Mercedes Benz Web3 Arm To Release NFT Collection With Digital Art Community Fingerprints DAO

Digital art organization Fingerprints DAO is collaborating with Dutch artist Harm van den Dorpel and German car manufacturer Mercedes Benz to release a generative art non-fungible token (NFT) collection inspired by automotive concepts.

Titled “Maschine,” the collection by van den Dorpel is supported by Mercedes-Benz NXT, the car manufacturer’s new Web3 arm that focuses on digital collectibles and virtual experiences.

The collection features 1,000 unique Ethereum-based tokens and plays on themes of velocity and perception, as the artwork mimics a wheel in motion. The sale opens as a Dutch auction on June 7.

According to a series of tweets, Mercedes-Benz NXT plans to release three “core” collections planned, developed and managed by the creative studio 0xNXT. It also plans to include satellite and peripheral projects within its NFT ecosystem.

Van den Dorpel told CoinDesk that Mercedes-Benz’s emphasis on innovation and aesthetics relates to his practice of creating generative art.

“It was an honor to be asked for this drop and be given the trust to make a truly generative experimental art piece,” said van den Dorpel. “The technical features given by blockchain have helped consolidate the fluid character of digital art in all its variations, in terms of ownership, provenance and conservation.”

Luiz Ramalho, Fingerprints DAO founder, told CoinDesk that working with Mercedez-Benz NXT bridges the gap between emerging digital art and the traditional art world.

“Regular people that are mostly unaware of the developments in the Web3 space are likely to have their attention drawn to a collaboration like this… we can make them see that there is substance to artworks being made over here, artworks that couldn’t possibly be done without the use of these new technologies,” said Ramalho.

Fingerprints DAO, a decentralized autonomous organization, has curated a gallery of NFT art selected by a community-elected Curation Commitee. Its collection includes a number of Autoglyphs by Larva Labs, Loot Bags and other works that it has deemed “inimitable and irreplaceable.”

Last week, Mercedes-Benz introduced Mercedes-Benz NXT, which it hails as a “long-term commitment to building a dedicated presence within the Web3 community.” According to its website, the new team aims to bring the collectibility of its vehicles and memorabilia to the digital realm and touch on all of the Mercedes-Benz brands and product portfolio.