Ledger & Belvedere Museum’s Unique Klimt Collaboration

Before You Dive In:

—— In a celebratory fusion of art and technology, Ledger collaborated with the Belvedere Museum in Vienna, Austria, to create an exclusive run of 50 Ledger Stax devices featuring Gustav Klimt’s iconic artwork, The Kiss.

——  The Belvedere Museum previously launched The Kiss NFT Project in 2022, fractionalizing a digital representation of Klimt’s masterpiece into a collection of 10,000 unique NFTs. 

——  Klimt’s history of provocative, boundary-pushing artwork and later recognition parallels the attitudes that have surrounded NFTs and digital art since their inception

Written by Ariel Wengroff, VP Communications

Like technology, art is constantly evolving. New artistic movements often challenge the status quo of their time, facing skepticism or outright rejection before ultimately reaching widespread acceptance and cultural relevance. The evolution of blockchain technology has followed a similar path. 

In order for mass adoption of a new technology or product, people need something in culture they can relate to so they want to use it. Through NFTs, art has become a central theme in crypto’s adoption, something that Ledger, building on our longstanding support of artists and digital art, recently explored through a collaboration with The Belvedere Museum and its tokenization of one of art’s most beloved images, Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss.

Klimt: Progress and Controversy in Art

“If you cannot please everyone with your deeds and your art, please a few. To please many is bad.”

These words from German dramatist Friedrich Schiller, painted above the nude figure in Gustav Klimt’s 1899 piece Nuda Veritas, go a long way in framing the Austrian master painter’s attitude and career. 

As a pioneer of the art movement now known as the Vienna Secession, Klimt’s works during that time railed against the expectations of artists in Vienna, even becoming the subjects of protest and a parliamentary debate. 

Klimt is a perfect example of the rebellious archetype that shines through the work of early blockchain artists like XCOPY and Beeple, and prominent projects like the CryptoPunks. His rebellion against the mainstream artistic movement of his time ultimately produced works that are beloved and highly valued to this day. None more than the painting considered his greatest, The Kiss.

Historic Art Meets Cutting-Edge Technology

Just as Klimt’s work challenged traditional notions of art and pushed boundaries, digital art and blockchain technology have disrupted notions around what is or isn’t valuable art today. 

Though the history of digital art stretches back as early as the 1960s, the advent of the internet unlocked an unprecedented new level of global distribution for artists. This simultaneously expanded the medium and created new challenges for the artists within it; They could publish their work online, but had no reliable ways of tracking its use or receiving royalties based on the success of their intellectual property.

Blockchain provided a solution to this longstanding problem, allowing artists to receive automatic royalties through smart contracts and establish provenance and scarcity in an otherwise infinitely reproducible medium.

NFTs specifically were the groundbreaking innovation that birthed a digital art renaissance, allowing artists to effectively monetize their digital creations, while providing collectors with verifiable ownership – a transformation that boundary-pushing artists and institutions quickly recognized and embraced.

The Belvedere has been a pioneer in this movement, becoming one of the first museums in the world to launch an NFT project with The Kiss NFT in June 2022. A digital reimagining of Klimt’s masterpiece, the 10,000-piece project not only democratized access to a renowned artwork but also highlighted the potential of blockchain technology in preserving and sharing cultural heritage.

The Kiss Becomes An NFT

The most successful NFT project ever initiated by a museum, The Kiss NFT stands as a testament to how digital art can bridge the gap between the past and the future, offering a modern experience of classic artworks to a new generation of art lovers and collectors.

The duality of scandal and success that Klimt experienced in his own time mirrors the reception of digital art, NFTs, and cryptocurrencies today. It’s therefore poetic that Klimt’s most celebrated work can be given a new lease on life, digitally preserved via a medium that democratizes access to art. 

As pioneers of technology that allows users to self-custody new forms of digital value, including NFTs, Ledger wanted to explore the fertile ground provided by the Klimt collection through a unique collaboration.

Technology Meets Art with The Limited Edition “The Kiss” Ledger Stax 

In collaboration with the Belvedere Museum, Ledger has manufactured an exclusive run of Ledger Stax devices featuring The Kiss. 

A celebration of the intersection of art and technology that underscores the evolving narrative of how we perceive and protect digital art, The Kiss Edition Ledger Stax represents Ledger and The Belvedere’s shared commitment to artistic and technological innovation.

The world’s first device with a secure touchscreen and featuring the first-ever curved E Ink® display, Ledger Stax is Ledger’s premium hardware wallet offering, combining an intuitive touchscreen interface with Ledger’s uncompromising security in a luxury form factor. 

Designed by the Godfather of the iPod, Tony Fadell, Ledger Stax was built from the ground up to be easy to use, secure, and provide an uncompromising, personalized user experience. Its iconic design centers around a 3.7” curved E Ink screen that transforms the whole device into a control interface, making it perfect for Clear Signing – a groundbreaking feature from Ledger that makes it possible to verify the details of each transaction on your secure screen to know exactly what you’re signing. 

Ledger has evolved significantly over the past decade, allowing you to safeguard not only your digital assets but your digital identity and cultural value as well. Besides the ability to customize their Ledger Stax device with The Kiss NFT or any NFT or image of their choosing, users can also display and manage their Ethereum and Polygon NFTs directly within Ledger’s all-in-one companion app, Ledger Live. 

Each limited edition Ledger Stax device honors Klimt’s artistic legacy with an engraved reproduction of the artist’s signature and bears the artwork on the packaging. 

“Ledger’s expertise as a market leader in blockchain technology aligns perfectly with our mission to connect art and culture with cutting-edge technology,” said Wolfgang Bergmann, CFO of the Belvedere Museum.

Ledger Stax: Security and Ease of Use By Design

The collaboration between Ledger and the Belvedere Museum is a visionary step towards a future where art and technology coexist harmoniously. The Kiss Ledger Stax is a celebration of this union, offering a secure and elegant way to protect and display digital art.

In a world where digital art is becoming increasingly significant, Ledger stands as the best way to protect your digital value, ensuring that masterpieces like “The Kiss” continue to inspire and captivate future generations. Whether it’s NFTs from The Kiss collection or any other valuable assets, Ledger’s secure devices provide the highest level of protection.

This highly exclusive run of The Kiss Ledger Stax wallets was limited to just 50 devices and is now sold out, but you can still buy a Stax and showcase your favourite piece of digital art.