By
Andy Watson
April 26th, 2024
Meanwhile, the British Museum is not the only cultural institution engaging with the crypto ecosystem.
The British Museum, a renowned institution steeped in culture and history, is venturing into the world of the metaverse through a partnership with The Sandbox, an Ethereum-based metaverse game. With this collaboration, the museum plans to create a collection of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to showcase its vast diversity of artifacts housed within its walls. The digital artworks will be built in association with the museum’s licensing partner, French startup LaCollection.
In a blog post dated 28 July, this range of NFT collections will offer immersive experiences, allowing players around the globe to explore the rich tapestry of the museum’s collections. Furthermore, The British cultural institute will establish its own space within The Sandbox’s online game world, placing it alongside other renowned cultural icons such as Snoop Dogg, McDonald’s, Adidas, and Gucci.
Great Opportunity for The Sandbox Players
Sebastien Borget, COO and co-founder of The Sandbox, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, acknowledging the incredible opportunity it presents for players to delve into the fascinating history, art, and culture available at the museum.
“We are very excited to collaborate with the British Museum to share its incredible collections with new audiences in the metaverse. This is a great opportunity for The Sandbox players, regardless of where they are, to learn about and enjoy the amazing collections of human history, art, and culture in the British Museum,” he said.
According to reports, the museum’s spokesperson said the cultural institution is keen on exploring fresh and innovative ventures to share its collections and connect with a broader audience.
While this marks The British Museum’s debut in the metaverse realm, the institution has proven to be no stranger to digital innovation. Before collaborating with The Sandbox, the London-based art gallery had successfully partnered with LaCollection on three NFT collections featuring works by renowned artists like Katsushika Hokusai and Joseph Mallord William Turner.
British Museum and NFT Sales
In 2021, the British Museum conducted its first NFT sales with 200 digital postcards showcasing the masterpieces of Katsushika Hokusai, including the iconic “Under the Wave, Off Kanagawa,” famously known as “The Great Wave.”
Continuing this creative endeavor, in spring 2022, the museum also presented 20 tokenized versions of captivating works by British artist Joseph Mallord William Turner, including the mesmerizing watercolor painting “A Storm (Shipwreck)” from 1823.
The most recent sale at the museum highlighted NFT artwork, presenting 20 pen and chalk drawings by the renowned Venetian-born draftsman, Giambattista Piranesi, sourced from The British Museum’s collection.
Not the First Museum to Engage with NFTs
Meanwhile, the British Museum is not the only cultural institution engaging with the crypto ecosystem. In Paris, the Pompidou Center embraced the Web3 movement with its immersive year-long exhibition titled “Policies of the Immaterial: From Certificate to Blockchain.”
The exhibition explores the dynamic relationship between blockchain technology and art, featuring the iconic CryptoPunk #110, generously gifted to the museum by CryptoPunks parent company Yuga Labs. Alongside this, the exhibition proudly showcases a diverse range of crypto, generative, and pixel art examples.
Coinspeaker reported last year that the Museum of the City of New York filed a patent application for NFTs.