Gustav Klimt, The Kiss
In collaboration with artèQ, the Belvedere is launching a completely new NFT drop of a historical masterpiece. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the most famous depiction of a pair of lovers will be offered for sale in a limited number of digital excerpts. Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss (Lovers) – one of the world’s most famous works of art and the centerpiece of the Belvedere’s collection – will be specially transformed into an NFT project. A high-resolution digital copy will be divided into a 100 x 100 grid, resulting in 10,000 inimitable individual pieces that will be offered as non-fungible tokens, or NFTs for short. In addition to purchasing the NFT, buyers can register as owners of their piece on the platform thekiss.art, where the picture can be viewed in its entirety. This entry can also serve as a declaration of love – just in time for Valentine’s Day.
The 10,000 NFTs can be purchased at an estimated unit price of 1.850 € and “whitelisting” will begin on January 25 at midnight, whereby interested parties can register to purchase on the thekiss.art platform. On February 9, those willing to buy will receive authorization to purchase minted NFTs of a piece of the digital Kiss. Minting is an imprinting process through which digital art becomes part of the blockchain – this guarantees that each NFT is unalterable and forgery-proof. On February 9, buyers can complete the transaction using either the cryptocurrency Ethereum, a credit card, SEPA, or PayPal. The 10,000 segments of the work will be allocated at random.
The drop, or official release of the NFTs, will take place no later than Valentine’s Day, February 14. The issued NFT certificates will then show exactly which part of the high-resolution image was purchased. An individual dedication of love can be added to the NFT via the thekiss.art platform. These dedications can be seen on the platform starting February 14. The NFTs can be resold on any commercially available NFT sales platform.
Austrian art is presented in an international context at three locations of the Austrian Gallery Belvedere. The Baroque complex of the Upper and Lower Belvedere and its garden is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its renowned art collection includes works ranging from the Middle Ages to the present day. And with 24 paintings by Gustav Klimt, the Belvedere possesses the world’s largest collection of his paintings. Other highlights include prominent works from the Viennese Biedermeier period, the Austrian Baroque, Vienna around 1900, and French Impressionism. Continued development and digitization in all areas will ensure the Belvedere’s status as an outstanding museum in the future as well.
artèQ, a venture by the Donau-Finanz Group, is an NFT investment fund and auction house whose aim is to unite innovation, technology, and art. The platform brings artists, art collectors, and investors closer to digital art using the safest technology available. Via artèQ Auction House, a powerful online platform that uses the latest technology in an exclusive virtual environment, works of art are traded all over the world – in various auction houses or directly with museums and galleries. With its international team of specialists in technology, finance, and the arts, artèQ not only guarantees professional support but also constant adaptation to the latest developments in the blockchain market.
This project is legally advised by
