Joan Cornellà project apologises over NFT’s confusion with Hong Kong’s ‘King of Comedy’ Stephen Chow
- Hong Kong-based Fwenclub released an NFT image that is said to resemble Stephen Chow’s character in a 1994 comedy, a likeness that the project said was a “misbelief”
- The “MOAR by Joan Cornellà” collection was ranked top by 24-hour trading volume on NFT marketplace OpenSea on Monday
A non-fungible token (NFT) project started by a Hong Kong company has apologised after a digital collectible it issued was said to resemble the lead character in a movie directed by and starring home-grown comedian Stephen Chow Sing-chi.
The image, created by Spanish artist Joan Cornellà, resembled the lead character in Chow’s 1994 comedy From Beijing with Love. Any resemblance was a “misbelief,” said the project’s creator Fwenclub.
The image was created along with a collection of 5,555 NFTs designed by Cornellà, who is known for his dark and surreal sense of humour. On Monday, the collection, named “MOAR by Joan Cornellà”, was ranked top by global 24-hour trading volume on NFT marketplace OpenSea.
“Fwenclub would like to clarify that MOAR by Joan Cornellà is a collaboration between the artist and Fwenclub, which does not involve Stephen Chow at all,” the company said in a blog post. “The artwork that some found resemblance to the likeness of Chow is a gift from the artist towards Chow’s private collection.”
Fwenclub issued a statement on April 8, apologising to Gala for causing “inconvenience and the misbelief” that the image was associated with Chow’s movie.
In a live audio discussion between Fwenclub and Chow in March, the filmmaker, 59, suggested that he receive from the team the NFT featuring his likeness as a gift, according to local media reports.
“To avoid any confusion, Fwenclub confirms that the artwork will not be minted, whether as part of the MOAR series or otherwise,” according to the project’s statement on March 22.
AllRightsReserved is behind several installation projects that have gone viral in the city over the years, including a giant rubber duck set up in Victoria Harbour in 2013.
NFTs are unique chains of data registered on a blockchain that prove their ownership. Enthusiasts say the technology is valuable as a way to enable the trading of digital assets. But as some of the most popular NFTs continue to be traded at hundreds of thousands of dollars, the rapidly evolving industry has become riddled with scams, fraud and thefts, with little regulatory oversight.
The furore underscores how the NFT phenomenon is upending copyright protection. Artists around the world have taken to social media to complain that their artworks had been sold as NFTs without their permission or knowledge, as many marketplaces allow anyone to create an NFT by simply uploading an image without a robust process to protect intellectual property rights.
“We have a good relationship with artists and get permission from the artists on building every NFT project together, including Joan Cornellà,” Fwenclub said.
In a written statement to the Post, a spokeswoman for Gala’s parent company Orange Sky Golden Harvest, said the company is excited about opportunities to “showcase and further develop” their intellectual properties through projects involving NFTs and the metaverse, and welcomes collaboration opportunities in these areas.
“Unfortunately, there are various individuals and businesses out there who take advantage of the popularity of films, characters and cultural icons,” the spokeswoman said, adding that the company would take necessary actions to defend its rights.
