Tezos x Art Basel - Basel, 2022: Sabine Himmelsbach on Collecting Art on the Blockchain

As part of a series of in-depth interviews at Art Basel, in Basel Switzerland earlier this summer, the team at Blokhaus sat down with Sabine Himmelsbach, director of HeK (House of Electronic Arts Basel) in Zurich, Switzerland.

With almost 30 years experience in the art world, these days Himmelsbach is focusing on digital and media art, including NFTs. In the interview, she explains her background and goes into detail about the work of HeK, their plans to create a DAO, and why the organization only collects NFTs that had been minted on Tezos.

You’ll find extracts from the interview with Sabine Himmelsbach below, and you can watch the full video at the top of this page.

How digital art has evolved, and why HeK only collects art on Tezos:

…artists have worked with the Internet since the 1990s, and now with blockchain technologies we are entering a new phase and it’s a very historical moment. Of course, as a cultural institution, we want to be part of that. […] For us it’s really important that we work with a blockchain that is sustainable and that’s why so far we only collect work that is on the Tezos platform.

Why community is a big part of the appeal of Web3:

For me personally, what is most interesting about blockchain technology is the idea that you can bring the audience in and really build the community. That’s why we are interested in it, because we can reach out to a global audience and get them more connected with what we are doing. I see a lot of artists who are doing that as well, working with this community building aspect.

I think the museum of today needs to open up to new audiences. Through blockchain technology and decentralization, and inviting others in, [this is] a very good moment to achieve that.

Click here to check out all of the in-depth interviews from Art Basel - Basel, 2022.

Related links: #

• Tezos x Art Basel - Basel, 2022. All interviews
• HeK.ch (in German)