ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

AI Art Market: From Record Auctions to Digital Platforms

market-auction · 2026-04-27

The AI art market is evolving through traditional auction houses and digital platforms. In November 2018, Christie's New York sold Obvious collective's 'Portrait of Edmond Belamy' for $432,500, 40 times its estimate, still the highest price for AI art at auction. Sotheby's later sold Mario Klingemann's 'Memories of Passersby I' for £40,000. Refik Anadol's Casa Batlló video mapping sold at Christie's in 2022 for $1.3 million, below the expected $2 million. On digital platforms, Klingemann's AI artist Botto generated over $1 million in NFT sales within a month in 2021. On OpenSea, AI Art House #0000 is auctioning for 12.3 Ethereum (~$28,000). On SuperRare, Anne Morgan Spalter's 'Hard and Soft: Gem Selfie' reached $60 million. The article questions whether the market is ready for AI art after the NFT bubble burst.

Key facts

  • First AI artwork at auction: 'Portrait of Edmond Belamy' by Obvious, sold at Christie's New York in November 2018 for $432,500.
  • Mario Klingemann's 'Memories of Passersby I' sold at Sotheby's for £40,000.
  • Refik Anadol's Casa Batlló video mapping sold at Christie's in 2022 for $1.3 million.
  • Klingemann's AI artist Botto generated over $1 million in NFT sales within a month in 2021.
  • AI Art House #0000 on OpenSea auctioning for 12.3 Ethereum (~$28,000) as of May 10.
  • Anne Morgan Spalter's 'Hard and Soft: Gem Selfie' on SuperRare reached $60 million.
  • Botto uses continuous learning to reflect collector taste, with over 5,000 stakeholders.
  • The article discusses whether the NFT bubble burst proves digital art's unsuitability for the traditional art system.

Entities

Artists

  • Sougwen Chung
  • Anna Ridler
  • Refik Anadol
  • Alexander Reben
  • Helena Sarin
  • Sofia Crespo
  • Tom White
  • Ian Cheng
  • Mario Klingemann
  • Anne Morgan Spalter
  • Laura Cocciolillo

Institutions

  • Christie's New York
  • Sotheby's
  • OpenSea
  • SuperRare
  • Obvious
  • Artribune

Locations

  • New York
  • United States

Sources