In a groundbreaking move, Spain’s Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum has partnered with the metaverse platform, Olyverse, to bring the masterpieces of Vincent Van Gogh to the digital world. This collaboration marks the first time a national museum in Spain has minted its own NFTs, with an exclusive collection featuring Van Gogh’s masterpieces. These artworks have been transformed into high-definition NFTs using blockchain technology and certified by the museum itself. The Olyverse platform, described as a decentralized stars club, aims to bridge the gap between fans and celebrities through NFTs, offering unique experiences in the metaverse. This initiative not only democratizes access to art but also provides an immersive and enriching experience that goes beyond traditional museum boundaries.
According to Carlos Grenoir, the CEO of metaverse platform Olyverse, “These artworks were converted into high-definition NFTs using blockchain technology and certified by the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, a national museum”.
Each NFT, representing an original piece, is part of a limited series, with only 100 available for purchase in collaboration with Telefónica and its NFT marketplace.
“By democratizing access to art through NFTs, we hope to enable individuals to experience Van Gogh’s works in a new way,” said Grenoir. “Our metaverse serves as a platform to exhibit and explore these digital masterpieces, offering an immersive and enriching experience that transcends traditional museum boundaries.”
Additionally, a collaboration with the tech giant LG, Van Gogh’s NFT owners will be able to showcase their digital artworks using blockchain-powered displays.
The choice of Van Gogh as the first historical artist to be included in the Olyverse was obvious. “Besides the fact that I love Van Gogh, we wanted an artist who is universally recognized, who incarnates the same philosophy as ours, and who created something new and disruptive,” he told Decrypt.
Bridging the gap between fans and celebrities
The first chapter of Olyverse’s origin story begins with an encounter.
After graduating as an engineer specializing in cybersecurity and neuroscience, Grenoir was working in the cybersecurity field when he met Kevin Mitnick, a renowned hacker and security expert. This encounter led to the building of a platform aiming to leverage blockchain technology and VR to offer a new type of interaction between stars and fans.
For now, the platform offers experiences with Alvaro Morte, the Spanish Actor playing in Netflix’s Money Heist. Ex-footballer Carles Puyol, actress Elsa Pataki, and actor Kerem Bürsin will also join soon, along with a digitized version of Vincent Van Gogh, who is also presented as a member of this star club.
To onboard more users, Olyverse’s team worked to make the metaverse accessible to people who don’t know how to use a wallet.
“Olyverse prioritized user experience and ensured that accessing the metaverse did not require VR glasses or knowledge of cryptocurrency. Everything happens behind the scenes, to allow an easy mainstream adoption to our utility OLY and the entire ecosystem,” Grenoir said.
Although users can connect via MetaMask or other digital wallets, they also have the option to use credit cards.
With its metaverse, Olyverse aims to merge entertainment and education, while leveraging blockchain technology along the way.
“We want to create the number one Metaverse in the world by offering all those activities, with free courses every day in different fields like painting, music, cinema, fitness, and cooking, for example,” he said. “We will also keep developing the interactions between stars and users, having our token in the middle.”
Olyverse also introduced the concept of Non-Fungible Stories (NFS), a series that puts the audience in the director’s chair, allowing them to control the story and shape the future of the show. They are also granted additional benefits like participating in auditions with the stars, enrolling in acting courses, and attending exclusive events.
“Metaverse is something that has come to stay and we will see a lot of developments,” he said. “Now we see Apple exploring Metaverse. Meta is competing with Quest Pro, as social networks will evolve into that 3D environment. There is a very bright future for this, the competition has started and we will be there.”
