AES+F Collective Enters Crypto Art with NFT Auction on SuperRare

Russian art collective AES+F—comprising Tatiana Arzamasova, Lev Evzovich, Evgeny Svyatsky, and Vladimir Fridkes—has made its debut in the crypto art space by auctioning an NFT on SuperRare, certified by Verisart. The work, titled Psychosis, Mushroom Field, sold for 5.556 Ethereum ($8,941) in an auction that concluded on March 25, 2021. The NFT was minted on March 22, 2021, as part of SuperRare's "10×10" program, which runs for ten weeks starting March 1, 2021, featuring a different artist or collective each week. The piece derives from a video created for the stage production Psychosis, based on Sarah Kane's 4:48 Psychosis, directed by Alexander Zeldovich at the Electrotheatre Stanislavsky in Moscow in 2016. In an interview, AES+F expressed curiosity about the NFT market, noting that the art world does not necessarily align with NFT developments. They emphasized that the most important aspect of their work is creating a powerful image, regardless of medium. Regarding the permanence of NFTs, the collective stated they never intended their art to last forever and that NFTs are not necessarily indestructible. They also commented that blockchain technology reveals all transactions, which may have unforeseen consequences. AES+F believes crypto art will change the art market similarly to street art, but that NFT technology will have broader implications.