You’ve seen the headlines. NFT art is revolutionizing the art world! Empowering artists! Democratizing access! You might have read a “Beginner’s Guide to NFTs.” It’s going to bring us all previously unimaginable bounty and an epoch of artistic liberation! Let me tell you something: that guide is selling you a dream, and it's a dream built on a foundation of potentially devastating consequences.
Can Digital Art Truly Be Ethical?
NFTs give artists the opportunity to bypass the middleman and sell their work directly to consumers. This artistic breakthrough removes the established gatekeepers of the art world. Fifth, artists receive a larger share of the revenue pie! Who really benefits? The starving unknown digital artists that the big time digital artists constantly disparage on social media. The one percent speculators and the other 99 percent pretenders. What about the early career artists, the ones hanging on by a thread, the ones who so urgently need this revolution to be happening for real?
The reality is, the new NFT space can sometimes reflect some of the inequalities present in the traditional art world. The same technology that powers most NFTs, especially prior to Ethereum’s transition, was hyper energy-consuming. Consider the carbon footprint of minting and trading NFTs on a Proof-of-Work blockchain. Are we truly empowering artists, when at the same time we’re funding a climate crisis that threatens to destroy the future of developing nations? This is NOT a sustainable future.
Gas Fees: A Hidden Economic Barrier
Consider the gas fees. These transaction fees on blockchains like Ethereum are not only costly, but can at times be prohibitively expensive, exceeding the value of the work of art itself. Artists from Nigeria, the Philippines and rural America don’t have this luxury. Then they have the additional burden of spending a significant portion of their future salary just to get in the race. The “Beginner’s Guide” conveniently ignores this inconvenient truth. Taken on its own, it’s a rosy picture of open access. The NFT art market is rapidly becoming an exclusive playground for the privileged elite.
Let's talk about cultural appropriation. In their currently immutable, easily replicable form, NFTs open exciting and dangerous new doors to the exploitation of indigenous art and traditions. Envision a classic African sculpture. It gets digitally scanned and minted as an NFT, then sold for millions, with no compensation going to the original creators. It's cultural theft, amplified by blockchain technology. This is not about promoting diversity, this is digital colonialism, and it’s taking place today. We ought to be scared as hell about it.
Cultural Appropriation's Digital Facelift
The “certificate of authenticity” analogy quickly breaks down once you look at the power dynamics involved. A physical certificate does nothing to deter bad actors from committing fraud and certainly does not ensure an ethical supply chain. Market arguments aside, an NFT won’t change the fact that appropriation can still, in many cases, be harmful.
Where are the stories of artists in developing countries who can no longer afford to create work because they’ve been priced out of the market? Where are the conversations surrounding equitable royalty remuneration and equitable profit sharing of these products? These voices are being drowned out by the hype, the celebrity endorsements, and the get-rich-quick schemes. The “Beginner’s Guide” misses the cultural, social, and economic complexities driving the NFT art market. By turning a blind eye to these truths, it upholds a status quo that enriches the privileged while leaving vulnerable communities in the dark.
Forgotten Voices: Where Are They Now?
NFTs could be a force for good. They should empower artists and democratize access to art. Only if we tackle some dirty secrets that are waiting to explode just below the surface. We must call for more transparency, advocate for sustainability, and establish systems to help artists belonging to marginalized communities thrive.
Don't be fooled by the hype. Look beyond the "Beginner's Guide." Ask tough questions. Demand accountability. Only then can we hope to develop an NFT art market that is equitable and sustainable.
Let’s all be the change we wish to see in the NFT landscape. If we don’t, we’ll only be condemning ourselves to a digital dystopia where art becomes a weapon of subjugation. The clock is ticking.
We need to be the change we want to see in the NFT space, or we risk creating a digital dystopia where art is just another tool of oppression. The clock is ticking.
