At the age of 99 and considered a forerunner of algorithmic art, the Hungarian-born French artist Vera Molnár skillfully interweaves the world of NFT and procedural art, once again redefining the paradigms of contemporary art.
Innovation and adaptation, Vera Molnár, driving force behind the digital art revolution
The Franco-Hungarian artist is no stranger to the art world. She is even the first woman artist to combine the power of the computer with the creativity of the human mind.
Since the 50’s, Vera Molnár revolutionized art with her penchant for simple geometric forms and diversified techniques, from drawing to pure computer programming. She struck a blow in 1959 with The Imaginary Machine, a bold concept that enabled her to design simple programs to systematically carry out his work.
Despite her reticence towards art institutions, she achieved late but significant recognition in 1976 with her first solo exhibition in London. In 1980, she co-founded the “Center for Experimental and Computerized Research in the Visual Arts“ at the University of Paris-I.
Back to basics or continuity? Vera Molnár embarks on NFT
Her new art collection, entitled Themes and Variations, sold last week for about 613 ETH (or $1.2 million at the time of writing) to the famous auction house Sotheby’s.
As usual, the respected Madame Molnár has innovated, this time randomly and algorithmically generating a series of works composed of the letters “N”, “F” and “T”; the letters being, of course, a reference to the use of NFTs in her collection. Letters embellished with geometric shapes on a background of different bright colors, leading to spectacular results with each iteration.
The work Themes and Variations #1is the spearhead of the collection, having sold at a record price of 20 ETH ($37,506 at the time of sale), the most expensive of the entire collection..
NFTs are units of data stored on the blockchain that certify that a digital asset is unique and unfungible, giving the work of Vera Molnár a new dimension.
By using blockchain to authenticate her works, Vera is part of a contemporary trend that values the uniqueness and verifiable ownership of digital artworks. In this way, the artist continues not only to innovate, but also to adapt to the new technologies and trends shaping the contemporary art world. Respect.
The house Sotheby’s has not chosen to host this new collection by chance, as :
- This was an excellent opportunity to test the new NFT marketplace on Sotheby’s Metaverse ;
- The auction house proposed a Dutch-style “dutch auction”: we start with a maximum price and gradually lower it until we find a buyer. This is the opposite of the traditional English auction, with which we are all familiar, where we start with a minimum price which then appreciates according to the enthusiasm of the participants.
The work Themes and Variations represents Vera Molnár’s latest iteration, where this time she also crosses paths with the world of the ever-evolving world of blockchain, and marks the company’s definitive entry into the world of NFTs. Sotheby’s. As she approaches her hundredth birthday, will Vera Molnár surprise us again with another creation?
