Cozomo de’ Medici makes massive donation

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), has acquired 22 NFTs of generative art from a mysterious collector. He was known as Cozomo De’ Medici. This donation includes collectible NFTs of sought-after generative artist such as Dmitri Cherianak, Cai GuoQuiang and Matt DesLauriers.

Cozomo De’ Medici donated the collection to LACMA out of a desire for a new movement. This is similar to William Randolph Hearst’s donation of hundreds artworks that transformed LACMA into an arts museum. He spoke to ARTnews about his collection. It tells the story and evolution of on-chain arts. The conversation led to the idea of donating a substantial portion of that collection to LACMA to help start a strong digital arts collection.

LACMA has taken several steps to promote digital arts, including the current exhibition Coded: Art Enters The Computer Age, 1952-1982 and a Paris Hilton-funded fund to buy digital artworks from female artists. Wallis Annenberg Director Michael Govan, CEO of LACMA, stated in a press release that LACMA was the first museum to collect blockchain art.

Cozomo De’ Medici donated a collection to LACMA of blockchain art. This is a major milestone in the NFT industry. Recently, the Centre Pompidou announced that it had acquired a small collection NFTs. Yuga Labs also donated a Crypto Punk to ICA Miami last November.

Cozomo De’ Medici, LACMA, and LACMA intentionally called these works blockchain art. This is art that was created on the blockchain or on-chain art. Cozomo de’ Medici believes the NFT term has a stigma attached and that the digital art industry is now split into two categories. PFP NFTs are associated with maniacal speculation and digital fine arts like generative art.

LACMA will include in its collection several other pieces of minted generative arts, apart from the ones that were donated. John Gerrard donated one of his “Petrol National Series” works. Erick Calderon founder of the generative arts NFT platform Art Blocks and Tom Sachs and Jessica Wimbly have also had their NFTs added to LACMA’s collection.

The acquisition by LACMA of other NFTs, as well as the donation of Cozomo De’ Medici’s art collection, represents a major shift in perceptions of NFTs and digital arts. LACMA has acquired blockchain art to further strengthen its position as a leader in the intersection between art and technology.

4/ I hope that this donation will forever cement the on chain art movement in art history.

This opens up the possibility for museums all over the world to host the most digitally-assisted works as well as the best physical art.

It inspires us all together to make history.

~CdM pic.twitter.com/6MDRjuDc2u

— Cozomo de’ Medici (@CozomoMedici) February 13, 2023