After months of speculation, Gucci has entered the NFT realm with the release of “Proof of Sovereignty,” a sale curated by Lady PheOnix.
Italian luxury powerhouse, Gucci, has debuted its first NFT, a new film inspired by the recently-launched Aria collection. The NFT is one digital art piece available for auction at Christie’s between May 25 and June 3 – with a starting price of $20k for participating bidders.
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Following the auction, the company will donate all its proceeds to UNICEF USA in support of the NGO’s efforts to ensure global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
The digital artwork was curated by Lady PheOnix – one of the leading voices for contemporary digital art and culture in the new media landscape – and brings together 18 new media artists, such as Marguerite de Courcelle (aka “Coin Artist”), as well as the more seasoned video expert Nam June Paik, considered the grandfather of video art.
Together, they have been experimenting with blockchain technology, as well as metadata, storage, and legal standards (virtually absent from millions of art-based NTFs until now), all under the co-direction of Gucci’s creative director, Alessandro Michele – and award-winning photographer and director, Floria Sigismondi.
The fashion film is inspired by Gucci’s latest collection, called Aria, which is staged in a dream-like setting.
Christie’s describes Gucci’s new offering as “speaking to Aria’s overarching message – that of a universal desire for renewal; a yearning to bloom and flourish after the shadow of winter has passed.”
The artwork represents this “yearning for transition” by opening the doors of an enclosed runway set onto a magical outdoor landscape, “as darkness yields to light and that long-awaited feast of air.”
Gucci’s debut into the NFT space comes as part of wider interest to move into the digital space. Last week, the brand presented its first virtual installation in the metaverse, on Roblox. It has also been selling virtual sneakers, wearable with the help of AR, on Wanna and the Gucci app since March.