An artist from Russia, known for crafting NFTs featuring a bloodied Vladimir Putin, now claims he will destroy $45 million worth of Picasso, Rembrandt, and Warhol artworks if WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange passes away in prison.
For his “Dead Man’s Switch” art project, Andrei Molodkin assembled 16 well-known art pieces in a 29-ton safe and two barrels of “very corrosive” material.
The barrels are set up to destroy the artwork after a whole day. The timer will only be reset, and the acid resisted if “someone close” to Assange consistently certifies that he is still alive. The artwork will be returned to its owners if Assange is set free.
The project is motivated by Assange’s resistance to being extradited to the United States, where he faces charges related to espionage and is scheduled to file his last appeal next week. His supporters claim he might spend 175 years in prison if he is unsuccessful.
“Since Julian Assange has been in prison… freedom of expression, freedom of speech, freedom of information has started to be more and more repressed,” Molodkin said to Sky News. He claims that “freedom is much more important” and that he would feel “no emotion” if the artwork was destroyed.
In the past, Molodkin produced a set of 24 NFTs that showed Vladimir Putin covered in blood to help Ukraine fight back against Russia. Every NFT is purportedly dedicated to a Ukrainian city that Russia attacked.
The collection says, “Exposed on the tanks of Red Square on victory day through augmented reality, the work has evolved into the metaverse.” It also says that UNICEF will receive the proceeds to assist pay blood transfusions.
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