Ukraine’s Andrey Sheptytsky Museum released an NFT-Collection

The collection contains drawings by leading Italian artists of the 17th-19th centuries, such as Rembrandt van Rijn and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, who share the same digital space with famous Ukrainian artists of the 20th century (Oleksandr Archipenko, Olena Kulchitskaya, Nikifor Drovnyak, Leopold Levitsky). The collection also includes several Ukrainian folk engravings in the technique of woodblock printing of the 18th-20th centuries.

The project was completed in seven months. Blockchain NEAR Protocol was selected for implementation. Proceeds from the sale of NFT-works will be used to improve the museum’s protection system, to digitize other works, to support the functioning of NML, as well as to rebuild Ukrainian museums that suffered from full-scale Russian military aggression. 

One of the most expensive works is a 1636 sketch by Rembrandt that is worth 5,928 NEAR or $18,555.

The presentation of the collection took place on October 29 in the main hall of the National Museum in digital format. Guests were invited to walk through the virtual space of the gallery with VR-glasses. 

The NFT collection “Alternative Dimensions” presented in the V-Art marketplace includes masterpieces of the 17th-20th centuries. However, the exhibition, which is available online on the V-Art NFT platform, contains works of modern artists that can be purchased on third-party platforms.

NFT-collection “Alternative Dimensions” in the V-art marketplace

Virtual V-art gallery with works from the NFT collection of NML

Previously,  works from the collection have never been included in the permanent exhibition due to their physical properties, which require special storage conditions. The masterpieces are very sensitive to moisture and light. Concerns regarding the conservation of these works have increased even more since the start of russia’s full-scale war and terrorism against Ukraine. The cultural heritage of the country is under threat, therefore, at this time, digitalization is more urgent than ever to protect art at least in this way. One of the first on this path were the masterpieces of the National Museum in Lviv, which were collected throughout its existence.

“The virtual dimension also brought the viewer closer to the masterpieces that are sensitive to external factors. The works of artists of different eras, genres and technologies will now appear together for the first time in a common digital gallery space completely free of charge for everyone.The value of such a collection lies not only in its accessibility and digitality, but also in each of the individual items presented. The carefully chosen location of works from the NFT collection “Alternative Dimensions” provides the experience of interacting not only with each other, but with the audience and contemporary artists” — commented Olexii Havryliuk, co-curator of the project.

We will remind that V-Art is one of the leading NFT platforms created for the digitalization of artworks. The platform is a comprehensive ecosystem for artists, museums, galleries, art dealers, curators, art lovers and the crypto community.