Crypto art on display at Science Museum Oklahoma

Art and technology intersect at Science Museum Oklahoma (SMO) with its new exhibit “Frameless: NFTs in Contemporary Art.”  

On display in the museum’s smART Space galleries, the exhibit highlights NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, which are tradeable digital assets purchased with cryptocurrency. They are designed to be kept in a crypto wallet but have recently started to make their way into museums. NFTs have created a new market for digital art with some assets being sold for millions.  

“When first approaching the subject over a year ago, it was an intimidating field and daunting task to specifically zero in on crypto art rather than the financial boom of cryptocurrencies or even NFTs in marketing,” said Alyson Atchison, director of SMO smART Space galleries. 

Atchison recruited some of the world’s most popular contemporary digital artists, such as Pindar Van Arman, Claire Dropppert, Dean Harvey and Twistedpoly, to help display the benefit of working with the new technology in art. 

“I am absolutely thrilled by the roster of artists we’ve been able to put together for this exhibit,” Atchison said, “…a diverse group both in geography and genre. I think everyone will be able to find something they like in this collection of art.” 

The non-fungible tokens include a one-of-a-kind identifier to deter works from being plagiarized. As a result, digital artworks and their verifiable marker can be bought, sold, or traded like physical artworks without worry of indistinguishable duplicates. 

The NFT-inspired exhibit is open now through early 2024 and is included with general admission to the museum. 

People can find more information on “Frameless: NFTs in Contemporary Art,” and other happenings at the Science Museum Oklahoma at www.sciencemuseumok.org.