The rise of NFT art in Singapore

JUST days after the art world sought to make sense of the record-breaking US$69.3 million paid for the NFT (non-fungible token) work of digital artist Beeple, the Singapore street artist known as Speak Cryptic announced on Facebook that he had just sold the first NFT work of his own.

The price was a more earthbound 0.7 Ether, which converts to around S$1,600 at current value. A black-and-white digital drawing of a humanoid with a vegetal head, it was sold on an NFT site called Cargo that is not even a year old.

As one of the first Singaporean artists to sell an NFT artwork, Speed Cryptic reflects a growing interest in the digital art platform even before Beeple was thrust into the spotlight. In tomorrow's BTLifestyle, we look into this phenomenon and how it is affecting the Singapore art market.

Meanwhile, the well-heeled have a new playground that they can literally put their money on, as banks engage interior designers to turn their private client centres into less "bank-like" lifestyle spaces. From garden conservatories to posh hotel-like lounges, we check out how banking has become even more privileged for the upper class.

But for an even nicer garden experience, check out a new French dining experience at Clos Pasoh, which serves contemporary brasserie cooking in a botanical setting.