Saatchi Gallery Debuts Its First Crypto Art Exhibition
Saatchi Gallery is presenting its first-ever NFT- Crypto art exhibition. The exhibition, titled “Long Live London,” will take place from October 4 to 6 as part of the Focus Art Fair at the gallery.
Since its inception in 1985, Saatchi Gallery has been a pioneer in showcasing emerging artists, gaining global prominence in contemporary art through exhibitions from Charles Saatchi’s collection. The Gallery became renowned for showcasing artists who eventually achieved global acclaim.
The show is curated by digital art curator Grida, who currently serves as art director of the IHAM Gallery of Paris. She is known for curating Korea’s first-ever NFT exhibition, as well as the Punkism exhibition, which showcased CryptoPunk derivative art from 100 different artists. Hosting this exhibition at Saatchi, a cornerstone of contemporary art, holds profound significance for crypto art’s integration with traditional art.
After consideration, Grida decided that the Foundation marketplace would be the selected platform for the exhibition’s digital release.
“In crafting the exhibition, she thought including a digital component with the physical exhibition would be an excellent idea to drive the tech home,” shared Rob, partnerships manager at Foundation. “I believe it’s important for big art galleries to embrace crypto technologies because it’s innovative and gives artists another medium to sell their art.”
Featured works include “The Surprise” by OSF, “London Eye” by Leo Crane, “London Cipher” by ARTJEDI, and “The Silent Watch” by Claire Maguire, among others. Each of these creations embodies a distinct connection to London, drawing from its rich history, vibrant culture, or iconic landmarks, weaving a tapestry of narratives that collectively celebrate the spirit and essence of the city.
London-based artist, OSF, tells nft now that he’s proud to be part of a group of amazing digital artists, viewing it as a significant move towards integrating crypto art into the broader landscape.
“Two years ago, after I created my first NFT, I took a photo outside the Saatchi Gallery,” OSF said. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would eventually have the opportunity to exhibit a piece here.”
His piece, “The Surprise,” is inspired by London’s pub scene, featuring his local pub of the same name.
“You’re not a Londoner until you’ve got for post-work pints on a Friday in the rain where there’s like five of you sharing a split-open packet of salt and vinegar crisps, which also serves as your dinner,” OSF said.
Claire Maguire, a Web3 advisor and digital art enthusiast, will be displaying work for the first time ever at this exhibition after “many years of collecting.” Her piece, “The Silent Watch,” features a striking woman in red with a poised but strong expression.
The inclusion of crypto art in Saatchi Gallery is only one of the many recent examples of time-honored art institutions embracing Web3. This month, France’s Musee d’Orsay announced its entrance into the crypto art space with its partnership with the Tezos Foundation. In addition, the Museum of Modern Art also recently announced an NFT Postcard collection to honor creativity on the blockchain.
“All-Star Collectors” Exhibition
In addition to “Long Live London,” The Gallery will be doing a second exhibition titled “All-Star Collectors” on October 7. The collectors featured include Punk6529, Vincent Van Dough, Basileus, Sebastien Borget, Seephrase, and more.
However, some community members took to X to express their dissatisfaction with the lack of diversity within the list of featured collectors, citing that the entire roster is comprised of men.
Grida responded to the tweet, in addition to tagging the other female artists featured in the “Long Live” Exhibition. “I wouldn’t have posted this post if you’d seen the exhibitions I’ve been doing. Please check the gender of the artists introduced in Saatchi Gallery first @IshikaGuha2 @ARTJEDI1 @ClareMaguire @VBonapace @osf_rekt @ai_s_a_m @monomosite,” she tweeted.
Other artists came to her defense, including Claire Silver, who tweeted, “[Gilda] has exhibited work from women, nonbinary & trans frens in her own gallery via Accelerate Art. Most of the “big” collectors are male. I know her, this wasn’t an intentional slight. Super happy to see she is gathering names of women to feature for the next one.”