The definition and value of any object in the modern world is constantly evolving and adapting to the technological changes that rapidly dictate how certain aspects of society should be viewed, especially from an economical point of view. This is a significant attribute of the world we live in and its latest victim is art, more specifically, digital art. The way we understand art now is entirely different from the way art was understood during the Renaissance. It seems like an obvious fact but when viewed against the growing backdrop of NFTs and Crypto-art, it becomes apparent how immensely the value and definition of art has transformed over time. The very physical embodiment of art has completely changed due to the simple, yet complicated, world of Non-fungible tokens (NFTs). What exactly are NFTs? How are they related to art? What exactly is crypto-art? These questions have become a rising concern for any individual interested in the emerging technological trends of the 21st century and while the answers are complicated, they reveal an entirely new world of artists and art collectors who have started a landmark movement for the art world.
Digital art is a simple concept to grasp. At its core, it is simply art created digitally. Any art that moves away from the traditional medium of paint and paper and is created using digital softwares like Photoshop, studio paint, and other plethora of services. With the advent of digital art, it has also been understood that this medium of art can be easily be replicated, it can be copied or screenshotted and distributed with ease. Even though the original never loses its authenticity, digital art implies that any piece of art with a digital presence can be shared or downloaded without any consequences and without paying any monetary value.
One would think that there is no way a piece of digital art could hold any value, especially since it has no tangible worth. However, the answer is surprising, extremely surprising when we consider the famous digital gif of a rainbow cat which was sold for $600,000 as an NFT. Or that the famous auction house Christie’s sold an NFT by artist Beeple for $69 million. What this means is that, despite the art only existing digitally, NFTs do have some perceived value and this value is cultivated online by people looking to buy unique pieces of art. But how exactly do NFTs work? Each piece of art created as an NFT or crypto-art is attached with a unique token which cannot be replicated and which signifies that the original piece will always have singular ownership. So even though the art itself is widely circulated and used online, the original art and its attached token gives the piece its value and this token not only provides validation of authenticity, once it is bought, it cannot be owned by anyone else.
The concept is mind boggling at first and begs the question of “why spend so much money on art that is freely available everywhere?” The answer lies in the changing world of art collecting and how the digital market is expanding. Our digital activities are no longer just about having a presence, it is becoming a trend to own digital assets, the same way we value assets in the real world. This suggests that the digital realm is becoming an active public sphere, an extension of reality where people are not only limited to communication but can create entire digital markets and assets. In a way, the rise of crypto-art is the first essence of digital libraries and collections being curated. Imagine owning a library full of valuable books, movies, music and art but all exist digitally. It may seem pointless now, but in the future, when the concept of “physical weight” is probably being scrutinized, digital libraries will become popular and more people would want unique objects in their digital collection.
Coming across the idea of crypto-art and NFTs is a little uncomfortable at first and one can’t help but find the entire concept questionable but it does provide an interesting platform for artists to promote their work and attract potential buyers. On one hand, crypto-art seems like a great, new opportunity for artists to gain popularity and an audience, while also earning a significant amount of money. However, there is a huge downside to the entire operation and it is one linked with climate change. As mentioned, all of the transactions which occur in the world of NFTs are online. Sites selling crypto-art use Ethereum, a type of cryptocurrency which consumes a lot of energy in order to make sure that the transactions taking place are unique and not replicated. The authenticator system this currency uses consumes 48.14kWh of energy, which is reportedly the electricity consumption of an average American household. The amount of energy consumed by NFTs is troubling and result in a large carbon footprint. This is not the type of irresponsible energy consumption that the planet needs right now, especially when there are efforts being made to reduce carbon footprints, which are proving to be a detrimental problem for the planet. This is an interesting downside of crypto-art because, in a way, it provides a small glimpse into our collective, probable future. We live under the notion that our digital activities are unrelated to the planet, however that is not the case. In most cases, our online activities leave a huge energy and carbon trace and the one being produced by NFTs is quite alarming, especially when we consider the number of users who try to make transactions every day.
That being said, NFTs and crypto-art are certainly early signs of a new age. These concepts are still in their developmental stages and are not widely accepted, or understood by most in the art community. However, they still propose an interesting future, one where our definitions and understanding of the way art exists and functions is completely different. And this is not only limited to art, NFTs are proof that eventually, everything we consume will be called into question in light of the digital age. Whether these changes are to be celebrated or feared remains to be seen, for now they remain harmless activities for interested individuals on the internet.
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