Final price: $1.2m USD
Although it looks like HΞXHIBIT III could be heading for space in the future, its first stop is Museum Square in Amsterdam for a free, public installation this Thursday and Friday, 9th – 10th of December, before beginning an international museum tour starting in Amsterdam at the Moco Museum and then to Barcelona, London, and Dubai, broadening the exposure of NFT/physical art.
“It’s not only one of the biggest physical pieces attached to a token in the history of NFTs, it’s also a way to physically feel, hear and experience the power of digital art once the doors close behind you.”
– DON DIABLO
Don Diablo was kind enough to answer some questions so that we can all learn more about this intriguing and breathtaking piece of art:
What is your story as an artist?
In 1990 at age ten Don got diagnosed with severe heart and lung failures, suddenly he was expected to never make it past his teens. From that moment onwards he decided to create his own future. At age eleven he started making short films in his bedroom stacked with VCR’s, video mixers and a chroma key set up. Shortly after that twelve year old Don discovered you were now also able to make music with a computer. One year later he released his first record which marked the beginning of a whole new journey filled with lots of ups and downs. Mixing visuals, art, tech, fashion, music and storytelling has been the main thread throughout his life since then. The one thing that became clear to him from the start was the fact that this industry is designed to exploit artists as much as possible. When his dad passed away eight years ago Don went through a paradigm shift and decided to create his own platform: Hexagon. His vision became clear: showing the world what the future looks, feels and sounds like while helping as many other artists along the way. Seven years later he had independently amassed millions of fans, streams, views, plays, impressions and airmiles. But after finally finding global success he still didn’t feel complete. When the Pandemic hit his brain started working at full capacity again after years of sleep deprivation. The global lockdown forced him to stay inside his house, which indirectly marked the beginning of his official entrance into the NFT space. Don had been following everything web3 related for the past couple of years but when the combination of sharing art on the blockchain became more acceptable his brain started going into overload. He started working on several open format art pieces early last year, not limiting himself to any size, shape or form as long as they were ambitious, disruptive and most of all based on his vision of the future. After spending countless hours connecting and conversing with other pioneers in the NFT community he decided it was time to unveil his first piece. His GENESIS piece sold for a record breaking debut entrance of 110 ether on fine art auction site SuperRare. Shortly followed by another record breaking sale: Destination Hexagonia became the biggest primary sale on SuperRare (600 ether) instantly making him one of the highest averaging artists in the community. After that the Dutchman was a part of Sotheby’s Natively Digital NFT legacy auction and most recently announced his first work for PACE Gallery alongside DRIFT, which will make its first public appearance in Miami at this year’s Art Basel.
What is the description of the piece?
HΞXHIBIT III is a mixture between a digital art piece and a physical piece. The NFT itself showcases the concept of a mysterious object which looks like a combination between a spaceship and a portal. So why not create the ambitious physical piece in real life? Inside the piece you will get to see a sneak preview of my own personal Metaverse that I have been building these past eighteen months.
What is the vision behind this particular piece?
It’s now officially safe to say NFTs are here to stay. Digital art has been frowned upon for many years, but if there is one great thing this pandemic brought us it’s the birth of a digital (art) renaissance. Traditional collectors around the world are now starting to understand the value of this exciting new art form, which has a history of its own. This has now created a global wave of infinite possibilities and opportunities. At this point in time those who are joining the community are still seen as pioneers since the majority of the world is still struggling to understand what an NFT is. Why spend money on something that isn’t even tangible? The answer is simple: because it’s the future. HEXHIBIT III is here to make a statement. It’s not only one of the biggest physical pieces attached to a token in the history of NFTs, it’s also a way to physically feel, hear and experience the power of digital art once the doors close behind you. Similar to Don’s previous works, the digital content part of this piece will keep developing itself, forming a connection between creator and collector for the years to come. That’s the beauty of digital art right? Considering today’s possibilities, buying a piece should simply mark the beginning of an adventure.
Why are you exploring NFTs – what do you see as the value in this medium?
NFT’s provide the ultimate form of freedom for expression. There are no rules, there is plenty of room for innovation and most of all disruption. It’s a space where you can finally combine different disciplines into one piece. The crossover between art, music, visuals and tech all coming from one and the same artist is what I specialize in and this digital renaissance is what I have been preparing for most of my life. This period in time truly feels full circle. The FUTURE is NOW.
Courtesy: Sotheby’s
