Pace Verso launches on 22 November with digital artworks from Lucas Samaras’s ‘XYZ’ series.
While the NFT (non-fungible token) space is and for the foreseeable future will likely remain an untamed corner of the art market, there have been moves by some of the most recognisable dealers to curate and sell artistic digital assets. The most recent comes from mega-gallery Pace, which will launch its custom-built NFT platform, Pace Verso, on 22 November.
The platform’s initial drop will feature works from the artist Lucas Samaras’s XYZ series. Collectors won’t have to wait long for the second drop, works by Glenn Kaino and Studio Drift artists Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta, which come on 29 November to coincide with the gallery physically presenting NFTs in its booth at Art Basel Miami Beach.
“Our philosophy is to build the tools our artists need,” says Marc Glimcher, Pace’s president and chief executive. “We became interested in creating a dedicated NFT platform for Pace when our artists expressed curiosity about making NFTs, and after we supported their first few NFT projects with other platforms.” Glimcher says that while the gallery’s artists will be able to promote and sell NFTs on Pace Verso, they will also continue to support standalone NFT projects with other partners.
According to an announcement, Pace Verso was created in partnership with the Palm Network, a new NFT-optimized blockchain network, built for the Ethereum ecosystem. The Palm Network offers low gas costs, fast transactions and a reduction in energy consumption of more than 99.99% when compared to proof of work systems.
