Wimbledon, the historic tennis tournament, has joined forces with former champion Andy Murray and digital artist Refik Anadol to introduce an official art NFT on the Ethereum blockchain. The groundbreaking digital art project, titled “The Exposition,” incorporates 18 years of Murray’s data, including his notable Grand Slam victories in 2013 and 2016, combined with unique motion-capture sessions. This initiative marks a world-first fusion of digital art, sport, and data science.
Wimbledon launched the project on Ethereum
“The Exposition” NFT collection was made available for purchase on manifold.xyz to coincide with Murray’s second-round match at the tournament in 2023 and will remain accessible until July 16. Each NFT, created in collaboration with Web3 consultancy FAN3, is priced at $147. Despite Murray’s elimination from the tournament on Friday, the NFTs continue to be offered for sale.
Developers of “The Exposition” employed a distinctive algorithm that will incorporate millions of inputs from statistical, motion, audio, and visual data. The resulting vibrant bursts of colors aim to encapsulate the drama, rivalries, and Championship victories of Murray’s illustrious Wimbledon career, offering a visually striking representation of the data. The project description highlights the artwork’s reimagination of how high-performance sport data can be comprehended and appreciated.
Expressing his enthusiasm, Murray took to Twitter and shared, “Excited to be partnering with Wimbledon and Refik Anadol Studio on a data-inspired digital art project involving every match I’ve ever played.” The collaboration with Wimbledon and Anadol Studio holds great promise for future releases, with additional projects and endeavors already planned.
The project promises its NFT holders several mouth-watering perks
Holders of “The Exposition” NFTs will have access to exclusive opportunities, including the chance to purchase a physical print edition of the artwork, produced by Avant Arte, bridging the gap between the physical and digital realms. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that further collaborations between Murray, Wimbledon, and Anadol are in the pipeline, with plans to utilize Murray’s data from his latest Wimbledon run in future endeavors.
Renowned for his award-winning “Unsupervised” exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), featuring algorithmic art displayed on an enormous video wall, Refik Anadol will serve as an advisor for the inaugural Wimbledon NFT collection before embarking on the subsequent phases of the project. Anadol’s expertise and artistic vision are expected to contribute significantly to the evolution of this groundbreaking initiative.
This isn’t the first time Andy Murray has been associated with Wimbledon-themed NFTs. In 2021, a series of NFTs tied to his tournament wins were introduced, some of which were linked to physical video displays showcasing memorable footage. These NFTs were created by WENEW, a startup co-founded by renowned NFT artist Mike “Beeple” Winkelmann, with the rarest NFT fetching a staggering price of nearly $178,000.
The Wimbledon and Andy Murray collaboration represent a significant milestone in the intersection of sports, art, and blockchain technology. By incorporating Murray’s Wimbledon data into a visually captivating NFT art collection, the project pioneers a novel approach to appreciating and understanding high-performance sport data. As the partnership between Murray, Wimbledon, and Anadol continues to unfold, fans and collectors can eagerly anticipate further innovative releases that push the boundaries of digital art and its integration with the world of sports.
