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Hajime Sorayama plunges into the metaverse with his first NFT, a digital “Sorayama Shark” that puts Jaws to shame.
In partnership with Hong Kong’s K11 Musea and art authentication platform ZHEN., the Japanese artist brings his hyper-realistic robotic shark — originally introduced in his “Aquatic” series over a decade ago — to life in a duo of digital collectibles.
The first, Untitled_Shark Robot (Day), is a 20-second animation of Sorayama’s sharp-toothed creation that includes a “special un-lockable surprise.” Priced at $299, the piece will be sold in a batch of 1,000 editions.
The second, Untitled_Shark Robot (Full), is a rarer collectible, limited to 100 editions priced at $3,700 each. Comprised of a 60-second animation, the work includes the aforementioned surprise along with a physical trading card.
Both pieces will be available for sale via raffle, open through October 22 to October 28 on the ZHEN. app.
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“I aim for my work to be an inscription of a perpetual futuristic history,” Sorayama said of his foray into NFTs. “So, even if the work I created is annihilated from this world, as long as the digital form survives, that’s fine.”
Given Sorayama’s popularity, it’s easy to see both NFTs becoming instant successes, particularly Untitled_Shark Robot (Day). The piece’s lower price point — considerably more affordable than the artist’s physical prints — will allow his less affluent fans to own an authentic Sorayama creation.
Sorayama’s entry into the metaverse deviates from the typical auction format of most blockchain-powered works.
Instead of launching the NFT on a marketplace such as OpenSea, where bidders purchase works using cryptocurrency, it seems Soryama and his collaborators will allow raffle entrants to use good old cash money.
