Kevin Abosch
Kevin Abosch | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1969 |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation(s) | Conceptual artist, photographer, creative director |
| Years active | 2010s–present |
| Known for | Cryptoart, photography, blockchain art, sculpture, installation, AI, film |
| Notable work | Potato #345, I AM A COIN, Forever Rose, Yellow Lambo, PRICELESS, 1111 series |
Kevin Abosch ( ; born 1969) is an Irish conceptual artist and a trailblazer in cryptoart. His creative output spans photography, blockchain, sculpture, installation, AI, and film. Abosch's work delves into themes of identity, value, and the concept of human currency. His pieces have been showcased worldwide in prominent public venues such as The Hermitage Museum, The National Gallery of Ireland, The National Museum of China, The Irish Museum of Modern Art, The Museum of Contemporary Art Vojvodina, The Bogotá Museum of Modern Art, ZKM, Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume, and Dublin Airport.
Utopian Propagation
On 28 October 2016, Abosch presented "Impossible Promises," an installation consisting of 100 oil barrels painted by hand, displayed at the Millennium Park within the Bogotá Museum of Modern Art.
Potato #345
In 2015, a photograph titled "Potato #345" by Abosch reportedly fetched €1,000,000 from an anonymous European buyer. Captured in 2010, this image exists as one of just three prints.
I AM A COIN
In January 2018, Abosch minted 10 million digital artworks as crypto-tokens on the Ethereum Blockchain platform.
Forever Rose
On Valentine's Day 2018, the virtual piece "Forever Rose," represented by a single ERC-20 token on Ethereum, was sold for a milestone price of USD $1 million to a group of ten art collectors.
Yellow Lambo
This sculpture features 42 yellow neon alphanumeric characters that form the blockchain contract address for the crypto token YLAMBO. It alludes to the #lambo hashtag favored by cryptocurrency fans. On 26 April 2018, at the "If So, What?" art exhibition in San Francisco, it was acquired by former Skype COO Michael Jackson for US$400,000—surpassing the starting price of a 2018 Lamborghini Aventador.
PRICELESS
PRICELESS is a joint project between Abosch and Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, comprising two ERC-20 tokens on the Ethereum blockchain, identified by the symbol PRCLS. One of these tokens is permanently locked and cannot be accessed, while the other is divisible up to 18 decimal places for distribution purposes. A segment of the distributable token was intentionally "burned" by transferring it to wallets with lost keys. The corresponding wallet addresses were printed on paper and sold as a set of 12 physical artworks. Each address represents a meaningful shared experience between Abosch and Ai.
1111 series
Touted as the inaugural large-scale AI and cryptographic NFT art initiative, the 1111 series includes 1,111 distinct generative artworks minted on OpenSea starting March 23, 2021. By May 2024, 999 of these pieces remain available, while 112 NFTs were 'burned' by Abosch through transfer to the Ethereum burn address, effectively removing them from circulation.
In April 2021, Abosch revealed intentions to deploy a satellite dedicated to climate change research and to distribute NFTs via an airdrop to holders of the 1111 series. As of May 2024, the satellite launch date has yet to be confirmed.
National Gallery of Ireland
In December 2013, the National Gallery of Ireland added three photographic portraits by Abosch—depicting Bob Geldof, Olwen Fouéré, and Brian O'Driscoll—to its permanent National Portrait Collection.
Animoca Brands
Kevin Abosch holds the position of creative director at Animoca Brands.