Traditional art institutions and blockchain
Together with spontaneously developing Bitcoin-related art, there are cases of implementation Blockchain and cryptocurrencies in traditional art institutions.
The first case goes back to 2015 when Austrian museum of applied art MAK purchased an online installation, an algorithmically-generated screen saver by Dutch artist Harm van den Dorpel “Event listeners.”This screensaver became the first piece of art ever to be sold for Bitcoin to a museum.
If purchasing art for Bitcoins is yet too radical to be normal practice for museums, Blockchain technology itself is much more acceptable by official art institutions. From Sept. 1-10, 2017 the State Central Museum of Contemporary History of Russia in Moscow hosted the world’s first CryptoArt, an exhibition project organized by Rudanovsky Foundation. The Foundation presented a qualitatively new platform for art communication based on the works of the contemporary artist Svetlana Smirnova. Each picture was provided with an open digital VerisArt certificate, based on Blockchain technology. With Blockchain it is impossible to destroy or falsify the primary detailed information about works of art, provenance and history of displacement. This provides the basis for true security and transparency. Technology gives access for open and transparent relations among museums, auction houses, galleries, collectors, art historians and researchers.
On 10th of Febrary 2018 Rudanovsky Foundation officially presented world's first blockchain platform for museums, galleries and experts - CryptoArts (www.cryptoarts.io). The presentation was held at the ICOM (The International Council of Museums).