David Bowie once opened BowieArt in a digital space, prior to the metaverse being born. The late iconic singer showcased artwork of unknown, yet promising artists on his web space and even launched ‘Bowie Bonds,’ which were backed by ownership of his albums.
Now, the forward-looking philosophy can be seen in the latest project by the David Bowie Estate, as they announced a partnership with We Love Arts and OpenSea to drop the “Bowie On The Blockchain” NFT collection.
The “Bowie On The Blockchain” NFT collection will feature the unique works of nine digital artists, who all have been touched by the singer’s music and work off the stage. Furthermore, the proceeds from the public sale on OpenSea is bound to be donated to CARE, the humanitarian organization fighting poverty and famine.
Artists unite to pay tribute to Bowie in NFT sale to benefit humanitarian organisation @CARE, for which @The_Real_IMAN serves as Global Advocate. @opensea launches #BowieOnTheBlockchain next week and has 100% of Bowie Estate proceeds going to @CARE - https://t.co/DZBEhumOKj pic.twitter.com/4mvMSbYzKNDavid Bowie NFT Collection Under Pressure by Fans— David Bowie Official (@DavidBowieReal) September 6, 2022
Even though the initial launch date on OpenSea was set to September 13th, 2022, NFT enthusiasts will have to wait a bit longer. According to the recent tweet by the David Bowie Estate, the “Bowie On The Blockchain” NFT sale is officially postponed until further notice in response to Queen Elizabeth II’s death. Giving the nation time to mourn the queen seems like a logical move, but many fans of the iconic British singer don’t think an NFT collection is needed at all.
Ironically, some fans think David Bowie would have been “super-anti” the NFT collection idea, despite the fact that Mr. Bowie could easily be considered an NFT pioneer with the “Bowie Bonds” and believed in a strong online community before it was popular.
TIL there was a Bowie on the blockchain projectI feel like someone took a dump on my lap. https://t.co/HYl6qUgWdHBowie’s Unparalleled Thinking – A Perfect Fit for Web3?— Δ Ξ L T Λ (@DeltaVaran) September 10, 2022
Besides releasing 26 studio albums full of hits, David Bowie was known for unorthodox thinking. He willingly destroyed gender stereotypes in a Pop-culture infused society, in an attempt to show people that being yourself is more important than fulfilling expectations. Moreover, Bowie was among the first artists to build an online community and defy the way live performances are done. Hints at the metaverse are evident throughout Bowie’s career, especially with his Ziggy Stardust alter ego.
In conclusion, Ryan Foutty, the business development VP at OpenSea, believes that the metaverse is a perfect home for Bowie’s groundbreaking ideas: “David Bowie is an icon and a trailblazer in every way, and we’re honored to partner with his team to bring his legacy into web3.”
"Anyone who knew him knows he would have been one of the first adopters of Web 3.0." Read more about the 'Bowie on the Blockchain' NFT sale: https://t.co/xbfwwM4Zob pic.twitter.com/LUQCFKjIVCOn the Flipside— billboard pro (@billboardpro) September 6, 2022
- David Bowie’s fanbase is divided into two camps. Some fans argue that Bowie would have “hated” the project, while others can’t wait for this to happen, as per Bowie’s futuristic vision. Be that as it may, actor Bill Murray recently released a similar charity-based NFT project, and the funds raised were hacked in a split second, only to be reimbursed later by white hat NFT enthusiasts.
Why You Should Care
Ultimately, the “Bowie On The Blockchain” NFT collection will most likely be delayed a week or two. The not-so-tech-savvy part of Ziggy Stardust’s fandom are calling the project a “Pyramid scheme,” despite the fact it’s confirmed by Iman, the famed supermodel and the Global Advocate for the NFT project, that 100% of revenue goes to the CARE foundation.
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