The week-long exhibition featured a variety of digital works, including original NFTs created and inspired by the Lobkowicz Collections. We commissioned pieces by contemporary artists like Matthew Stone and French art collective Obvious.

Also on view were influential NFTs by Mitchell Chan and Edward Snowden.The exhibition was followed by a one-of-a-kind forum merging the traditional art world with the NFT sector to discuss their collective impact on shaping the future of art. Other discussion topics included the ethical, legal, and environmental implications of NFTs.

Non-Fungible Castle also demonstrated a use case for how NFTs can serve as a new patronage model for cultural institutions to help preserve and share their art—especially in the wake of crippling pandemic losses.

“NFTs can be a new frontier, not only to enhance our experience with art, but also to support art conservation, allowing a broader base of patrons to participate in cultural preservation,” says event organizer William Rudolf Lobkowicz.

The event closed with an online auction of the Lobkowicz Collections’ NFTs: Antaeus’s Contest, depicting the degrading sgraffito rendering from the 16th century façade of Nelahozeves Castle; Forgotten Menuet, an animated piece of music unheard for over 250 years; and Unseen Gaze, which uses X-ray and infrared imaging to reveal a hidden layer of history behind a painting. The sale proceeds directly supported the conservation and restoration initiatives of the non-profit Lobkowicz Collections organization. Generous donors additionally funded over 30 critical restoration projects.

More information on NFC, including video recordings of the conference, are available here.