On Thursday, the Sandbox declared a partnership with the British Museum, intending to integrate the museum’s presence into the metaverse.

They are collaborating with the French startup LaCollection, the museum’s licensing partner. All parties will develop a series of NFTs showcasing the extensive collections of the museum. These NFTs aim to offer fresh experiences to users in the online gaming world.

As they expand into the metaverse, The British Museum is establishing its interactive area within The Sandbox. This step aligns it with contemporary cultural figures, such as Snoop Dogg, McDonald’s, Adidas, and Gucci. They have already ventured into the virtual realm.

Sebastien Borget, The Sandbox’s co-founder and COO, refers to it as an opportunity to introduce the museum’s collections to novel audiences. He sees this as a wonderful chance for The Sandbox players, regardless of their location, to explore and appreciate the incredible collections of human history, art, and culture housed within The British Museum.

Museums Are Embracing Web3

The British Museum has ventured into the Web3 space before, teaming up with LaCollection for three NFT collections. In September 2021, they auctioned 200 digital postcards featuring works by Katsushika Hokusai. 

Then, in spring 2022, they auctioned 20 tokenized versions of works by British artist Joseph Mallord William Turner. These included his dramatic watercolour painting “A Storm (Shipwreck)” from 1823. There was also the iconic 1831 woodblock print “Under the Wave, Off Kanagawa” also known as “The Great Wave”.

Not too long ago, the renowned Centre Pompidou inaugurated a fresh exhibition at the emerging crossroads of art and blockchain. The esteemed museum in France is dedicated to modern art and houses the first-ever collection of modern art in Europe. As part of a permanent exhibit, the museum showcased artworks from prestigious NFT collections. These projects, such as CryptoPunks and Autoglyphs, are highly sought after by art enthusiasts worldwide.

Additionally, Kharkiv Art Museum initiated an NFT collection to raise funds for its operational maintenance. The project aimed to preserve the cultural heritage of one of Ukraine’s oldest art museums. Following suit, Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp in Belgium became the first museum in Europe to tokenize a priceless art masterpiece valued at millions of euros.