.”

Original art has value

There’s a tangible difference between original and reprinted art that NFTs can replace, says Catherine Graffam (Image credit: Catherine Graffam)

Graffam, an artists and art teacher, recently posted a YouTube video titled NFTs (are worse than you thought) | ARTISTS BEWARE. Catherine included research by the Canadian artist Kimberley Parker, who found that half of NFTs sold made less than the equivalent of $200, and 34 per cent sold for under $100. If you put an NFT up for sale for $100, the fees you’d be charged would be between 72.5 and 157.5 per cent of the sales price. That’s an average of 100.5 per cent which means an average loss of about $0.50.

So the average artist isn’t going to get rich from NFTs. But doesn’t an NFT add more than monetary value? The original artwork is more enriching to the viewer than the print, the first-edition book somehow more magical than the paperback reprint.

“I think those analogies don’t quite translate,” Graffam says, “at least for me, because there’s a physical and tangible difference between a print and an original painting, or a reprint. You could argue that NFTs are attempting to set up the provenance that gives originals their value for digital goods, but the experience is the same to the viewer regardless of whether or not you own the NFT.”

“I don’t think it’s a fad, but the market is so volatile – and is clearly already dropping in popularity – that it won’t be as radicalising as NFT supporters believe it will. A lot of people will always want physical versions of an artwork they can hang on their wall and can experience everyday. No amount of giving digital goods inflated value and scarcity will change that!”

Are NFTs a threat?

The environmental impact of NFTs is something artist Natasa Ilincic is concerned with (Image credit: Natasa Ilincic)

Graffam’s YouTube video comprehensively and compellingly lists numerous other ways NFTs are bad, a big one being their effect on the planet, which is a massive concern for Natasa Ilincic.

“My aversion towards NFTs stems mainly from their environmental impact,” Ilincic says, calling NFTs a “conceptually and emotionally empty ticket.”

Technology magazine Wired recently reported on another high-profile NFT auction. French artist Joanie Lemercier – a climate activist – recently put six NFTs up for auction on Nifty Gateway. They sold for thousands of dollars in 10 seconds. The sale consumed 8.7 megawatt-hours of energy, equivalent to two years of energy use in Joanie’s studio, then sold again – another year’s worth of energy.

“The system is similar to the one that verifies Bitcoin,” Gregory Barber wrote in Wired, ”involving a network of computers that use advanced cryptography to decide whether transactions are valid – and in doing so uses energy on the scale of a small country.”

“NFTs,” Ilincic says, “expend a ridiculous amount of energy to produce ultimately nothing. Considering the current situation and global warming, I believe that participating in this scheme is deeply unethical.”

Ilincic’s latest art book, A Compendium of Witches, is a collection of stories about 29 witches and their various historical settings: “My art explores the spiritual relationship with nature,” she says. “If I were to support practices that are hugely detrimental to our planet, it would render my art meaningless. Art is about communication – if my actions undermine my message, I might as well do something else.”

Joanie said he had no idea how much energy his NFT auction would consumer, and cancelled his next two auctions – priced at $200,000. Not all artists are willing to do the same.

“I’m sad to say that I have lost respect for many members of the art community for this,” Ilincic says, “not only for disregarding the environmental impact, but also for – this applies to the big names – funnelling younger and/or lesser established artists into this pyramid scheme, ultimately exploiting them.”

Are NFTs over?

Alexandria Neonakis says there’s little value in owning an NFT because it can’t stop reproduction of digital art (Image credit: Alexandria Neonakis)

“Personally,” Alexandria Neonakis says, “I think they’re a fad… in the time you’ve sent me these questions the whole market seems to have crashed, which is a thing crypto people swear is just part of it, but I dunno… it all feels so bizarre to me, I don’t want anything to do with it.”

Neonakis is right. In the time it’s take to plan and write this article, NFTs have (depending on who you believe) crashed, peaked and crashed again. Early in June, Crypto news site Protos.com reported: “The NFT market has imploded over the past months, with sales in every single category almost entirely drying up. NFTs peaked on May 3, when $102 million worth were sold in a single day. The crypto-collectibles market made up $100 million of those sales.”

Other crypto news sites reported NFTs had crashed back in April, so who knows what will have happened to NFTs by the time this article exists in the form of a tangible print magazine.

“It reminds me of those things where you can buy a star and put your name on it,” Neonakis says. “I guess you can show it to your friends and family and be like ‘I own this.’ But it carries no weight outside of that. The rest of the world doesn’t know or care that you own the star. It’s just a piece of paper and that ownership is made up anyway.

Neonakis says: “There’s no value applied to owning NFTs by the public at large or even the art community at large, so just saying you own it or even showing the NFT certification doesn’t mean anything to most people, because there’s no consensus on whether or not these things have any value at this point, or how you’d track that over time.”

This article originally appeared in ImagineFX, the world’s best-selling magazine for digital artists. Subscribe here.

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