NFT Partnership for the Protection, Restoration and Digitization of Ukrainian Cultural Heritage
Switzerland, 7 December 2022 – With over 40,000 exhibits, including paintings and sculptures from the Middle Ages to the present day, the National Art Museum of Ukraine (NAMU) is the oldest and largest museum in Kyiv. It has the most representative collection of Ukrainian figurative art, housing masterpieces by the likes of Oleksandra Ekster, Serhiy Vasylkivsky and Oleksandr Arkhypenko, and is considered one of Ukraine’s most important museums of national art.
NAMU and Patron-of-Art.com announced its charitable venture during a plenary presentation at the 26th International Council of Museums (ICOM) General Conference, which attracted 2,400 museum professionals. This collection will consist of digital copies of more than 20 of the museum’s famous masterpieces. The first series of four artworks, minted in a limited edition, will be available for purchase at Patron-of-Art.com starting on December 7th.
“10 million people own digital collectibles, and this number is growing daily,” says Dr. Stephan Holzer, former McKinsey & Company’s Blockchain Expert for Europe, and CEO of VERITIC. “We built Patron-of-Art.com to be the best platform for museums, other cultural institutions and artists to reach this growing digital audience and nurture a new generation of art enthusiasts and patrons. We work closely with them to create digital collectibles in the most accessible, safe and sustainable way.”
“In addition Patron-of-Art.coms usual business activities, we promise to collaborate with one museum from a country in crisis every year pro bono. We are pleased to announce that NAMU is our first partner.”
All proceeds from the sale of this NFT collection – minus transaction fees and a 3% commission to cover platform and accounting operating costs – will be distributed to the Deutsch-Ukrainische Gesellschaft (DUG) / Ukraine Art Aid Center. The funds will support NAMU in meeting the challenges of the Russian attack, including efforts to protect and restore the collection, and potentially fortify the museum’s building. Funds will also support digitization projects at NAMU and other museums across Ukraine.
“Intensifying the humanitarian crisis is a threat to cultural heritage,” says Yuliia Lytvynet, director of NAMU. “Cooperation with organizations such as Patron-of-Art.com and DUG / Ukraine Art Aid Center provide direct support in our efforts to protect the museum’s collection during this war, as well as during the reconstruction period.”
Since March 2022, the DUG / Ukraine Art Aid Center has provided practical assistance in Ukraine’s efforts to save cultural exhibits and monuments and is supported by the German government and World Heritage Watch. Through previous partnerships with ICOM Switzerland, the Association of German Art Historians and several organizations, the registered charity has so far sent more than 20 trucks, buses and cargo via freight train containing 3D scanners, climate control devices, packaging materials, special fire extinguishers and more to museums all over Ukraine.
The coordinator of the Ukraine Art Aid Center, Dr. Olena Balun, says: “NFT projects like this can engage global, digitally native audiences and catalyze support for worthy causes. We hope our collaboration with Patron-of-Art.com and NAMU will raise awareness of the pressing challenges Ukraine faces in preserving its cultural heritage, while raising much-needed funds.”
Patron-of-Art.com had purchased the exclusive sales rights to the NFT collection from Stampsdaq, a Ukrainian NFT company. Stampsdaq CEO Andrii Shapovalov says: “I consider Patron-of-Art.com to be the best place to host these NFTs due to its dedication and strategy to develop integrated partnerships with museums. With Patron-of-Art.com takes over, we can focus on our NFT Stamps business.”
To view the collection, please visit https://bit.ly/NAMU-NFT.
Patron-of-Art.com visitors can also claim a free NFT containing a painting of Ukraine’s national hero to show their support for Ukraine.
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Patron of art Media contacts
Dr. Stephan Holzer | Managing Director [email protected]
Dr. Giacomo Schwarz | Marketing manager [email protected]
About Patron-of-Art.com
10 million people currently own digital collectibles, and this number is increasing faster than ever. Patron-of-Art.com helps museums take advantage of this space, to expand their digital audience and nurture a new generation of patrons. With Patron-of-Art.commuseums can create digital copies of their masterpieces as collectibles that are accessible, secure and sustainable for all.
Patron-of-Art.com is a Swiss-based full-service platform offering digital collectibles creation, contextual representation, education, marketing, community building, security, preservation and compliance. Low entry barriers such as attractive licensing fees and no start-up costs are also available to our museum partners.
Patron-of-Art.com was created by experts across art and technology from Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Google.
About the National Art Museum of Ukraine
The National Museum of Art of Ukraine is the oldest museum in Kyiv, opened in 1899, with the best collection of Ukrainian art from the 12th century to the present day. The museum was founded through the efforts of Ukrainian intellectuals at the end of the 19th century as the first public museum in Kyiv.
About the German-Ukrainian Association for Economics and Science (Deutsch-Ukrainische Gesellschaft) / Ukraine Art Aid Center
The Ukraine Art Aid Center was founded in March 2022 and soon entered into a partnership with the German-Ukrainian Society for Economics and Science (Deutsch-Ukrainische Gesellschaft), a registered charity. The focus is on organizing urgent material transports to Ukraine for the protection of collections and monuments, quickly and unbureaucratically. Since the beginning of March, the Ukraine Art Aid Center has sent more than 20 large aid deliveries by truck, bus and train directly to affected museums and institutions in Ukraine.
Ukraine Art Aid Center includes a large group of experts working on a voluntary basis, including German university professors, art transport specialists and art dealers. It is supported by the German government, several German museums, as well as recognized organizations such as World Heritage Watch, Max-Liebermann-Gesellschaft and ICOM Switzerland.
About Stampsdaq
Stampsdaq is an EU-based NFT company founded in 2021 and exclusively dedicated to cooperation with designated postal operators worldwide. The recently launched NFT stamp platform is designed to bridge the interests of postal operators and the global collecting community. Stampsdaq offers a One-Stop-Shop solution without the need for investment from a postal operator’s side. The company promotes and implements the “Collect with Benefits” vision of creating added value and real-life experiences for NFT stamp owners to increase interest in NFT stamp collecting and stamp collecting in general.
Stampsdaq currently has several license agreements with various designated postal operators and is in active negotiations with over 60 postal operators worldwide. It is also an associate member of the Advisory Committee and World Association for Development of Philately (WADP) of the Universal Postal Union.
