Date of Award

2021

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Contemporary Art

First Advisor

Agnes Berecz

Second Advisor

Eric Wolf

Abstract

The first half of 2021, NFT crypto art captured both the public’s attention and the art market due to the escalation of sales prices and the auction houses acceptance of cryptocurrencies. As an artform, digital art is not new. It began in the 1960s and 1970s with roots as early as the 1940s. During this evolution the lines between technology and art have intersected, often become blurred and in many cases have merged into new artforms. Even when scholars trace the origins of digital art to present day it is difficult to tell if scientists are influencing artists or artists shape technology. Crypto art comes with a unique set of benefits to both collectors and artists alike, but it also poses several new threats to the environment and the art economy. While museums, collectors and galleries are experimenting with best ways to store and display the crypto digital art, collectors and artists have the challenge to define how they would like to preserve and maintain the work whose technology is sure to be obsolete in the future.

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