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Valuart is a Swiss art–technology company and gallery based in Lugano Paradiso, Switzerland. The firm gained international attention in 2021 for producing and auctioning an NFT inspired by Banksy’s artwork Spike, and in 2022 for co‑producing MetaVanity, a metaverse museum project presented by Vanity Fair Italia during the Venice Biennale.[1][2]
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Art technology |
| Founded | 2021 |
| Headquarters | Lugano Paradiso, Ticino , Switzerland |
Key people | Etan Genini (CEO); Vittorio Grigòlo (co‑founder); Michele Fiscalini (co‑founder) |
| Website | valuart |
History
editValuart was active by mid‑2021, when it announced its first NFT auction centered on a CGI re‑imagining of Banksy’s Spike. Media coverage identified Italian tenor Vittorio Grigòlo as a co‑founder of the platform, with the company positioning itself at the intersection of art and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).[3][4]
The Spike NFT sold for 65 ETH (over US$150,000 at the time)[1][5]
Activities and projects
editBanksy’s Spike NFT (2021)
editValuart produced a CGI “digital original” of Banksy’s Spike, accompanied by a performance from Grigòlo. The initiative drew international coverage and commentary from intellectual‑property lawyers about authorization and copyright boundaries around NFTs derived from existing artworks.[3][4][6]
Vanity Fair collaborations (2021–2022)
editIn September 2021, Vanity Fair Italia minted its first NFT magazine cover, produced with Valuart; the work sold for US$25,000 for charity, according to art‑press reporting.[7]
In April 2022, Vanity Fair Italia presented MetaVanity, described as the magazine’s first museum in the metaverse, developed in collaboration with Valuart and unveiled in Venice. The virtual space, inspired by Rome’s Pantheon, hosted works by 19 digital and crypto artists.[2][a] Additional design‑press coverage discussed subsequent Vanity Fair NFT cover drops created with APENFT and Valuart.[8]
Valuart Gallery
editValuart operates a gallery space in Lugano Paradiso. Local press reported exhibitions including a 2023 display built around an unpublished work attributed to René Magritte, presented within an “Untitled” series at Valuart Gallery in Lugano‑Paradiso.[9][5]
Key people
editSee also
editNotes
edit- ^ WWD’s report was syndicated on Yahoo/AOL; independent arts blogs and magazines also described the project’s Pantheon‑inspired design and roster of artists.
References
edit- ^ a b c Blistein, Jon (4 August 2021). "NFT Based on Banksy's 'Spike,' Minted Without Artist's Involvement, Sells for Over $150,000". Rolling Stone Australia. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ^ a b "Vanity Fair Italy Presents New Metaverse Project". WWD via Yahoo Lifestyle. 21 April 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ^ a b Ghassemitari, Shawn (9 July 2021). "UPDATE: Banksy's "Spike" NFT Floats Through Space in Auction Teaser". Hypebeast. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ^ a b c Holmes, Helen (22 July 2021). "An NFT Version of a Banksy Artwork That's Up for Auction Could Prompt a Lawsuit". Observer. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ^ a b Skirka, Hayley (23 July 2021). "'Spike' by Banksy on auction as a non‑fungible token". The National. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ^ "NFT: Banksy's artwork up for auction, without his knowledge". Domus. 19 July 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ^ "Vanity Fair makes cover in NFT: first time in publishing. Sold for $25,000". Finestre sull’Arte (English edition). 23 September 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ^ Dean, Ian (14 June 2022). "Is Vanity Fair's new cover the strangest thing you'll see all year?". Creative Bloq. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ^ Mantovan, Jona (12 February 2023). "Ultimi giorni per il «Magritte segreto di Paradiso»". Corriere del Ticino (in Italian). Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ^ "Achille Lauro presents his new project: a space dedicated to all forms of art, including in the metaverse". Finestre sull’Arte (English). 3 October 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2025.