Buying an actual painting from Vincent Willem van Gogh (better known simply as Van Gogh) will likely cost millions of dollars, making it an unattainable dream for most art enthusiasts. That is why some are paying close attention to a recent announcement: On October 10, the first-ever Van Gogh NFT collection was released by the Van Gogh Sites Foundation in collaboration with Hong Kong-based Web3 platform Appreciator.
The first part of the NFT collection consists of six multimedia works created by local artists from the homeland of the Dutch Post-Impressionist, Brabant, the Netherlands.
Contrary to what some might imagine, the NFTs are not replicas of existing Van Gogh works.
Born in Brabant himself, Tomas Snels, the 15-member team’s chief artist, came up with the concept for the NFT collection, which focuses on heritage sites that tie into the artist’s life and legacy. Touched by Van Gogh’s passion for nature, he also included a leaf in each token as a homage to the artist.
Snels’ six NFT artworks incorporate music, videography, and 3D technology.
“The work is a collaborative creation with more than 1,000 hours’ effort from a team of 15 passionate collaborators, comprising talented copywriters, visual artists, 3D engineers, musicians and composers, and videographers,” explained Snels.
The Van Gogh NFT collection consists of two editions: the Century and the Millennium. The Century edition, a total of 150 NFTs, features three digital artworks related to heritage sites in Zundert, and is listed on Appreciator. Members of the public are welcome to purchase them for 880 USD a piece.
Meanwhile, the Millennium edition, which sees a limited number of just 75 NFTs, will only be available to members of Appreciator at 9,850 USD per token.
In addition to gaining an NFT, each Millennium-edition buyer will receive a 3D-printed silver leaf in a wooden box crafted from a poplar tree in Van Gogh’s homeland. Corporations that acquire three NFTs from the Millennium edition will have a poplar tree planted in their names.
Appreciator received more than 100 inquiries before the official launch of the collection. Additionally, the Web3 company’s website received over 5,000 views in the first 24 hours following the launch, reported CEO and co-founder Emily Cheung.
“Now we have to think of adding resources to handle sales inquiries,” Cheung told RADII. “We are also handling inquiries from extra commercial brands for co-branding requests.”
The Van Gogh NFT collection is Appreciator’s first-ever project — and an ambitious one at that. Although it’s been a hectic year in the NFT market, Cheung believes that NFTs bring countless benefits to multiple parties.
“This initiative can propel Hong Kong to the forefront of the digital art arena,” said Cheung. “Appreciator aims to spearhead the offering of FINE NFT, which is unique and authentic, and drives social impact in preserving cultural heritage and supporting local artists worldwide as they embark on their artistic journeys.”
Artists from Hong Kong will stand a chance to contribute to Appreciator’s international projects in the near future. After all, last week’s release is just one of many to come, said Cheung.
Cover photo via Depositphotos; other images courtesy of Emily Cheung
