Van Gogh NTFs will be Minted by Thyssen Museum in Spain

Updated: 15 July 2023

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The Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Spain is pioneering a new era by minting its own NFTs, a collection that will feature the masterpieces of Van Gogh, for the first time ever. The museum has authenticated these artworks which have been transformed into high-definition NFTs through blockchain technology. The initiative was revealed by Carlos Grenoir, the Chief Executive Officer of the metaverse platform, Olyverse.

Olyverse is promoted as a decentralized stars club, intended to foster a novel, decentralized relationship between fans and celebrities by connecting them through NFTs. The platform offers various activities and metaverse experiences to allow fans to engage with celebrities.

In a cooperative effort with Telefónica and its NFT marketplace, each NFT, symbolizing an original work, is part of a limited edition with a maximum of 100 available for acquisition. Grenoir expressed the platform’s aspiration to democratize art access via NFTs and provide people a fresh perspective to appreciate Van Gogh’s art. He further added that the Olyverse platform is a place to display and explore these digital masterpieces, thereby offering an immersive and rewarding experience that goes beyond traditional museum settings.

In conjunction with LG, the tech conglomerate, owners of Van Gogh’s NFTs will have the opportunity to exhibit their digital art pieces through blockchain-enabled displays. Van Gogh was the obvious selection as the inaugural historical artist in the Olyverse due to his universal recognition and his alignment with Olyverse’s innovative and disruptive philosophy.

On a further note, the Olyverse began with a fortuitous meeting. Post his engineering graduation specializing in cybersecurity and neuroscience, Grenoir was serving in the cybersecurity industry when he crossed paths with the renowned hacker and security professional, Kevin Mitnick. The encounter sparked the inception of a platform aimed to leverage blockchain technology and virtual reality to facilitate a new kind of interaction between celebrities and fans.

As of now, the platform offers interactions with Alvaro Morte from Netflix’s Money Heist, and soon to join are ex-footballer Carles Puyol, actors Elsa Pataki and Kerem Bürsin, as well as a digitized Vincent Van Gogh, who is projected as a part of this star club. To encourage more user engagement, the Olyverse team has made the metaverse user-friendly even for those unfamiliar with wallet use.

Van Gogh NFTs by the Van Gogh Sites Foundation

This is not the first time that Van Gogh artworks have been minted as NFTs. Previously, in October of 2022, a collaboration project between the Van Gogh Sites Foundation (VGSF) and Appreciator.io, a global web3 platform based in Hong Kong, came together to create the first-ever Van Gogh NFT collection. The project looked at using blockchain and NFT technology to raise funds for cultural heritage preservation and nurture local artists’ development and it started with 39 NFTs which were authenticated by the Van Gogh Sites Foundation.

User Experience Prioritized

Grenoir stressed that Olyverse prioritized user experience by simplifying access to the metaverse. Neither VR glasses nor cryptocurrency knowledge is necessary as all operations occur behind the scenes, thus facilitating mainstream adoption to their utility OLY and the overall ecosystem. While users have the option to connect through MetaMask or other digital wallets, they can also utilize credit cards.

Through its metaverse, Olyverse intends to amalgamate entertainment and education while capitalizing on blockchain technology. Grenoir’s vision is to establish Olyverse as the top metaverse globally by providing a variety of activities and daily free courses in diverse domains such as painting, music, film, fitness, and cooking. The platform also plans to enhance the interaction between fans and celebrities through their token.

Furthermore, Olyverse has introduced Non-Fungible Stories (NFS), a series that allows the audience to direct the narrative and determine the show’s future. This unique concept also offers extra benefits such as audition participation with stars, acting course enrollment, and exclusive event attendance.

Grenoir also affirmed the potential longevity and future development of the metaverse. He mentioned the ongoing exploration of the metaverse by tech giants like Apple and Meta, suggesting a promising future for the 3D environment. Despite the rising competition, Olyverse is prepared to hold its position in the evolving landscape.