Musée d’Orsay Breaks New Ground with On-Chain Exhibition and NFT Auction

The Musée d’Orsay, a renowned museum in Paris, is venturing into the world of blockchain and digital art with its first-ever commission of an on-chain NFT exhibition.The museum is set to release a collection of tokenized artwork titled “The Convergence of Breath.” These five single-edition NFTs (non-fungible tokens), minted on the Tezos blockchain, are a result of a captivating art installation and social experiment currently on display as part of the museum’s digital-themed exhibition, “Le Code d’Orsay.”

Artwork by Agoria and Lescure Included in the Musée d’Orsay NFT Installation

The centerpiece of the installation, a steel sculpture named “Sigma Lumina,” was collaboratively created by French artist and DJ Sébastian Devaud, also known as Agoria, and artist Johan Lescure. When illuminated by the perfect alignment of light from above, the sculpture casts a shadow that reveals a QR code. Curious museum visitors who scan the QR code are directed to mint a unique Musée d’Orsay NFT, inspired by other Impressionist works showcased at the museum. However, the NFT can only be generated if the participants breathe into their smartphones.The data from these blows, which have resulted in over 2,000 “Sigma Lumina” NFTs minted by museum visitors thus far, has been collected and synthesized by Agoria and Lescure. The artists have transformed this collective breath into a series of five unique Musée d’Orsay NFTs, each representing one week of the exhibition’s duration.

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“I love the fact that all the blows of all the people coming [to the exhibition] are now connected together to create a global piece,” Agoria said. 

The five extraordinary “Convergence of Breath” NFTs will be available for sale on Thursday at 5 pm CET on Objkt. One, a curated platform specializing in one-of-one on-chain artworks.

“Le Code d’Orsay” continues its run at the Musée d’Orsay until March 10, providing visitors with an immersive experience at the intersection of traditional art and cutting-edge blockchain technology. 

Museums Continue to Engage With NFTs 

Museums and cultural organizations have been engaging with NFTs in various innovative ways, exploring their potential for revenue generation, expanding accessibility to art, and creating immersive digital experiences.Last year, the Centre Pompidou in Paris announced an exhibition featuring NFTs from the CryptoPunks and Autoglyphs projects, among works by 12 other digital artists. Furthermore, museums like the Bruce Museum and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles have hosted discussions and lectures focusing on the history, technology, and legal aspects of NFTs.Museums have also explored NFTs as a means of fundraising and monetizing digital collections. For example, the British Museum launched a series of NFT postcards featuring Hokusai’s prints in 2021, with a notable sale of “The Great Wave” for 10.6 ETH (approximately $45,000 USD at the time). Likewise, the Uffizi Gallery sold an NFT of Michelangelo’s “Doni Tondo” for around $170,000, and the State Hermitage Museum auctioned tokenized versions of masterpieces, including works by Leonardo da Vinci, raising significant funds.