In This Article:
For the first time in Spain, a national museum will mint its own NFTs: an exclusive collection featuring masterpieces from Van Gogh.
“These artworks were converted into high-definition NFTs using blockchain technology and certified by the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, a national museum,” Carlos Grenoir, the CEO of metaverse platform Olyverse, told Decrypt.
The Olyverse Platform is presented as a decentralized stars club, aimed to bridge the gap between fans and celebrities in an innovative and decentralized manner, linking the club members through NFTs). Fans can interact with stars through different activities and participate in experiences in the metaverse.
LACMA Ventures Deeper Into NFT Art With Experimental Deafbeef Collection
Each NFT, representing an original piece, is part of a limited series, with only 100 available for purchase in collaboration with Telefónica and its NFT marketplace.
“By democratizing access to art through NFTs, we hope to enable individuals to experience Van Gogh's works in a new way,” said Grenoir. “Our metaverse serves as a platform to exhibit and explore these digital masterpieces, offering an immersive and enriching experience that transcends traditional museum boundaries.”
Additionally, a collaboration with the tech giant LG, Van Gogh’s NFT owners will be able to showcase their digital artworks using blockchain-powered displays.
The choice of Van Gogh as the first historical artist to be included in the Olyverse was obvious. “Besides the fact that I love Van Gogh, we wanted an artist who is universally recognized, who incarnates the same philosophy as ours, and who created something new and disruptive,” he told Decrypt.
Bridging the gap between fans and celebrities
The first chapter of Olyverse's origin story begins with an encounter.
After graduating as an engineer specializing in cybersecurity and neuroscience, Grenoir was working in the cybersecurity field when he met Kevin Mitnick, a renowned hacker and security expert. This encounter led to the building of a platform aiming to leverage blockchain technology and VR to offer a new type of interaction between stars and fans.
For now, the platform offers experiences with Alvaro Morte, the Spanish Actor playing in Netflix’s Money Heist. Ex-footballer Carles Puyol, actress Elsa Pataki, and actor Kerem Bürsin will also join soon, along with a digitized version of Vincent Van Gogh, who is also presented as a member of this star club.
To onboard more users, Olyverse’s team worked to make the metaverse accessible to people who don’t know how to use a wallet.