Bulgari’s immersive NFT art installation experiments with algorithms and crypto art

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By Matthew Griffin Virtual World 13th May 2022

WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF

NFT’s and Web 3.0 represent a new kind of global economy, a phydigital economy, where real and digital products sit alongside each other and compliment one another.

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Italian luxury house Bulgari has transformed its Serpenti emblem into an immersive Artificial Intelligence (AI) installation artwork that is set to become an auctionable Non-Fungible Token (NFT), taking the iconic snake design into the metaverse.

Located in a public installation at the heart of Milan’s Piazza Duomo, the artwork aims to represent the development of the Serpenti over its lifetime, referenced in its name ‘Serpenti Metamorphosis’. The dynamic 3D sculptures, created by media artist Refik Anadol, brought together millions of pictures of nature and flora to form the brand’s first luxury AI crypto art.

The Metavers, by Keynote Speaker Matthew Griffin

Visitors to the installation are treated to a multisensory experience, with entire spaces – wall to ceiling – dedicated to the AI imagery. Through the use of machine learning algorithms, snake images will come to life within the sculpture as an additional reference to the emblem. A specially created Rainforest Serpenti fragrance, produced in collaboration with Firmenich and also utilising AI technology, supplements the artwork.

Anadol said about the work: “The concept of Metamorphosis is truly inspiring for me as machine intelligence has the capacity to take the colours, patterns and shapes of nature and reproduce them into new forms that only exist in its mind. And, when I welcome the machine as a collaborator, it allows me to make the invisible, visible. Metamorphosis is really the perfect symbol to represent overarching ideas of evolution, growth, and precision in the world that surrounds us.

Experience the art

“This precision is demonstrated in everything that Bulgari does, so I see so many similarities in the precise way that we create our artworks and the craftsmanship that goes into the creation of Bulgari jewels.”

To expand on the celebration of the Serpenti Collection, the immersive experience begins in Milan and is set to travel to various cities around the world, ending with the artwork converted into an auctioned NFT multidimensional piece of art. The NFT will be completely unique and collectable, presented together with a token that gives proof of the author and ownership. Proceeds from the sale will be donated to a charity selected by Anadol and Bulgari.

“Serpenti Metamorphosis will become an exclusive and unique artwork in the digital world thanks to the NFT technology that uses the potential of blockchain to make a work of art truly exclusive and inimitable within the digital universe,” explained Jean-Christophe Babin, Bulgari’s CEO.

Visitors can attend the installation through an online booking, with the further opportunity to visit Bulgari’s store on Via Montenapoleone for an exhibition throughout April, displaying some of the most notable pieces from the Serpenti Collection.

To celebrate the launch, Bulgari hosted a high profile event, taking visitors through the immersive world. Alongside performers and digital snakes, guests included the likes of Chiara Ferragni, Elodie and Tina Kunakey.

Matthew Griffin / About Author

Matthew Griffin, described as a "Walking encyclopaedia of the future" by NASA and a futurist polymath, is one of the world's most renowned futurists and strategic foresight experts. A serial entrepreneur Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working across the next 50 years, XPotential University, the world's first free futures and foresight university, and the World Futures Forum which works with the United Nations to solve the worlds greatest challenges. 13 times author of the Codex of the Future series, Matthew is an in demand international keynote, acclaimed university lecturer, and host of the hit Fanatical Futurist podcast.

A rare talent in his past Matthew helped build and run several multi-billion dollar business units for Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, and his ability to identify, track, and explain the impacts of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends on global business, culture, and society has earned him a powerful reputation and a roster of clients that include royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77+ governments, and many of the world's most respected brands including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi Group, Coca Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Disney, EY, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Pepsi Co, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, and many others. He was also the only futurist invited to talk at the UN COP28 held in Dubai alongside world leaders.

Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.