NEW YORK, NY.- Christie’s announced a collaboration with Lady PheOnix—one of the most respected voices in the new media landscape today—to present an expertly curated sale of both legacy and newly created artwork as unique NFTs. The online auction, PROOF OF SOVEREIGNTY, not only brings together more than 20 new media artists utilizing blockchain technology, but also employs metadata, storage and legal standards that have been virtually absent from millions of artworks associated with non-fungible tokens until now. PROOF OF SOVEREIGNTY will be live online from May 25-June 3.

Leading the auction is a historic NFT from the Estate of Nam June Paik—considered the grandfather of video art—that both memorializes and revitalizes the artist’s seminal work, Global Groove, originally aired on WNET-Channel 13 in 1974. Paik’s famous piece heralds the age of global connectivity through a hypnotic visual and sonic rhythm—creating an endless loop of ecstatically groovy energy.

The subsequent works, introduced by Lady PheOnix, highlight a diverse selection of new media artists, whose collective practice spans more than 20 years. Marguerite deCourcelle, also known as ‘Coin Artist’, creates visually compelling puzzles coded directly into the Polygon blockchain. Joshua Davis, known as ‘Praystation’, has created colorful, generative, audio reactive artwork. Claudia Hart implements the still life motif, inverting Matisse and Picasso references into a simulated, uncanny composition. Lethabo Huma of Pretoria, South Africa, captures the warmth of human connection through soft color and vulnerability. Internationally renowned artist KESH creates an intimate dialogue between experimental music, photography, film, fashion and sculpture. Pioneering new media artist Tamiko Thiel will be minting her work on a proof-of-stake blockchain to retain the values of her environmentally conscious art practice.




While most of these names may be new to the traditional blue-chip collectors, Jenny Holzer, Urs Fischer and Gerald Laing Estate will also offer works, recognizing the importance of the emergent NFT market. Ultimately, PROOF OF SOVEREIGNTY is at once a celebration of both 20th and 21st century digital works and new media artists, providing a tantalizing glimpse of the future of art itself.

Noah Davis, Christie’s 21st Century Art Specialist, said, “Working with Lady PheOnix has been an incredible privilege. I feel honored to have been welcomed into this insanely creative community, humbled by their virtuosic talents, and inspired by their utopian visions. I see so much potential for blockchain technologies—from Smart Contracts to DAOs—to revolutionize (some might say “disrupt”) our way of doing business. And by “doing business,” I really mean that as generally as possible. Blockchain isn’t just going to shake up the art world and decentralize the financial industry, it’s going to change the way artists make art, and the way every creative industry operates, by democratizing access to information, diminishing opacity in favor of transparency, and empowering creative people everywhere.”

Curator Lady PheOnix said, “PROOF OF SOVERNEITY places the sovereignty and legacy of the artist at the center of the conversation—and has established a new standard for artists, collectors, and institutions with the help of Time-Based Media Specialist, Regina Harsanyi and smart contract partner, Monegraph. These practices rarely get implemented outside of museums and academia, but are essential for the long-term preservation and storage of digital art. With Christie’s as the leader in NFTs, they are helping to secure the future for all new media artists.”

The premier provider of rights management technology for NFTs and other crypto assets, Monegraph has partnered with Christie’s to support the artists and associated galleries in registering their copyrights and managing their rights on the blockchain for PROOF OF SOVEREIGNTY. The company’s smart contracts enable owners of intellectual property to secure their rights on the blockchain. Based on global patents for media copyrighting and licensing, the company provides infrastructure to support the seamless sales and transfer of media rights on the Ethereum, Bitcoin and various other blockchains.