The idea behind One and Three NFTs concerns our understanding of the true nature and worth of NFT art. I will present three versions of the same physical artwork as NFTs - a still image, a video, and a 3D model. The collector will have the opportunity to assess and determine the value of each version, thereby deciding which they consider to be the true artwork.
This concept stems from an artwork created by Joseph Kosuth back in 1965, called One and Three Chairs. Kosuth displayed three versions of a chair - an actual chair, a photograph of a chair, and a written description of a chair. He then asked the viewer to determine which representation they believed to be the most accurate portrayal of the chair.
In the world of digital art distributed as NFTs, we are faced with new and similar questions regarding the true essence of an artwork. In the realm of traditional, visual art, the artwork is typically defined as the physical object. However, the advent of NFTs has blurred this line, ushering in a variety of new art forms and mediums enabled by the purchase of a digital token. For instance, if an artist paints a picture, photographs it, and subsequently sells the digital image, which component of the work is the actual artwork - the photograph, the original painting, or both? The same question applies to 3D artists who create a model and then animate it - is the 3D model the true art piece or the resulting animation?
The One and Three NFTs release involves a bidding process that allows collectors to attribute value to each of the pieces on offer. This, in turn, challenges them to ponder what they consider the artwork to be. Should they view the pieces as distinct entities, or as parts of a greater whole? Does the true artwork exist within the still image, the animation, or the 3D model? Alternatively, are they fused into a singular work of art through their underlying concept? Perhaps one collector may choose to purchase them all, uniting them into a cohesive whole, but still with the possibility to sell them separately again later.
Collectors are traversing boundaries and forging new definitions. The true essence of the artwork remains elusive, and it is conceivable that a consensus may never be reached. Yet, is that not the beauty of it all? The decision ultimately rests with each individual, affording them the freedom to determine their own interpretation.
