Moco Gallery Amsterdam – are NFT Galleries worth the hype? | 28/11/22
The Netherlands is widely known for its liberal and forward thinking approach to society. Not only have they blurred the lines of the legality of Marijuana since 1986 and supported sex workers by legalizing and legitimizing their trade, they were also the first country in the world to legalize same sex marriage in 2003. The capital, Amsterdam, is famous across the world for bringing these otherwise taboo subjects out into the light, together in one beautiful city.
In such a city, it’s not a surprise to see them embracing new technology and attitudes to art. The Moco Museum opened recently in 2016, compared to its neighbour the Van Gogh museum which opened in 1973, Moco is still a new kid on the block of art galleries in the city.
The Moco Museum is an independent art gallery with locations in both Amsterdam and Barcelona. Situated just a 1 minute walk from The Van Gogh Museum, the Moco not only embrace NFT technology and its place in the art scene, they celebrate it.
The museum is housed in Villa Alsberg, a townhouse laid out over 3 floors, each presenting 2-3 artists. The ground floor featured pieces from Banksy, and The Kid. The NFT part of the gallery was located on the second floor. Alongside pieces by Keith Haring, Jean Michel Basquiat and Damien Hirst, arguably the most famous NFT artist found a place to belong. Of course, it’s Beeple.
Beeple made waves as being one of the highest selling NFT artists of the 2021 bullrun, with his piece, The First 5000 Days fetching $69.3million at a Sotheby’s auction. The record was later beaten in November 2021 by Pak who sold a piece for $91.8million. Beeple has since made a name for himself with his provocative art, specifically a piece featuring former US president, Donald Trump.
Now, Beeple joins the ranks of Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, and Yayoi Kusama by being displayed in one of the culture capitals of the world, Amsterdam. Moco Museum advocates for the ‘inclusive museum’ model, creating shows that enlighten, inspire, and empower the community.
“We use the power of art to challenge the norm, champion the truth, open up minds, and question the world around us.”
Complimenting their NFT display, Moco Museum also features art that can be brought to life with an AR filter and a fully immersive digital art experience featuring kaleidoscopes of colour in a fully mirrored room, very appealing to art lovers, tourists, or anyone enjoying the greenery of Amsterdam.
NFTs in galleries are nothing new, Christies and Sothebys have been reaping the benefits of enabling the sale of NFT art through their services which has caught the attention of gallery curators and art lovers alike. However, to see an NFT artist such as Beeple, who became the third most valuable living artist after David Hockney and Jeff Koons, displayed not only prominently but proudly, is a beacon of hope in the midst of tough market conditions.
Overall, Moco Museum is a fantastic contemporary art gallery who do an excellent job at encouraging new ways of approaching art, while celebrating modern classics that have inspired the community worldwide.
