Mars House designed in May 2020 by Artist Krista Kim, has become the first sold digital NFT home in the world. The 3D digital file that can be experienced in virtual reality, was just acquired. Rendered using Unreal Engine, a software used to create video games, the house can be experienced in VR, but could also be experienced through augmented reality (AR) environment in apps. A structure comprised of light, Mars House generates a healing atmosphere, with a musical accompaniment by Jeff Schroeder of The Smashing Pumpkins.
NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are a type of cryptocurrency that is unique and not interchangeable. A sort of virtual certificate, this unit of data on the blockchain, represents digital files such as art, audio, videos, and can take the form of JPEGS, GIFS, etc. Contemporary artist Krista Kim ventured into this crypto-creative field, creating the first digital NFT home in the world. “As a Techism artist, I am challenging the power of NFT as an art medium. Mars House will live forever as an NFT, so let it represent an art movement for humanity through the power of digital technology. Let this remind future generations that we are here to create a new and better world at a pivotal time in history. […] We are ready to change the world”, explains Kim on her Instagram account.
Purchased as an NFT file, Mars House -that went on sale on Superrare- was acquired for 288 Ether, a cryptocurrency similar to Bitcoin (the equivalent of $512,000). “Conceptually, MARS HOUSE is NFT 2.0 for our future AR and Metaverse lifestyle. This is where we are headed, curating our AR environments with digital 3D NFTs that we love. I want to sit in MH with friends in AR and drink Champagne. I want to have my zoom meetings in Mars House. I will eventually be able to transpose MH over my physical environment whenever I fancy. I created Mars House because it is my dream house. I hope the new owner will love it like I do. This is the future of ART” writes the Toronto-based artist on her Instagram Account.
Mars House is a light sculpture, with LED substrate extending to the pool, throughout the entire perimeter of the house. All of the furniture elements are designed with tempered glass and fabrics, with renewable material. Colorfully-hued gradients made by the artist cover the floor and ceiling. “I want this space to showcase my passion for Meditative Design, a new definition of avant-garde luxury for the digital age”, states Kim.
Inspired by Kyoto’s architecture built for Zen consciousness of the community, the artist sought to expand on this tradition for the digital age. “My art is an exploration of Digital Zen. Digital environment is relentlessly distracting and addictive. As an attempt to bring new awareness of digital consciousness, my art strips away to the core element of light, color, and sound. My intention is to create a meditative environment on our screen, like a digital Zen garden”, she adds.
Designed during the first wave of COVID-19 lockdowns, Mar House explores the idea that screens can be used as digital instruments of well-being. In fact, Kim believes that in the future our homes can heal with the power of art and technology. As the interest in virtual design continues to grow, a lot of artists have been selling their work as crypto art. In fact, Andrés Reisinger sold ten pieces of virtual furniture for almost $450,000, Alexis Christodoulou sold architectural renderings for $340,000, and a jpeg created by digital artist Beeple was auctioned at Christie’s and acquired for $69 million.
