Sotheby’s
Art Blocks Engine powered the minting experience for Sotheby’s, a premier auction house and art gallery, in their newly launched Gen Art program.
Project details
Background
Sotheby’s needed a partner to power their generative art program, which they planned to use with the first on-chain project from Vera Molnár, a 99-year-old generative art pioneer. They were looking for a technology solution capable of providing minting, on-chain art storage, and a Dutch auction mechanism.
Custom solution
Art Blocks Engine provided a comprehensive suite of web3 generative art products and services, ensuring the project's successful launch. Our collaboration saw remarkable success, with 500 editions selling out and generating 550 ETH ($1.03M) at the time of sale. Secondary trading has accumulated over 1600 ETH in volume to date.
- Smart contract development and deployment on both testnet and mainnet, incorporating access to AB APIs, rendering technology, and file storage.
- Training sessions with Sotheby’s partners to guide them in utilizing smart contract functions effectively.
- A dedicated artist staging site facilitating seamless test versions and edits for Vera Molnár and Martin Grasser before the official launch.
- Web3 developer connection for building a branded mint site, complemented by a customized front-end site template tailored for generative art projects.
- Joint marketing efforts to enhance project visibility.
- Continuous account and technical support throughout the pre-launch, launch, and post-launch phases.
Themes and Variations by Vera Molnár, in collaboration with Martin Grasser
Themes and Variations presents a collection of 500 unique generative artworks by Molnár, exploring her longstanding fascination with algorithmic art since the late 1960s. Embracing disorder, she seamlessly integrates letters as pure abstract forms, allowing the machine autonomy to challenge predefined rules. This dynamic interplay between artist and machine unveils uncharted territories within her creative practice.
