An Austrian art museum becomes the first in the world to accept Bitcoin for art

On April 24, 2015, the Austrian Museum of Applied Arts/Contemporary Art (MAK) made history by becoming the first museum in the world to acquire a work of art using Bitcoin. The piece in question was “Event Listeners”, created by Dutch artist Harm van den Dorpel. This limited-edition screensaver was displayed on the online gallery Cointemporary.com.

The MAK purchased “Event Listeners” using Bitcoin, marking a significant moment for the intersection of art and digital currency. 

 

“Event Listeners” was specifically created for a panel discussion titled “MAK NITE Lab Digital Superposition – The File as an Object” held on March 31, 2015.

The piece was part of the first-ever Vienna Biennale 2015: Ideas for Change, which ran from June 11 to October 4, 2015. The exhibition theme, “24/7 – The Human Condition”, explored contemporary issues related to technology, art, and society.