Banksy’s art is at the center of a new premier art portfolio

New digital art investment platform Artcels launches its second equity art portfolio.

The Millennials collection includes works by world-renowned contemporary artists such as Banksy, Nina Chanel Abney, Jonas Wood, Josh Sperling, and Yoshimoto Nara.

In keeping with the modern theme, the works of art will be made available to investors as equity in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The acronym has become ubiquitous in the art world as investors look to make money from the latest technology trend. An NFT is a one-of-a-kind digital asset that is stamped with a distinctive code and uploaded to the blockchain virtual ledger.

While there has been a lot of buzz lately around NFTs and the money they’ve attracted, Christie’s last month was the first major auction house to sell an intangible piece of art for $ 69. $ 3 million from digital artist Beeple. Artcels co-founder Elio D’Anna said The National that he saw the changing technological tides in this market very early on. After organizing an exhibition where art could be purchased using cryptocurrencies at the House of Fine Art Gallery (Hofa) which he founded in 2012, Mr. D’Anna co-created the year last a world-class art fund with commodity trader Gijs de Viet.

The duo said they designed Artcels as an alternative to investing in traditional art and to allow greater accessibility. The selected pieces are not from one of the 40 artists exclusively represented by Hofa Gallery, but from those who, from a growing market perspective, were the most sought after.

“It was extremely successful, the first version sold out pretty instantly. We also sold 85 percent of the collection in the first year and gave great feedback to all subscribers,” Mr. D’Anna said. return on investment was 11.8% in 11 months, he said.

This year’s Millennials collection is just 12 pieces, collectively valued at just over $ 1 million, with a price bid of $ 1,000, but only 300 shares will be made available to the public, with the remaining 700. being held by Artcel. Mr D’Anna said that the artwork is valued internally and independently and, as it is the majority shareholder of the funds, Artcel has a vested interest in securing good returns.

“It is in everyone’s best interests to know that we are the primary investor,” said Mr. D’Anna. The National. “It is in our best interests that it grows, because our money is at stake.”

Mr D’Anna said they have already acquired most of the works for their next release, which, unlike this year’s collection, will be called Masters. As a forerunner in the NFT art space, Mr. D’Anna wants to keep what he calls Artcels’ ‘avant-garde’ approach and is launching an app that allows investors to create their own investment portfolios. in art.

“You can take a work of art and you can submit it, and if it’s approved, it can be put on the market, or you can also be contacted by one of our specialists to include it in one. of our future versions. So everyone kind of becomes a part of it.

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