Philip Colbert launches his new NFT Series at Bonhams
This week saw British contemporary artist Philip Colbert celebrate the launch of âThe Lobstars (Genesis)â at Bonhamâs After Hours, with a panel talk featuring Colbert in conversation with chart-topping musician and NFT collector Tinie Tempah, editor and author Dylan Jones, and Bonhams Head of Digital Art, Nima Sagharchi. The panel discussed the innovative potential of NFTs, with Tinie Tempah praising the way the medium encourages âthis new revolutionary, dynamic, disruptive way of being able to put your work out as an artist and be remunerated for it in in the right way and in a fair wayâ. Colbert, creator of âThe Lobstarsâ, spoke of the potential of NFTs to democratise the art world: âIt's a whole new book, I guess. There's a whole new power structure behind it, a whole new approach to livingâ.
âThe Lobstars (Genesis)â is a unique work by Philip Colbert comprising both a physical painting and a one-off accompanying NFT to mark the launch of âThe Lobstarsâ, a new collection of 7777 lobster portrait NFTs launching on www.thelobstars.com in tandem with the special single-lot auction running from 18-24 March on bonhams.com. Each unique âLobstarâ is a chance to become one of the 7777 Lobstar Citizens of his surreal metaverse: âLobsteropolis Cityâ, the largest art world on Decentraland, covering 57 parcels.
Colbert intends to donate 100% of the sale profits from the auction of âThe Lobstars (Genesis)â at Bonhams towards the âLobstarsâ communityâs ground-breaking research at St Abbs Marine station, developing a defining dictionary resource of lobster language. The funds will support the worldâs first scientifically monitored interspecies dialogue between humans and lobsters, with Colbert set to be submerged in an underwater tank conducting monitored dialogue with a lobster.
Nima Sagharchi, Bonhams Head of Digital Art, commented: âWe are delighted to be partnering with Philip Colbert for this exclusive auction and to be offering our first combined sale of an NFT and physical artwork. Colbertâs merging of the real world and the metaverse demonstrates the exciting opportunities on offer at the intersect between the physical and the digital, and weâre pleased to be bringing his playful creations to the surface at Bonhams.â
Lobstars is Colbertâs most advanced interactive project to date, merging real-world outcomes with online community. Colbert Studio has partnered Lobstars with The National Lobster Hatchery in Cornwall and the Whitby Lobster Hatchery in Whitby. For every âLobstarâ holder, research will be funded, and for each NFT from the project sold hatcheries will be sponsored to release a real lobster into the wild, ensuring real time sustainable outputs with every digital interaction.