Bernard Venet explores generative art in Sotheby’s Metaverse debut

French artist Bernar Venet, known for integrating the opportunities of mathematics, geometry, and art, has revealed his latest venture into the realm of digital creativity with “EVENT,” the first piece of generative art hosted on the Ethereum blockchain via Sotheby’s Metaverse. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in Venet’s illustrious career of challenging and redefining artistic boundaries for over 50 years. “EVENT” marks the second release in Sotheby’s Gen Art program and showcases Venet’s pioneering approach to generative digital art.

Venet’s artistic journey began in 1963 with “Tas de charbon” (Coal Heaps), signifying his early engagement with the material and the role of chance in its composition. His subsequent work, in the “Accident” series beginning in 1996, has continued to blur the lines between order and chaos, using mathematical equations, geometric shapes, and the unpredictable consequences of physical behavior such as the fortuitous arrangement of steel bars. It is the foundation for Venet’s adventures in digital art, where algorithms serve as a new medium for creativity.

“EVENT,” a whimsical spelling of Venet’s name, is inspired by the playful linguistics of Marcel Duchamp and reflects Venet’s ambition to “dematerialize” art. The series represents a fusion of Venet’s sculptural language and digital technology, creating spaces where gravity, light, shadow and materiality are reconfigured through the lens of generative algorithms. In collaboration with curator Viola Lukács, Venet aims to produce 500 unique digital works of art. Each of these works of art embodies the essence of his physical sculptures, yet is rich with digital possibilities, including colors that deviate from his traditional palette.

Venet’s embrace of generative art is not simply an extension of existing work, but an expression of his belief in constant innovation and rejection of stylistic repetition. He sees digital technology as a tool for revealing new forms of expression and exploring uncharted territories of artistic creation beyond the limits of traditional media.

“EVENT” is not a digital counterpart to Venet’s physical work. It explores the potential of the digital environment to create works of art that explore new aesthetic dimensions while harmonizing with the tactile and visual qualities of his sculptures. This initiative by Venet and Sotheby’s Metaverse not only enriches the digital art landscape, but also reaffirms the continued relevance and adaptability of established artists in the digital age.

As Venet continues to challenge the boundaries between different forms of artistic expression, his generative art work bridges the gap between the physical and digital worlds as a testament to the evolving nature of creativity. With “EVENT,” Venet invites viewers to witness the fusion of past and future, order and chaos in the digital realm that expands the possibilities of art.

French artist Bernar Venet collaborates with Sotheby’s Metaverse on “EVENT,” the first created artwork on the Ethereum blockchain. The project reflects Venet’s long-standing interest in the interplay of mathematics, geometry, and randomness, now explored through digital algorithms. “EVENT” represents a bold step into digital art and aims to combine Venet’s sculptural concept with digital aesthetics to produce 500 unique works that challenge traditional notions of artistic creation.

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