Traditional art institutions should embrace Web3: Here’s why

Savannah Peykani
Social Content Specialist, Blokhaus.io

One of the buzziest of buzzwords in art, entertainment, and tech last year was “NFT”. To some, this meant Twitter profile pictures, for others it meant ‘scam’, and, specifically in the fine art world – where I come from – we weren’t really sure what it meant. Or rather, what it could mean.

By early 2021, art institutions throughout the western world were in the throes of a great reckoning. Patrons had valid criticisms of their favorite galleries and museums, following pandemic-related closures, mass layoffs, and union-organizing efforts which resulted in an interrogation of the art world’s ability to evolve.

This year, the art world needs to look ahead. If these institutions want to show progress, they must turn to blockchain and Web3

Perhaps incorporating an NFT activation into their shows or working with a young digital artist would show patrons that museums could ‘get with the times.’ But, now that the initial NFT hype has quieted down (I’d argue for the better), where does that leave museums, galleries, international fairs, and even artists? How much time and effort should they invest in incorporating Web3 into their offerings and infrastructure moving forward?

I propose that this year, the art world needs to look ahead. If these institutions, long-accused of being archaic and immovable, want to show progress, they must turn to blockchain and Web3. Here are four ways blockchain technology can help arts institutions move towards the future, improving their in-gallery experiences, engaging audiences in new ways, streamlining collection practices, and building a diverse, global artist community.

Digital doesn’t have to mean virtual: focus on the in-gallery experience

First things first: exhibiting blockchain art (aka NFTs) in your gallery. MoMA is one of the more notable institutions to do this, with its recent Refik Anadol installation: Unsupervised. Exhibited in the museum lobby, this work is free to view and includes an NFT element, where visitors can collect a piece of the longform, generative artwork themselves. Imagine your institution has followed suit, and invested a not insignificant amount of money and labor to create and install a digital art experience – that’s only part of the investment. In the words of one visitor to MoMA, “It says I need an app? Nevermind.” Museums need to understand that this is a completely new experience for their patrons. Visitors are expecting a mostly passive, isolating, and above all familiar experience: they read wall text, they take pictures of the pieces that inspire them, and maybe they take a tour or ask a gallery attendant a question. But they do not expect to have to scan a QR code, download an app, create a crypto wallet, and collect a piece of the artwork they just saw. (On a related note, Blokhaus created a product that eliminates the whole “download an app” part.) This is where visitor services and marketing have to factor in.

Inviting your audiences in, and making them a part of both the art creation and collection experience will be vital over the next decade

In order to make these new in-person experiences successful, institutions must consider the visitor, and guide them through this new world. You need a dedicated staff member or members walking patrons through the process. Effective signage to navigate visitors to the app, with language explaining what an NFT is, and why this installation even exists. A social media campaign where people can share their artwork and celebrate the fact that they are now art collectors. I know this goes against the ethos of most art institutions, but inviting your audiences in and making them a part of both the art creation and collection experience will be vital over the next decade, as younger generations with shorter and shorter attention spans and more and more opportunities to socialize online, step into your spaces for the first time.

The art comes first

So we’ve reviewed the community and audience value of blockchain art (and what kind of line items need to be added to make these exhibitions a success), now let’s get into the tech. My advice on the tech is simple: don’t focus on it too much. Artists and collectors care about the output and the experience; which specific blockchain or cryptocurrency it is connected to shouldn’t matter. If your institution is new to Web3, it’s worth doing some research on what the major chains have to offer, but the chain itself shouldn’t be the centerpiece of your exhibition. You should focus on what you know best: art. If the art is good, and the artist has something to say in line with your institution’s mission, that’s all that matters. Especially in a post Ethereum ‘Merge’ world, where transaction fees are acceptably low (albeit still variable, depending on network activity), and energy-efficiency is a given, museums and galleries can let the art shine. The technology is mainly a tool for minting, archiving, and securing provenance.

Any artwork minted on a blockchain has a fixed, automatically-created and cast-iron provenance

Speaking of the backend – one powerful aspect of public blockchains that I believe has the potential to transform how museums collect is the fact that blockchain is, in simplest terms, a secure, immutable, transparent record of transactions. This might not sound exciting, but it is. It means that any artwork minted on a blockchain has a fixed, automatically-created and cast-iron provenance. Collectors can see exactly when the work was created, how much it cost, and who had owned it previously. Let’s take this a step further: your registration departments could use a blockchain to store and archive all records connected to the physical objects in your collection. That means a clear, open-access way to organize infinite object documents, with installation information, curator justifications, materials lists, etc. And we can avoid snafus like this.

Web3 values are community values, and the community is growing

Web3 has unlocked a global community of artists, and created a way for them to make a living selling art, no matter what degree they have, what language they speak, or which country they reside in. The western art world is intentionally gatekept, but in order for institutions to survive, they must be more inclusive. The public, and the trustees, are demanding it. And it has to be consistent. The brave, exciting new world of blockchain art has the power to change culture, especially for art institutions. It’s not enough to curate one show, platform one blockchain artist and say ‘job done.’ The talent and creativity to be found in Web3 is worth learning from, respecting, and platforming year after year. In doing so, art institutions can curate progressive, unique exhibitions that engage patrons in brand new ways and introduce them to cultures, stories, and techniques they might otherwise never see. And isn’t that what art is all about in the first place?

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Blokhaus is a marketing and communications agency with a focus on Web3 and emerging tech. Since we were founded in 2021, Blokhaus has supported numerous high-profile projects and activations around the globe, working in partnership with some of the biggest brands in the world. To learn more about our work, check out our Case Studies. To get in touch, visit our Contact Us page.