Augmented Reality Masks from MF Doom Auctioned as NFTs Fetch $1.6 Million

Black sculptural art piece with a red gem, set in a grassy area.

The hype surrounding non-fungible tokens (NFTs) has reached astronomical levels over the past few weeks, and now the technology has intersected with augmented reality's orbit in a fantastic way.

NFT marketplace Illust Space is conducting a crypto auction featuring limited AR masks autographed by hip-hop legend MF Doom.

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The mysterious rapper passed away on Oct. 31, 2020, though his death was not revealed until Dec. 31, when his wife, Jasmine, announced it on Instagram.

Independent hip-hop label Rhymesayers Entertainment, Jasmine, and the estate of the late rapper partnered to offer the rare NFTs. MF Doom's estate will receive 10% of the proceeds as royalties along with individualized donations of the winning mask bidders.

Tommy Palladino/Next Reality

The auction opened on March 11 at 4 pm Pacific time and concluded on March 12 at 10 p.m. on the Illust Space website. As of this writing, the highest price one of the masks garnered was roughly $350,000, but another AR mask, which is still taking bids for a few days, is up to nearly $800,000. In all, the auction has raised roughly $1.6 million, and that number is likely to rise in the coming days.

To view the masks in AR, visit the site from your mobile browser. You can see the masks in your space via your rear camera or on your face through the front-facing camera.

Tommy Palladino/Next Reality

The upward trajectory has been highlighted by the recent sale of NFT artwork by Beeple for $69 million and music artist Grimes for $5.5 million. Meanwhile, an NFT video clip of NBA star Lebron James dunking a basketball sold for $200,000.

NFT and AR seem destined to grow hand-in-hand as a means for artists to sell their wares. For example, music artist Reggie Watts recently partnered with Looking Glass to auction a holographic NFT.

Cover image by Tommy Palladino/Next Reality

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