- Digital artist Beeple yesterday sold his first physical NFT, Human One, for $28.9 million
- Beeple famously sold his epic NFT Everydays – The First 5000 Days for $69 million
- Physical NFTs could be the next evolution of the art form
Digital artist Beeple, who famously sold his epic NFT Everydays – The First 5000 Days for $69 million in March, yesterday sold his first physical NFT, Human One, for $28.9 million. Human One, a digital sculpture of an astronaut walking through different dystopian landscapes, represents the first of what is inevitably going to be the next evolution of NFTs, with the effect achieved thanks to a series of LED panels surrounding the sculpture. Beeple, real name Mike Winlemann, posted on Twitter on the day of the sale that he had just recorded an appearance on the Jimmy Fallon show, which bodes well for the national understanding of NFTs, which is still at a ridiculously low level.
Human One Takes Giant Step for NFT Market
Human One was listed for auction at Christie’s, which has done very well out of Beeple this year, having sold four of his pieces for a combined $108 million. A Swiss online buyer placed the winning bid of $28.9 million, making them the first person to be able to take home a physical Beeple NFT, and one of the first to take home a physical NFT full stop.
Human One, described as a “kinetic video sculpture” by Christie’s, is a seven-foot-tall digital sculpture whose central figure walks through differing backdrops which change depending on the piece’s geographical location and local time. The buyer also received an NFT of the artwork with the piece, which in this case acts more like a certificate of authenticity.
Beeple’s Incredible 2021 Continues
The buyer revealed himself on Twitter to be one Ryan Zurrer, with Beeple replying to Zurrer’s post that “this is the just the start” of a journey with the buyer, suggesting that more is to come from this artist/buyer relationship:
HOLY FUCKKKKKK!!! INSANELY HONORED to be in this collection.
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Excited to be on this journey with @kukulabanze. This is just the start. 🚀 https://t.co/9fzt2OVkjZ
— beeple (@beeple) November 10, 2021
Beeple himself took to Twitter to celebrate the sale, before posting about an appearance on Jimmy Fallon, representing yet another step on his incredible journey this year.
