Music NFTs: blockchain for artistic research

For the art world, 2021 was the year of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). Leading museums, top art galleries, and a growing number of visual artists and musicians fully embraced NFTs as a new digital mode of exposing, producing, and distributing art. NFTs are embedded in blockchains, decentralised networks of information exchange, on which different kinds of data can be stored without a centralised controlling entity. Although commonly associated with cryptocurrencies and financial ledgers of transactions, blockchain technology also supports other types of data, such as image, audio and video files, whereas its unprecedented decentralisation provides a better protection of information and value in times of post-truth, fake news, and information bubbles. For the arts, blockchain technology may bring radical changes not only to the way in which artworks are produced, communicated, disseminated, and transacted, but to the way in which artistic processes unfold and artworks are created.

Despite its vertiginous expansion, the blockchain revolution is still happening under the radar of many individuals and institutions. With this seminar, the Orpheus Institute’s research group MetamusicX wants to initiate research on NFTs in relation to musical practices and artistic research in music. The seminar aims at mapping the field, exploring the potential of blockchain for music creation, and launching the basis for a blockchain network at the service of artistic research.

The seminar will ask:

• Is art moving from museums and concert halls into the blockchain?
• What are the non-financial advantages of using blockchain in arts and research?
• How is blockchain a new mode of artistic inscription?
• What is the impact of NFT in the creative practice of artists and musicians?
• How can Artistic Research relate to blockchain and NFT?

Speakers

Adam Lukawski, Orpheus Institute, Ghent

Catherine Mulligan, ERA Chair (Professor) of Blockchain for Sustainability and Social Good / DCentral at University of Lisbon

Claudio J. Tessone, Chairman of the Blockchain Center, University of Zurich

Diane Drubay, TZ Connect and Tezos ecosystem, Berlin

Ine Vanoeveren, Royal Conservatory of Liège and Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp

Kosmas Giannoutakis, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York

Kristof Timmerman, Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp

Marcus O’Dair, Associate Dean of Knowledge Exchange (Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon College of Arts), University of the Arts London

Nicole d’Avis, Co-Creator at Seed Club

Oliver Jones, Palm NFT Studio, New York

Paolo Giudici, Orpheus Institute, Ghent

Paulo de Assis, Orpheus Institute, Ghent

Schedule (ONLINE)

!! ALL TIMES CET !!

DAY 1 (24 May 2022)

13:45 Introduction by Paulo de Assis (Orpheus Institute, Ghent)

14:00—14:30 Oliver Jones (Palm NFT Studio, New York)

14:30—15:00  Nicole d’Avis (Co-Creator at Seed Club)

15:00—15:30 Marcus O’Dair (Associate Dean of Knowledge Exchange at Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon College of Arts, University of the Arts London)

BREAK

16:00—16:30 Ine Vanoeveren (Royal Conservatory of Liège and Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp), and Kristof Timmerman (Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp)

16:30—17:00 Kosmas Giannoutakis (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York)

17:00—17:30 Paolo Giudici (Orpheus Institute, Ghent)

18:00—19:00 Workshop: Mint and auction your music NFTs [e-mail registration required, see below], Adam Lukawski (Orpheus Institute, Ghent)

DAY 2 (25 May 2022)

14:00—14:30 Claudio J. Tessone (Chairman of the Blockchain Center, University of Zurich)

14:30—15:00 Diane Drubay (TZ Connect and Tezos ecosystem, Berlin)

15:00—15:30 Catherine Mulligan (ERA Chair (Professor) of Blockchain for Sustainability and Social Good / DCentral at University of Lisbon)

15:30—16:00 Round Table with the Speakers

Registration

The seminar will be open and free for presenters and listeners, but registration is mandatory. Please register here: https://airtable.com/shrbisziyRbVpy9Ae 

Workshop - Mint and auction your music NFTs 

The seminar will include a practical workshop led by Adam Lukawski explaining how to mint and auction musical NFTs. If you are interested in joining this workshop, please e-mail Adam directly at adam.lukawski@orpheusinstituut.be. 

Deadline for registration for the workshop: 11 May 2022.

Convenors

Paulo de Assis (Orpheus Institute), Paolo Giudici (Orpheus Institute), Adam Lukawski (Orpheus Institute and Leiden University)

Information

For all further information, please email: musicnfts@orpheusinstituut.be