Sotheby’s Natively Digital Sale

In June, Sotheby’s held its first-ever curated NFT auction, Natively Digital, marking a pivotal moment in the integration of digital art within the traditional art world. It’s no surprise that early forays from the art world came from the auction houses; however, museums like the Whitney and Buffalo AKG demonstrated interest in artistic interventions with blockchain technology years prior. This is thanks to the efforts of curators Christiane Paul and Tina Rivers Ryan, respectively. Perhaps a long-term disservice, the sale did muddle NFTs together as a “genre,” as co-curator and On NFTs author Robert Alice featured a diverse collection of 27 NFTs, including works from pioneering crypto artists and contemporary creators. The auction highlighted the historical breadth of digital ownership and scarcity, showcasing both historic NFTs and more contemporary digital art. Natively Digital solidified Sotheby’s role in this early NFT market and underscored the growing significance of blockchain-based art in the global art ecosystem. The sale was even flagged by artist Casey Reas as a critical moment. Despite these positives, leaning into the NFT aspect while being less sensitive to artistic practices and their potentially rich connective tissue remains a lost opportunity.