TASCHEN has released a new book looking at the phenonmen of the NFT. Robert Alice’s On NFTs is the first major art historical survey text on the most compelling, disruptive area of contemporary art today. A rigorous and critical examination of all facets of the NFT ecosystem, On NFTs takes a multidimensional, artist-led approach, leaving its readers with a richer understanding of a topic often shrouded in misconception and pixelated mystery.
The book, presented in TASCHEN’s iconic grand-scale BABY SUMO format and housed in a bespoke stainless steel slipcase, covers a wide range of essential information for both those new to or experienced with the modern medium. Featuring 10 essays from the world’s leading voices in art and the blockchain, including Hans Ulrich Obrist, On NFTs is a book that celebrates unlikely and thought-provoking connections from across art history. Expect illustrations of Rembrandt paintings alongside CryptoPunk avatars alside Damien Hirst, extensive essays explaining the nitty-gritty world of NFTs—including Sol LeWitt’s influence on today’s artistic algorithms—as well as behind-the-scenes glimpses of the creative processes of pioneering artists from Beeple and Emily Xie to Snowfro and Refik Anadol.
Accompanying the 10 essays, On NFTs presents a co-curated survey of 101 key practices working in NFTs today. With each profile uniquely authored by handpicked experts, including curators, critics, artists, and AI, On NFTs embraces diverse and global voices to navigate this borderless movement. Perfect for both natives and newcomers, On NFTs features an extensive glossary of key terms, and a comprehensive exhibition history and timeline of the digital art canon.
The Hard Code Edition is elegantly housed in a handcrafted, sculptural stainless steel case designed by Zak Group in London. The Hard Code Edition (No. 1–600), each copy numbered and housed in a stainless steel slipcase.
Also available in a Collector’s Edition and in four limited Art Editions, 100 of each, from artists Refik Anadol, Dmitri Cherniak, Sofia Crespo, and Osinachi: each with an NFT and an accompanying print of the NFT, signed by the artist, and the book On NFTs in a stainless steel slipcase.
The editor
Robert Alice makes art, exhibitions, and books that explore blockchains and their histories. The first artist to auction an NFT at a major auction house, their work Portraits of a Mind (2019–) was pivotal to the NFT space’s growth. In 2023, the Monnaie de Paris held one of the first European museum solo NFT shows on their work. In 2022, Alice, who lectures globally, co-produced the first academic conference on NFTs at the University of Oxford. Alice’s work is part of the permanent collections of several institutions, including the Centre Pompidou, Paris.
On NFTs. The Hard Code Edition
Hardcover volume in stainless steel slipcase, 36 x 50 cm, 14.6 kg, 604 pages, with a booklet, 21 x 29.7 cm, 24 pages ISBN 978-3-8365-9970-2Edition: English
On NFTs. The Hard Code Edition £1,500 PRE-ORDER HERE
Edition: English Availability: March 29th, 2024