Damien Hirst - The Currency

The Currency, the first NFT series by Damien Hirst, will be launched by HENI on 14 July 2021 at 3pm BST on www.heni.com. You can learn more about The Currency and discuss it on our Discord: / discord
The Currency is a collection of 10,000 NFTs which correspond to 10,000 unique physical artworks by Damien Hirst, with the NFTs containing high resolution images of the front and back of each of the 10,000 artworks. The physical works, which are stored in a secure vault in the UK, are now brought to life through their launch on Palm, a new environmentally friendly NFT ecosystem connected to Ethereum. Palm is 99% more energy efficient than Ethereum or Bitcoin.
The physical artworks were created by hand in 2016 using enamel paint on handmade paper. Each artwork is numbered, titled, stamped, and signed by the artist on the back. Additional authenticity features on the artwork paper include a watermark, a microdot and a hologram containing a portrait of the artist. On each artwork, no colour is repeated twice. The colour of some spots on a particular artwork may appear to be similar, but they will actually be different shades. The titles are generated from machine learning being applied to some of the artist's favourite song lyrics.
The application period starts on 14 July 2021 at 3pm BST and lasts for one week. Successful applicants will be notified in the week after the application period closes. Each NFT is $2,000 and payment can be made using credit or debit cards as well as the following cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), USD Coin (USDC) and Dai (DAI).
The NFTs will be distributed from July 29 2021. Nobody will receive a physical artwork at the outset. Two months after the NFTs are allocated, collectors will be presented with a choice: to keep the NFT or exchange it for the physical artwork. They will have one year, until 3pm BST on 27 July 2022 to decide to keep either the digital NFT or the physical artwork. If they have not exchanged their NFT in that period, the physical artwork will be destroyed. Similarly, if they have exchanged it in that period, the NFT will be destroyed. There will be an exhibition of the 'burned' artworks (i.e. those relating to NFTs that have not been redeemed) before they are ultimately destroyed.
When Damien Hirst heard about NFTs three years ago, he decided to bridge the gap between the physical art world and the world of NFTs. Damien Hirst views The Currency as not just constituting individual works of art on paper and as NFTs but also the whole project as a work of art in which people participate by buying, holding and selling the artworks. The Currency challenges the concept of value through money and art. An experiment in belief, every participant is confronted with their perception of value, and how it influences their decision. The Currency tests the boundaries of the digital and physical world and our role in both. Ultimately, the collector decides how to use their art/currency. The limited time of the exchange period ensures that even doing nothing is doing something.
Learn more on heni.com

[@over1498]

"I've never understood money" -white guy, set for life, worth a few hundred million.

[@scapingby]

what does his colour have to do with it?

[@over1498]

@@scapingby to bait insecure white guys into making that comment word for word every time

[@scapingby]

@@over1498 i'm Indian

[@over1498]

@@scapingby sure you are bud. if you say so in KZbin comments it's indisputable, good luck with that

[@scapingby]

@@over1498 I'm honestly Indian i'm just curious why you dislike white men. I'm here to learn.

[@art_means_artificial]

hirst is the best marketing warrior ever!

[@happynewyear6240]

Interesting, its like his works are solely created to be sold

[@aahnafahmed52]

Someone please explain this to me. Im not trying to be ignorant but how does this makes sense

[@rich2583]

Art people are stupid

[@Partoftheratpack]

It doesn’t. It’s shite

[@danielgothits]

love this, just bought one and expect secondary market to be insane

[@cryptolunatic8672]

How much was minting ? if you dont mind me asking

[@mhohner4826]

I imagine 12.50 per sq foot

[@walther9161]

Hmmm colored dots on a white background… my five year old did the same thing this summer in arts and crafts… I guess we need to sell her paintings too? This is way over the top folks.

[@visigoth3696]

That’s not the point

[@MelmothForever]

Lucky you! You raised a little Damien Hirst, and the world doesn't know... Well, go ahead and make sure she gets the fame and wealth she deserves! Get her represented by a art gallery, and here come the millions!

[@jeremychenault5260]

But your not Damien hirst so theres that marketing scheme

[@BrklynBread]

"When I let go, it comes to life"

[@paulkirby4266]

The kings clothes more like !!!

[@kennylindahl2885]

The most interesting art is not about what it looks like but what the ideas behind it is. If you study art and art history then you can begin to understand this perspective. But with that being said, you don't have to understand. You can think he is a con artist (scammer) if you want, that's fine with me. He can be both an artist and a con artist, depending on you perspective. If you can't appreciate the art then you are likely to take the "he is a scammer" perspective. The point is that there are multiple perspectives and they are all true, but it does not mean that he is not really an artist generally speaking.

[@Vernon_B]

Was able to grab one, thanks Damien!

[@babaoriley04]

“I never really understood money”…No shit.

[@MichaelFlynn0]

he was lying - everything he does is based on return - either financial or to cement his brand.

[@davidsaluk9726]

Let’s do some dots.

[@AndrewJosephActor]

Did a machine or team of people place all the dots on all of those pieces? Surely Damien didn’t do the whole 10,000? Does anybody know

[@reuben8912]

It would have been his assistants and then he manually signs them all. That’s how he usually does it

[@trashed8889]

@@reuben8912 how pointless artist that dont even do their own art , guess we are paying for the autograph

[@darenreynolds8824]

Is this a spoof ? Im waiting for noel fielding to appear .

[@adam4709]

I got one thank u Damien this is a piece of art history

[@denb6060]

what is the title of yours ?

[@andrikpozos6194]

Lmao he didnt even make it himself just a money scheme he litterly said its an experiment in belief lol he loves robbing people for momey

[@lawrencefrost9063]

It's a joke, the jokes on you. You got fooled to pay for absolutely nothing.

[@tris0913]

no. its not

[@redmaskart2023]

NFT - eine riesige Chance für Künstler, auch ohne Zerstörung.

[@duudleDreamz]

Dots on a white piece of paper?? Sure that would give me deep vivid feelings of .... being ripped off. Yet more BS from an artist that make "Wolf of Wall St" types look like angels.

[@art_means_artificial]

hirst is the best marketing warrior ever!

[@MichaelFlynn0]

im with you - hirst is a marketing genius and a lousy artist.

[@romanowskiart]

I’m sorry , art insanity.

[@LaTigerGenesis]

great first three videos, y'all!

[@457vinylclub4]

crazy interesting project

[@ADONISindeed]

This is exceptional. In concept all the way through to the dissemination of the pieces. This is a masterful artistic presentation. Bravo, and congratulations to the winners.

[@alternativevoice2541]

I think I know about Art and I get the idea behind this but why dots? It's a social experiment but the painterly element is (to me) weak. I look at the work of someone like Stephen Willats for example which deals with social structures more convincingly.

[@baconegggandcheese]

These should be 100 ETH at least. This man pushed art to newer heights throughout his career

[@lawrencefrost9063]

I hope this is a joke. What the fuck is wrong with the human race.

[@montanaheaventush]

wished id seen this when it hit youtube.. too late now. Bum

[@michaelhayward8914]

Awesome idea

[@markhooper4532]

Winnie Wallace.. He sure is a bit of a doodler.

[@PassportGods]

Creative.

[@jacquesolivierholzer]

applied for two, and if I get them, I'll choose the pysical option, just like my other Hirst print and pieces.

[@cvekris8177]

Brilliant accountant.

[@masterdonada]

hand made but just not his hands

[@graemejones2061]

NFT, Not Fu>king There ..Keep the Paper

[@rikeshpatel1237]

the NFT will forever exist on the blockchain. One minted, it cannot be destroyed. the paper can be lost, stolen, or destroyed. that being said I'm taking the paper.

[@graemejones2061]

@@rikeshpatel1237 the paper can be insured as well, happy days

[@tris0913]

@@rikeshpatel1237 the nft is a jpg image u will never be able to touch

[@33akachi10]

Interesting idea. I wish NFT's were not so taxing on the environment. Esp since he made 10k of them. sigh... I just wish it looked cooler. Why can't "contemporary art" look cool? Why must the image be mundane dots on a piece of paper. Of all the things to do, sporadic dots on paper.

[@user-qu7ud9qq5y]

this was made on a sidechain that is specifically not taxing on the environment

[@hyun-woopark3790]

This is a very interesting comment. "sigh... I just wish it looked cooler. Why can't "contemporary art" look cool?" I want to frame it as an artwork.

[@UserHuge]

because it's proof of craft, not of invention.')

[@33akachi10]

​@@UserHuge it still needs to look cool. If you want to be an academic become a professor instead. Even as a concept, it still poses the question of "have's vs. have nots." 1. Access. To participate in this little experiment one needs to have money to spend/invest 2. Information. Many people are still confused or don't really understand NFT's or anything dealing with the blockchain 3. Secondary market. Honestly I see many people using this as an opportunity to just make more money. People will sell it immediately to make a profit. 4. Greed. At some point people/institutions will find a way to buy a lot of these. There is no way around it. Eventually many of them will end up in the hands of only a few people. 5. "The Hustle." So what's stopping someone from getting the original, waiting for the NFT to be destroyed and then making their own NFT out of it? hmm...

[@33akachi10]

It's still pretty bad lol. Sidechain, Blockchain, the way nft's and digital currency works is really bad for the environment. There may be "better" ones, but it's still a lot.

[@adolphbastendorff6212]

Let art happen 👁️‍🗨️👁️‍🗨️

[@pundrick]

Love the concept 😍 physical all the way for me

[@dinocool6392]

😎

[@-PrepicsLife-]

Bruh this thing is my irl name heni

[@SaSa-fs8sb]

Buy physical gold and silver

[@MikeDamazo]

Is there a WIP video to show he actually did all 10k or will we only get the b-roll?

[@reuben8912]

It would have been his assistants and then he manually signs them all. That’s how he usually does it

[@user-mz3ni8yu4v]

CLB

[@DouwedeJong]

So Damien. Are you ready to destroy the art work? Can I come and watch?

[@sarahbell-yl5ym]

C=

[@HolographicSweater]

very funny, i get it

[@boshtrew8469]

90-95% will opt for the physical item and burn the NFT.

[@tyrem]

Well... I am going for the NFT for that reason!

[@chachachazki]

It's actually such a poignant social experiment in speculation

[@TheMrMaxm]

If it was known that 90-95% would burn the NFT and do physical copies, the NFT would be more desirable because there would be less digital copies making them more rare. That’s the whole experiment. Whether you believe in one or the other and if you believe in one enough to burn the other.

[@MichaelFlynn0]

@@TheMrMaxm no - it means that everyone realizes the NFT has no value regardless of scarcity. The value is in the actual work of art ... that you can hold in your hand.

[@TheMrMaxm]

@@MichaelFlynn0 ok boomer

[@dillydally7327]

This guy is the worlds greatest con artist, his work is awful. I did this kind of art in primary school.

[@j.p.9295]

This guy can only paint dots and call himself an artist. CON ARTIST more likely .

[@UserHuge]

you think the hand-made paper was made by one else??

[@torvaldalexander4906]

Copied it, stole it anyway

[@paulbennett1097]

Nice to hear he's burning his art, best thing to do with a pile of shite😂😂😂

[@massimilianoazzara9257]

Scammer

[@tris0913]

wtf. nfts really are a joke