World renowned auction house Christie’s partnered with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and leading artists to raise funds that will be donated to MAPS to support the legalisation of potentially life-saving psychedelic therapies.
The NFT auction, which raised $1,569,960, represented the single-largest sale of art to benefit MAPS in its more than 30 year history of philanthropic art sales.
Artists including Beeple, David Choe and Alex Grey donated art inspired by personal experience and the potential of psychedelic healing.
Leading NFT artist, Beeple, the digital artist who shot to fame after his NFT ‘Everydays: The First 5000 Days’ sold for a massive $69.3m through Christie’s, sold for $252,000.
‘Psychedelic Healing‘ – an artistic interpretation of the MAPS logo by renowned artist Alex Grey to celebrate MAPS’ 35th anniversary in 2021 – was purchased by Ryan Zurrer and donated back to MAPS for additional fundraising.
Further artists that donated art to support MAPS included Sarah Meyohas, Refik Anadol, Mad Dog Jones, IX Shells and more.
MAPS’ founder and executive director, Rick Doblin, Ph.D., commented: “As a not-for-profit, we are always looking for innovative ways to fundraise, and working with this digital art community has truly been eye-opening.
“We are overwhelmed by the generosity and support from Ryan, Christie’s, and especially these incredible artists who put forth their art in support of our work in advancing psychedelic medicine. We have seen a significant overlap amongst people who have a passion for NFTs, blockchain, and psychedelics.
“All speak to the decentralised nature of experience, and we look forward to continuing to explore the intersection of both communities.”
Nicole Sales, Christie’s business director of digital art, commented: “On the heels of NFT.NYC, we were absolutely thrilled with the successful results of Cartography of the Mind: A Curated Sale to Benefit MAPS.
“Throughout the week, the physical exhibition at Christie’s new gallery on 6th Avenue drew impressive crowds of enthusiastic visitors. With competitive bidding, the sale realized over $1.5 million.
“It was 100 per cent sold, and 130 per cent sold hammer over low estimate. This is a true testament to the continued strength and vibrancy of the digital art market.”
Select pieces from the auction will be exhibited at Psychedelic Science 2023, marking the first time digital art will be exhibited in the extensive Psychedelic Science galleries and exhibits.
The auction was held in collaboration with Ryan Zurrer, founder of Dialectic – a Swiss capital enterprise for the deployment of financial capital into alternative assets – and Vine Ventures, which invests in the emerging psychedelics sector.
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