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Cozomo de’ Medici makes massive donation

Natalee

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has made a groundbreaking move by acquiring 22 NFTs of generative artworks, all of which were donated by a mysterious and prolific NFT collector known by the pseudonym Cozomo de’ Medici. The donation includes collectible NFTs from sought-after generative artists such as Dmitri Cherniak, Cai Guo-Quiang, Matt DesLauriers, and Monica Rizzoli, as well as from the Crypto Punk and World of Women collections.

Cozomo de’ Medici was motivated to donate the collection to LACMA by a desire to start a new movement there, akin to the effect William Randolph Hearst had when his donation of hundreds of artworks converted LACMA from a history museum to an arts museum. In a recent interview with ARTnews, he said, “I told them about my collection, which tells the story of on-chain art, our evolution thus far. That conversation sparked an idea to make a donation of a significant part of that collection to LACMA that would help seed a robust digital arts collection there.”

LACMA has been taking several steps to promote digital art, including its current exhibition “Coded: Art Enters the Computer Age, 1952–1982” and a Paris Hilton-supported fund to purchase digital artworks by female artists. LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director Michael Govan said in a press release, “As one of the first museums to support artists’ experimentation with technology, it’s fitting that LACMA would receive the first museum collection of blockchain art.”

The donation by Cozomo de’ Medici has made LACMA the first museum to have a collection of blockchain art, a significant milestone in the NFT industry. The Centre Pompidou also recently announced its acquisition of a small collection of NFTs, and last November, Yuga Labs donated a Crypto Punk to the ICA Miami.

Cozomo de’ Medici and LACMA have intentionally referred to these works as blockchain art, art minted on the blockchain, or on-chain art, as opposed to NFTs. Cozomo de’ Medici believes that the term NFT has a stigma attached to it, and that the digital art world is splitting into two categories: PFP NFTs associated with mania of speculation, and digital fine art, like generative art projects.

Apart from the donated pieces, LACMA will also include several other works of minted generative art in its collection. John Gerrard has donated one of his “Petrol National” series works, and Erick Calderon, founder of the generative art NFT platform Art Blocks, Tom Sachs, Jessica Wimbly, and others have had their NFTs included in LACMA’s collection.

The donation of Cozomo de’ Medici’s collection and the acquisition of other NFTs by LACMA represent a significant shift in the art world’s perception of NFTs and digital art. By acquiring blockchain art, LACMA is further cementing its position as a pioneer in the intersection of art and technology.

 

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