This seems like a strange brag, but it’s now possible: rich art collectors who are also dabbling into NFTs (non-fungible tokens) can now boast of having their art pieces displayed on the Moon. In the most literal sense.
At the end of March 2022, American contemporary artist Jeff Koons, who also happens to be the richest (and most popular) living artist in the world, announced his first foray into NFTs. The crypto market has seen a sharp decline since, which affected both cryptocurrency and NFTs (digital tokens of single ownership, acquired with crypto), but Koons powered through with the debut of his collection.
Moon Phases debuted this week at Basel Art in Switzerland as the strongest showing of the limited number of “phygitals” (physical artworks accompanied by digital assets) there. ArtNet reports that all Moon Phases sculptures presented sold for $2 million each and are now preparing to be headed for the Moon.
That was the plan all along: Koons partnered with Pace Verso for the project, which includes 125 sculptures and NFTs. Some of these sculptures will be sent to the Moon later this year, onboard SpaceX, and placed on the area of the Moon known as Oceanus Procellarum, where they will be stored in perpetuity in CubeSat. Whoever buys the sculptures will get an NFT of them, as well as physical works that will mirror the miniatures placed on the Moon – and the ego-boost of being the first art collectors with storage and display space on Earth’s satellite.
Koons has plenty to celebrate with the collection, too.
“I wanted to create a historically meaningful NFT project rooted in humanistic and philosophical thought,” Koons said this spring, when explaining his decision to get into the NFT game. He also called his NFT collection “a continuation and celebration of humanity’s aspirational accomplishments within and beyond our own planet,” and expressed his joy at the thought of his art going extra-terrestrial.
When the sculptures are placed on the Moon, Jeff Koons will become the first artist to be displayed outside of our planet. You’d be excused if you thought the $2 million he banks for each (and he has 125 of them!) is reason enough to feel pride and joy.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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