When French artist George Rouault’s painting The Three Judges was first presented in 1936, Rouault’s gallery placed it in a 17th century frame. His dealer saw the need to contextualize his bold Expressionism for audiences still uncertain of such daring.
Galleries and curators have always been critical to the introduction of new styles or media in art. It is no different today in the world of NFTs. While most NFT platforms — focused as they are on volume — are overwhelming, galleries and museums have been articulating the ideas that artists using blockchain seek to address long before NFTs reached mainstream attention last year.
From Kate Vass Galerie in Zurich to Grey Area in San Francisco, there are upwards of 30 major galleries committed to presenting meaningful works using NFTs as a sales mechanism or blockchain technology as an integral part of the works’ concept. This doesn’t even include virtual and tangible institutions supporting this emergent creative practice.
Artists, curators, and institutions have adopted a variety of approaches to this nascent field of art. Here are some of the most interesting: