🍎🐍 Art As A Consequence #07
🌐 moonbirds went to the moon, literally. Jeff Koons's market analysed and what his future exhibitions in three continents project. NFT Paris and next Art Dubai (Digital) - grab a snack and scroll 🍿
Welcome to the seventh edition of the ART AS A CONSEQUENCE weekly briefing. It’s been a significant week for art being sent to the moon - literally, as both Jeff Koons and the PFP NFT project of Moonbirds 🥃 🦉 landed on Earth's only natural satellite. Additionally, more financial turmoil surrounding art figures - that’s when a great video introduction by Andrea Antonopoulos comes in handy. Grab a snack and enjoying scrolling.
✨🦋 More from the esteemed art world
Former art magazine publisher and collector Louise Blouin, once a prominent figure in the art world (running Louise Blouin Media and Blouin Corp, including publications such as BlouinArtInfo and Modern Painters magazine), faces financial turmoil as her Hamptons compound, 'La Dune,' is auctioned off for $89 million.
Despite Blouin's reputation for not paying art writers and business associates, she maintains in an interview with The New York Times that she "hasn't made many mistakes" and sees the arts as philanthropy rather than a business. The irony is emphasized as her actions have left workers worldwide, including in India, unpaid for months, struggling to support themselves and their families.
Blouin's downfall reflects the intersection of personal ambitions and financial instability within the art market. Her attempt to sell 'La Dune' in bankruptcy court highlights the challenges individuals face when their extravagant lifestyles collide with the harsh realities of the market. The sale's approval by the judge underscores the impartiality of legal processes and the impact of market forces on individual financial situations in the art world.
A significant week for Jeff Koons, as the 69-year old American artist’s latest work, Jeff Koons: Moon Phases, landed on the lunar surface on Thursday, 22nd of February, aboard Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lander. The piece consists of 125 miniature (one-inch) stainless-steel sculptures (each linked to an NFT).
However, there is also a lot of fuss surrounding his market that has seen a decline in sales volume. His sales dropped from $170.8M in 2014 to $27.8M in 2023 (thats a -84% decrease). They say that it is a golden moment to buy when sales are down.
“Jeff Koons has only one way to go, and that’s up.”
—Alberto Mugrabi
Notably, a $50M sculpture Michael Jackson and Bubbles, 1988 (from Dakis Joannou’s collection) is coming to the Asian market soon specifically in Hong Kong, will it find the pockets?
This spring, Jeff Koons takes center stage as multiple shows are scheduled around his oeuvre, including Skarstedt gallery in London which will feature five mural-size canvases in “Jeff Koons: Paintings, 2001–2013”(1st of March - 5th of May 25, 2024). Additionally, in New York, Mnuchin is set to open a Koons show in April. With events spanning Europe, America, Asia, and even the Moon, Koons will be showcased globally. The question remains: will you buy?
🚀 NTFs & Web3
254 Moonbirds 🥃 🦉 landed on the surface of the moon this week. On Thursday, 22nd of February, NASA returned to the surface of the Moon for the first time in 52 years during its IM-1 Lunar Lander mission. All moonbirds with the space helmet were inscribed in a metal plate that landed on the moon.
‘There is a great quote from 1986 by the artist Ellery Kurtz. He had art sent into space and said "Where man goes, art must go.” For me it's an exciting celebration of art, NFTs, engineering, and space exploration. The future of humanity as explorers and innovators. (…) Here you have private aerospace companies like Intuitive Machines and SpaceX, with the assistance of NASA, pushing humanity forward, and NFT art was a part of it!’ —Nix
🗼 Everyone was at NFT Paris this past week, what were the highlights? TASCHEN launched the “On NFTs Art Edition” book during the conference week. The book is the first major art history survey of this field, including 10 academic essays and richly illustrated profiles of 101 key artists. Additionally, it comes with a claim code hidden within its first pages. This code is a gateway to owning a corresponding NFT, marrying the joy of holding a physical art book with the exclusivity and digital proof of ownership that NFTs provide.
There will be 2,5k editions priced at EUR 750 (for the collector’s edition, with the NFT)
🚀 Lastly, the sale that shook the space this past week: $14.6M / Ξ 5K – Biggest NFT Sale Since 2022 for 10 Autoglyphs A distinguished private collector from the traditional art market bagged 10 Autoglyphs with the intention to later have it displayed at a museum. Fountain brokered the sale together with Amanda Schmitt (representing the buyer).
💰 Ordinals are still very hot right now, as Node Monkes are “being sent” (to the moon) - currently in price discovery at around 0.4 BTC ($20k). Also, Bitcoin Puppets, have a floor of over 0.1 BTC ($5K)
🔜 Next stop, Art Dubai (Digital) from 28 February to 3 March
Recommendation
An interesting video I came across this week by Andreas M. Antonopoulos explaining cryptocurrency. Funny enough, the video is 7 years old and some of the examples he used actually unveiled these past years.
🔜 Coming Next Week
Still in the editing process, I promise the recording of my 2-hour interview with C. Raman Schlemmer about Oskar Schlemmer’s legacy, the Bauhaus, and stories dating back to 1923, will come next Sunday!
Lol (lots of love),
Dimitria
Visit artasaconsequence.net to discover more about my work in the art industry. You can contact me over email or find me on social media: Instagram | X | LinkedIn
