THREE QUESTIONS TO RICHARD ORLINSKI
They are our clients, our friends, good contacts or just people we met. They have a new vision, they are running great projects, they are developing new services or they just want to share their story. We interview key people of the blockchain and fintech ecosystem: if you want to be next, please email us at blockchain@havas.com.
Richard Orlinski is the most valued French artist currently working. Known worldwide for his giant and colorful animal figures, Orlinski’s pieces have been displayed from New York to Hong Kong and sold for record shattering prices at Christie’s and Sotheby’s. Richard Orlinski has now set his sights on the world of crypto with an upcoming NFT collection set to drop this summer.
1 — Why have you decided to launch an NFT project?
Like so many people, blockchain technology appeared on my radar in 2017, during the crypto rush. I started to read about it and was soon fascinated with how deep the technology could go. I knew, from that moment, that there was something to do as an artist with this technology.
Fast forward to the 2020 lockdown when I was looking for ways to engage with fans during that period of forced isolation. I started to investigate how blockchain technology could bring my art directly to the public, in a new and unique way. What I discovered blew me away and I immediately started working on an NFT collection that we will reveal very soon.
I am very happy with this collection, not only for what it brings to the public but how it was also a way for me to dive into the world of blockchain and crypto-art… and I don’t intend to stop there.
2 — You talk about next steps, what do you have in mind?
I want to use this technology to better connect with people. The reason why we purchase a NFT is not just because they are scarce or that they are produced by famous people, it’s first and foremost a connection. They offer a way for fans to connect with their favorite artists in a way that has never before been possible before. I want to go further in this direction, with NFTs, of course, but more than that with other blockchain applications, because I believe that we are just scratching the surface.
With the spotlight that is currently on NFTs, people are beginning to understand what blockchain technology can do. In a sense, NFTs are a gateway for people to enter the blockchain world because it allows them to grasp the concept of owning a digital asset. But Blockchain technology has more to offer to the art world than NFT.
3 — You believe that there is a future for blockchain in the art world?
I will go one step further: I can’t imagine the future of the art world without blockchain! Blockchain has already transformed it for the better: there are great applications that are currently being used to fight more effectively against counterfeiting, which is a huge problem in the art world. Moreover, the boom of NFTs now allow digital artists to make a living from their art which is great because it will enable creation for 100% digital art like never before, from established artists like myself, but new up and comers as well.
If we look to the future, we can imagine a world where artists have their own token, their own blockchains which allow them to connect even more with their fans, with other artists, and with collectors. We are at a dawn of a crypto-revolution, where blockchain will enable new ways to make art, new ways to trade art, new ways to connect through art. The possibilities are next to endless.
