Bowie Embraces Blockchain From Beyond the Grave

A charity non-fungible token (NFT) project celebrating the legacy of David Bowie and his enduring influence on music will go on sale from next week.

The project called Bowie On The Blockchain will feature the work of nine artists drawn together through their love of the musical innovator. 

Launching Major Tom

Bowie on Blockchain is set to launch on Sept 13, in collaboration with NFT marketplace OpenSea, as well as the Web3 firm We Love The Arts.

A statement on DavidBowie.com outlined the concept behind Bowie on Blockchain, which was launched with the approval of the Bowie estate and the late artist’s wife, Imam.

“Bowie on the blockchain brings together nine of today’s leading artists in the NFT space who have created their own unique takes paying homage to David Bowie and his influence across their artistic and personal identities,” it said. 

The nine digital artists to be featured on the project have been named as Defaced, FEWOCiOUS, Glam Beckett, JAKE, Jonathan Wolfe, Lirona, Young & Sick, Osinachi and Nadya Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot.

In a statement to Far Out Tolokonnikova said, “David Bowie to me is a platonic ideal of an artist, charismatic, passionate, imaginative, magnetic af, he always puts art x curiosity x subversion over profit, a magician and a muse. I’m in awe and will always be. David Bowie is my dad.”

Pussy Riot’s Tolokonnikova is becoming quite an experienced operator in the NFT space. Earlier this year Tolokonnikova promoted an NFT sale which ultimately raised  $6.7 million for Ukraine.

Bowie benefiting charity

Posthumous NFT projects are not always appreciated by fans. In Dec 2021, the Twitter account of the late Stan Lee was used to promote a NFT collection of the superhero “Chakra the Invincible,” a character Lee created.

Fans did not take well to the co-opting of Lee’s name in order to push what many perceived to be a nothing more than a cash-grab project.

In the case of Bowie any profiteering fears will be assuaged by the fact that 100% of the profits to the Bowie estate will be donated to CARE, a charity dedicated to, “save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice by putting women and girls in the center.”

Hopefully this will be enough to placate Duncan Jones, Bowie’s movie director son, who last year called NFT’s “a fad”.

Bowie’s wife Iman serves as the first-ever global advocate for the charity.