TRLab is offering NFTs featuring Calder’s art as part of a multi-stage digital journey titled The Calder Question, which launched October 6th. Priority access to buy the NFTs will be given to collectors who complete all stages of the accompanying educational experience. As they proceed through the stages of The Calder Question, collectors will also earn the chance to collect physical items, such as signed books. At the end of The Calder Question, a limited number of participants will be eligible to visit Calder’s home and studio in Roxbury, Connecticut for a tour led by Rower. The Calder Foundation will use proceeds from the project to establish a new conservation fund to restore Calder’s physical artworks.

“Everyone gets to choose their own adventure, and there is no obligation to purchase anything—the core educational components of The Calder Question are free,” says Audrey Ou, co-founder and CEO of TRLab. “TRLab is unique in that we design NFT art experiences, not just drops. Our mission is rooted in the belief that education and community should be integrated into the act of collecting.”

At the time of writing, the NFTs that will be released at the end of The Calder Question journey are still under wraps, but they will not be simple digital replicas or reproductions of Calder’s work. “Sandy’s goal for the limited-edition NFTs is to use the technology to change the viewing perspective and bring people closer to the works, in a way that may not be possible when seeing them in a museum context,” says Ou. Rower, who is known to friends as Sandy, adds: “When art is in a vitrine or behind a stanchion, you can’t really have the experience that Calder intended. The digital world opens up all sorts of opportunities, including getting inside a sculpture.”

Collectors from around the world have already signed up to take part in The Calder Question. Among them are collectors in Asia, which is the epicentre of the global trade in NFTs. A report by research firm Finder stated that Asia accounted for 35 per cent of the US$22 billion NFT trade in 2021. “Many of my clients in Asia have either started collecting NFTs already, or they are watching the market closely to find projects that resonate with their interests,” says Li-Cohen, who advises many of the world’s top collectors, including François Pinault, the founder of luxury group Kering.

Li-Cohen is thrilled to be working on The Calder Question alongside Rower, who has dedicated his career to promoting his grandfather’s work. “Calder is singularly fascinating for his innovative genius. He relentlessly explored new ideas in his artistic practice that continues to question what art is, nearly 50 years after his death,” says Rower. “At its core, Web3 is an alternative space of perception and existence—and that’s the basis for all of Calder’s work.”

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