On Wednesday, Vera Molnár, a 99-year-old Hungarian artist, sold out her generative art collection for 631 ETH or $1.2 million. The collection, called ‘Themes and Variations,’ featured 500 NFTs and came in partnership with creative coder and renowned generative artist Martin Grasser and Sotheby’s, a long-established auction house.
According to a press release shared with Rarity Sniper, ‘Themes and Variations’ is a long-form algorithmic system that operates on three principles: letter forms, composition, and color. The 500 NFTs showcase Molnár’s long-standing representation of disorder in her works, with the letters integrated into the color palettes.
‘Themes and Variations’ is Sotheby’s first release in its new generative art series, and the first collection it has minted through the Dutch auction format. The auction started at 20 ETH before lowering, though art collectors bought all the NFTs in the set before the price reached the 1.5 ETH floor. All told, the collection sold out in less than one hour.
NFT Twitter celebrated the success of the launch, which brought new enthusiasm to a space that has suffered through a difficult bear market in the past two years.
Massive for web3 to celebrate a living legend and pioneer! Vera inspired many generations and this is a beautiful celebration! I have more details for the upcoming concepts to celebrate her life more and more! Congratulations to @michaelbouhanna and @martingrasser and to the… https://t.co/hMwglSxjiu
— Refik Anadol (@refikanadol) July 26, 2023
Michael Bouhanna, Sotheby’s Head of Digital Art and NFTs, called the sale a ‘milestone moment’ and one that will cement Molnár’s legacy as the generative artist who inspired countless generative artists after her. He added that, for Molnár, the process has always been about discovery and pushing into new frontiers, and what better way to do that than through a collaboration with Art Blocks.
Molnár a Giant in the Generative Art Field
For many, generative art — the use of computer algorithms to create randomized geometric shapes and patterns — is a new field, one that NFTs has helped make popular. But Vera Molnár has been at it since the 1960s, far ahead of her time. Some of her accomplishments include:
- Participating in a Museum of Modern Art exhibition in New York City
- Receiving the DAM Digital Arts Award for her life work
- Appointed Chevalier of Arts and Letters in 2007
In a statement, she said of ‘Themes and Variations’ that technology has been at the center of art history for centuries, and that she has always been fascinated in the ways technology can influence the production of art. Given that her generative art career dates to the 1960s, she sees the NFT collection as a culmination of her life’s work.
Martin Grasser called Molnár an ‘unfailing influence and source of inspiration,’ and that collaborating with her for this project has been a true privilege. The floor price to buy a piece from ‘Themes and Variations’ started around 1.69 ETH after mint and has since risen about 5 ETH.
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