The Underground Sistine Chapel
Update 23 of May 2021: The NFTs of The Underground Sistine Chapel has been released.
A modern version of the Sistine Chapel painted by the artist Pascal Boyart aka "Pboy", was created in a former gold foundry (now managed by Studio La Fonderie) on the outskirts of Paris.
After his mediatized mural of the "Liberty leading the yellow vests", Pboy goes to an atypical place to create a monumental work of 100m2 with more than 400 characters painted. It is the result of 5 months of work during this special 2020 quarantine.
With this work, Pboy stays true to his passion and vision: working on masterpieces from the history of art and adapting with a touch of modernity to anchor it in our time.
Thought and created during the 2020 pandemic, this masterful project combines both artistic and technological innovations, that pave the way for new independent creations models through virtual reality and decentralized sponsorship.
A technical and artistic challenge
For 5 months, the artist painted the entire work on his own, mixing different techniques (acrylic and inks). The industrial architecture of the place, its lines, its environment, its transparent roof and its long corridor of 80m where once passed the armored vans of the precious metals company (CMP), inspired him to recreate this monument.
Pboy's Underground Sistine Chapel is divided in three frescoes:
• "The Last Judgment", (8x8m), central piece, which features more than 400 characters who can be found here under a transparent roof that allows day light to pass through.
• "The Creation of Adam" (3x5m), is to its left. In Michelangelo's version it is initially located on the vault of the chapel among the episodes of the genesis.
• “The Temptation” (3x5m), on the right, illustrates Adam and Eve driven from paradise.
Pboy brought his influence by transforming and adding technological, environmental and sartorial elements of our time (smartphone, computer, nuclear power plant, underwear, electronic bracelet ...).
Most of characters anatomy has been reworked, especially the bodies of women in a more contemporary style.
Also, about twenty characters were stripped in reference to the original version of MichelAngelo before it was censored by Pope Paul IV reform.
Technologies at the service of creation
Investing in the use of new technologies in the service of his art, Pboy is recognized worldwide as one of the most innovative crypto-artists of his time. He is the first artist to have added custom Bitcoin QR code to his frescoes and has also organized the first Street Art treasure hunt in Bitcoin in Paris, in January 2019.
• Decentralized sponsorship with NFTs
Dear to the artist's values centered on freedom and independence in his creations, he launched a patronage campaign in cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin and Ethereum) to finance this daring project (equipment, painting, logistics ...) .
Particularity: Patronage gives the right to NFTs (non-fungible tokens) representing certain parts of the work in the digital version. In other words, each of the 12 international donors / patrons * who supported the project become the purchaser of the work in digital version; unlike the physical work which is not for sale. See the NFT collection here.
* Patrons: WhaleShark, Alistair Milne, Le Cercle du Coin, Ben.Oxmo, Lev, Miguel, Thomas France, Lwiskisky, Charles K, Nind, Ariarosey & Lionschark, Conlan Rios.
• A 3D virtual tour
Once finished, the place and the fresco was modeled in 3D (photogrammetry), to allow the whole world to visit it in virtual reality from a simple smartphone.
The public will be able to immerse themselves in the space, zoom in on details or even walk alongside the characters to discover the work in immersion!
You can also visit it in Cryptovoxels, a virtual world based on blockchain:
The Underground Sistine Chapel by PBOY - Build in Cryptovoxels by @BnoiitC and @234D
The project in figures
- 1 artist alone.
- 1 fresco of 100m2 composed of 3 scenes.
- More than 400 characters.
- 5 months of work, ~ 700 hours (production from July to December 2020).
- 20K euros collected in cryptocurrencies, financed by 12 patrons from around the world.
- 1 modeling of the fresco in 3D. - 404 NFTs of the finished work created by the artist.
- 1 documentary film on the genesis of the project and its realization, to come.
Thanks to Studio La Fonderie to provide the space for the project.
