‘I discovered blockchain/crypto back in late 2011 and was immediately inspired by the huge potential impact it could have on our growing digital world’.
–Gordon Berger, digital artist, NFT and Crypto Art Movement pioneer
You’d be forgiven for thinking that NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) are an invention of the new decade. It is also understandable if you are unsure about the importance and permanence of digital art. But, NFTs are neither new, nor are they trivial. Artists have been engaging with them for years and NFTs have already irrefutably changed art, fashion and our wider society. It is increasingly important to engage with and develop an understanding of the metaverse, NFTs, crypto and digital art.
Responding to the contemporary dilemma posed by the NFT landscape, Christie’s is offering an intensive five-day course, NFTS Blockchain and the Metaverse: What they are and how to use them. The course will unlock the often confusing and complicated concepts connected with blockchain, NFTs and the digital art space. For those with little or no knowledge about NFTs, crypto, and the metaverse, the programme will provide confidence and a succinct understanding of the ever-evolving, digital landscape.
Led by Gordon Berger, the course will provide industry-standard practical knowledge, spanning across topics such as minting (creating) an NFT, setting up a crypto-wallet, buying and selling NFTs, security, the metaverse and the future of these spaces. Participants can expect to have a clear understanding and ability to engage with blockchain/Web3. This course will bring about their ability to understand the basics of NFTs and collect them, enabling them to participate in this historical movement.
As the first person to give a TEDx Talk on NFTs and crypto-art in 2018, Berger is considered a real pioneer and authority in the space. At the time, few appreciated or were interested in collecting digital art. Berger, on the other hand, was never able to accept the splinter between digital and material art and spent years developing a practice that incorporates innovative technological possibilities in the process of painting.
Today, developments in blockchain technology mean digital art can be made unique, opening up exciting, new possibilities in the space. What once was infinitely copyable and easily duplicated, can now be made rare in the digital world. For the first time ever, digital media could be owned, collected, and distributed in the same fashion as physical objects.
And this may only be the beginning. ‘The beauty of this space is that there are so many fields that will be able to utilize this technology,’ explains Berger. ‘Simply learning the basics will give students the ability to paint these applications on the canvas of their own imagination. From art to real estate to digital ownership, the prospects are being defined and created each new day’.
To find out more about NFTs in Context 2.0 click NFTs in Context 2.0