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Musée d’Orsay Explores New Market with NFTs
The famous Musée d’Orsay in France is partnering with the Tezos Foundation to leverage NFT (Non-Fungible Token) and Blockchain technology, rolling out various art-related activities through next year. This kicks off tomorrow with the first event, a Van Gogh exhibition titled *Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise: The Final Months*, running from October 3, 2023, to February 4, 2024.
The exhibition will feature two NFTs based on Van Gogh’s works from the showcase. One NFT uses Augmented Reality (AR) technology to depict Van Gogh’s palette, while the other is a digital artwork recreating the Musée d’Orsay in the style of Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, crafted by the KERU collective. Judging by the design, AI style transfer techniques may have been used.
Both NFTs will be minted on the Tezos blockchain, with 2,300 pieces available for each type, priced at €20 (approximately USD 21). NFT holders will be able to participate in a range of interactive games, with prizes including lifetime free access to the Musée d’Orsay and invitations to the museum’s exclusive gala events.
Building Strategies Amid Covid
This collaboration is just the tip of the iceberg. It was inspired by the effects of Covid, which significantly reduced visitor numbers. Despite improving conditions, the Musée d’Orsay recognizes that foot traffic hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic levels, prompting a push to engage new audiences.
Guillaume Roux, Director of Development at Orsay, told Decrypt, “French visitors, especially younger generations, are visiting us less. We need a plan to bring back our audience, which was lost during Covid.”
This aligns with the appointment of Christophe Leribault as the new museum director in October 2021. Leribault’s goal was to attract more visitors, leading him to direct the team to explore the potential of NFTs and Blockchain technology in order to reach new and younger audiences.
NFT Art and the Future Identity of Museums
Beyond the Van Gogh exhibition, the Musée d’Orsay and Tezos Foundation are planning a series of activities for next year, including seminars and educational projects focused on emerging technologies in the art world, such as Blockchain and NFTs. They will also collaborate with digital artists from the crypto art scene to create NFT works inspired by pieces in the Orsay collection.
Roux concluded, “Today, we don’t need to question how many people visit the museum. What matters is that we become a museum that acknowledges modern times, one that speaks to new generations. If we don’t start presenting ourselves differently and engaging in new conversations, we’ll quickly become an old museum from an old century.”
Founded in 1986 in Paris, France, the Musée d’Orsay attracted 3.2 million visitors in 2022, making it the second most-visited museum in France after the Louvre.
Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise: The Final Months exhibition is open from October 3, 2023, to February 4, 2024. Visitors can explore these innovative NFT artworks during the exhibition.
