‘These artists get a place in the history of art’: NFT exhibition at the Pompidou Centre could give the digital tokens a boost after their almost total collapse in value

The exhibition of 18 NFT artworks includes a ‘CryptoPunk’ and a 3D ‘portrait’ of Satoshi Nakamoto, the possibly fictional creator of bitcoin

The collapse in value of NFTs allowed the Paris gallery to bag many of the works for just a handful of dollars, while about half were donated by their creators

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“CryptoPunks”, of which 10,000 examples exist, are one of the most famous emblems of the NFT scene. “CryptoPunk #110” joined the Pompidou’s collection through a donation and is being shown in its NFT exhibition. Photo: Yuga Labs

Published: 6:15pm, 6 May 2023

NFTs, the tokens of the crypto world linked to digital artworks, have been granted a show at the Pompidou Centre in Paris despite an almost total collapse in their price and cultural cachet.

It could give the digital art form a much-needed lift.

Blockbuster multimillion-dollar sales helped fuel NFT publicity in 2021, and prices soared amid a lack of regulation and general confusion over what the digital tokens were.

In March 2021 – when many art auctions shifted to online platforms due to the Covid-19 pandemic and global travel restrictions – the US$69 million sale of Beeple’s Everydays – The First 5,000 Days (2021) at Christie’s became a landmark for digital art and NFTs.

Beeple’s “Everydays – The First 5,000 Days” (2021). Photo: Beeple

This new form of digital assets, authenticated by the technology behind cryptocurrencies, was eagerly embraced by auction houses that year.