For the first time, the Monnaie de Paris is welcoming a collection of non-fungible tokens (NFT) to its museum. Through a collaboration with the Collection, the work of artist Robert Alice will be showcased
The Monnaie de Paris welcomes a collection of NFT
Since 30 June and until 22 October, La Monnaie de Paris is hosting its first collection of non-fungible tokens (NFT). This is a highly symbolic event for the institution founded in 864 by Charles II the Bald, which is currently responsible for minting French coins as well as commemorative coins and medals.
This exhibition is being run in collaboration with laCollection, an NFT platform working with world-famous institutions such as the British Museum. Here, it is the work of artist Robert Alice that is highlighted, through a collection named BABEL, in homage to the short story ‘The Library of Babel’ by writer Jorge Luis Borges.
The choice of name is not insignificant, as the library described in the book has characteristics that are in some ways reminiscent of those of a blockchain:
“A space made up of hexagonal rooms, all identical and interconnected, with the same number of shelves on which are arranged the same number of books, with the same number of pages, lines and characters, constituting all possible variations, written and to come […]”
Creations obtained by assembling technologies
Visitors can discover 15 works printed on physical media, accompanied by QR codes redirecting them to their digital counterparts in NFT format on the Collection’s website.
These creations combine several elements to achieve a result, whether 3D models obtained using LiDAR technology, ASCII characters or even architectural plans of the Monnaie de Paris:
4/ Blueprints fuse a number of processes, from ASCII and GANs, with the original architectural blueprints of the @MonnaiedeParis, as a way of exploring the architectures of the centralized and decentralized. pic.twitter.com/JKAqrPCaOV
– robertalice (@robertalice_21) June 14, 2023
While this exhibition is a first for the age-old institution that is the Monnaie de Paris, it is not the first time that non-fungible tokens have become part of France’s cultural heritage. Last February, we learned that the Centre Pompidou museum had acquired 18 NFTs, anchoring them a little more firmly in traditional art.
