Blondie have announced a new NFT collaboration with Italian art duo Hackatao to celebrate what would have been the 93rd birthday of Andy Warhol.
The ‘crypto art series’, dubbed Hack The Borders, will be be released through digital art online auction platform Nifty Gateway next month.
The artwork is based upon Warhol’s first-ever digital portrait of Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry, shot in 1985.
The one-of-a-kind artwork, which Blondie have called “a present day manifestation of the punk rock movement”, will land on August 6 via Nifty Gateway, to celebrate what would’ve been Warhol’s 93rd birthday.
See the artwork below:
Blondie + @Hackatao announce #HackTheBorders, a present day manifestation of the punk rock movement, in the form of crypto art. Dropping August 6th on @NiftyGateway. pic.twitter.com/nvkQXNRDJe
— Debbie Harry/BLONDIE (@BlondieOfficial) July 28, 2021
“I heard of Hackatao early on when the NFT phenomena went mainstream,” Blondie’s Chris Stein said in a statement. “Andy, who embraced modern technology, would certainly have been minting Warhol NFTs. I am attracted to the lack of gatekeeping that thus far is a significant factor in all this.
Harry added: “Techno expansion and discovery has always fascinated me as did Andy. I love the idea of honouring his memory on his birthday this year with our collaboration with Hackatao.”
Explaining the idea behind the project, Hackatao said: “We like to think of our art as something timeless and universal, much like Blondie’s music and iconic legacy. Doing a project with Blondie is not just a collaboration with a band, it is a collaboration with the history of music and art.
“Andy Warhol has similarly been an artistic inspiration to us for his use of colours and trademark way of making art accessible for everyone. For Hack The Borders, we chose to release the project on August 6, which is not only the birthday of Andy, but also of S. of Hackatao. We felt it was a perfect way to pay homage to his genius, and connect us further to the project.”
Other recent NFTs include a special release from Muse’s Matt Bellamy. who released three new songs as NFTs, with one recorded on one of Jeff Buckley’s guitars.
Andy Warhol died in 1987, aged 58.