Christie’s announces an auction of digital art with the crypto bank Sygnum

Christie’s, one of the most prestigious auction houses in the world, has announced a new digital art auction, in collaboration with the crypto bank Sygnum. 

Entitled “Bridging Worlds: Digital Art Beyond Borders”, the auction will be a special event where digital art will not only play the leading role but will also serve to raise funds for a noble cause: supporting UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency. 

The proceeds from the auction will be donated to support UNHCR’s global operations, whose goal is to protect and assist people fleeing wars, persecutions, and humanitarian crises.

Collaboration between Christie’s and the crypto bank Sygnum: the upcoming auction

One of the most innovative aspects of this initiative is the collaboration between Christie’s and Sygnum, a global banking group specialized in digital assets. Sygnum, a leader in the crypto and blockchain sector, will help facilitate the digital aspect of the auction. 

This involvement strengthens the connection between art and technology, demonstrating how the world of crypto can play a fundamental role not only in finance, but also in supporting humanitarian causes.

The Christie’s 3.0 platform will be the focal point of the event, providing an interface that allows participation in the auction in a completely digital format. 

The partnership with Sygnum is not coincidental: the digital bank, which has a strong presence in Switzerland, will provide technical and financial support to Switzerland for UNHCR, the Swiss branch of the United Nations agency, to ensure that all steps related to the digital auction are secure, transparent, and accessible to buyers worldwide.

The auction Bridging Worlds: Digital Art Beyond Borders will feature the participation of some of the most renowned contemporary digital artists, including Andreas Gysin, Deafbeef, Emi Kusano, and many others.

These artists are not only redefining the boundaries of traditional art with the use of new technologies, but they are also pioneers in the field of crypto art, a movement that is gaining more traction with the expansion of NFT (Non-Fungible Tokens) markets.

The digital artworks auctioned represent a mix of cutting-edge styles and techniques, from interactive animations to coded works, exploring themes related to globalization, migration, and technology. 

This diversity also reflects the central message of the event: the possibility of breaking down physical boundaries through digital art, allowing a global connection between cultures and individuals.

Crypto auction and the importance of NFTs

The use of NFT (Non-Fungible Tokens) technology in this event marks another step forward for the world of auctions. NFTs are digital certificates based on blockchain that confer uniqueness and ownership to digital artworks.

Thanks to NFTs, buyers can be certain of owning a unique and authentic version of the purchased artwork, a feature that perfectly aligns with the evolution of the contemporary art market.

Christie’s has long been a leader in the digital art auction market and crypto art. Back in 2021, the auction house made headlines with the record sale of a digital artwork by the artist Beeple for over 69 million dollars. 

With the collaboration with Sygnum, Christie’s once again demonstrates its ability to adapt to market changes and embrace technological innovation, advancing art in an increasingly digitalized era.

Beyond the artistic and technological allure of the event, “Bridging Worlds: Digital Art Beyond Borders” holds fundamental importance for the UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency. Currently, the UNHCR is facing one of the largest humanitarian crises in recent history, with over 100 million people worldwide forced to flee their homes due to conflicts, persecutions, and natural disasters. 

The economic support generated by events like this auction is crucial to allow the agency to provide shelter, medical assistance, food, and protection to millions of refugees.

Through the sale of digital artworks, Christie’s and Sygnum are demonstrating how the power of creativity and technology can be harnessed for a global cause, helping those who are in greatest need.

Conclusion: an event that unites art, technology, and solidarity

The digital auction “Bridging Worlds: Digital Art Beyond Borders” represents much more than a simple sale of artworks. It is a testament to the potential of global collaborations between the art world and the technology sector, an example of how the crypto auction can become a vehicle for positive change. 

Thanks to the joint effort of Christie’s and Sygnum, digital art not only continues to gain legitimacy and recognition in the contemporary art scene, but also becomes a powerful tool for global solidarity.

Participating in this auction means not only purchasing unique and innovative works, but also concretely contributing to the efforts of the UNHCR to protect and assist millions of people around the world. 

An event that, as the title itself suggests, “goes beyond borders”, uniting the world of digital art, crypto technology, and the humanitarian cause in an unprecedented act of solidarity.

Source: https://en.cryptonomist.ch/2024/10/17/christies-announces-an-auction-of-digital-art-in-collaboration-with-the-crypto-bank-sygnum/