Paris, France, December 9, 2022 / AlexaBlockchain/ – The Aquarium de Paris announces today its collaboration with Metaseum, a company specialized in Web3 projects for cultural institutions. The Aquarium possesses the largest collection of jellyfish in the world, outside Japan. Its first collection of NFT will be dedicated to jellyfish.
The 1,234 NFTs will be launched at 10:30 p.m. (Paris time) on December 16, 2022 on the Metaseum website. Each of the 1,234 NFTs will be unique, as the collection will consist of a random combination of 60 visuals of 3D modeled jellyfish and 24 backgrounds. The manual work on these visuals allows a unique inventory of this animal species, as elegant as it is intimidating.
https://www.metaseum.space/aquarium-de-paris
The world’s first scientifically accurate NFTs
Created in 3D, the characteristics of the NFTs correspond in all respects to those of the jellyfish swimming in the Aquarium. Thus, their Latin names, morphologies, tentacles,
scientific families, danger index, geographical locations and ages have been expressly verified by a team of marine biologists. For the first time in the history of NFTs, metadata will make it possible to categorize scientific traits.
Science and art come together. These scientific data are for the first time encoded on the blockchain, thus using this new technology in a mediation vocation. The NFTs of the Jellyfish Collection have been created with a scientific mediation approach to raise scientific awareness. Acquiring a Jellyfish NFT is also promoting the sharing of knowledge, especially on animals as little known to the public as jellyfish.
The advantages (utilities) of Jellyfish NFTs
The purchasers of these NFTs will benefit from exclusive advantages: unlimited and free access to the Aquarium, discounts in the store, invitations to VIP events (meetings with biologists, guided tours of the tanks, invitation to the arrival of the polyps of the purchased species) and to the establishment’s night club. Becoming the first aquarium to enter the Web3 market, the Paris Aquarium is setting up these “bonuses” (utilities in Web3 language) in order to create a real eclectic community made up of marine world, Web3 and art enthusiasts. The purchase of an NFT will then give its holder the possibility to enter this community capable of orienting the management of the Aquarium, favoring a participative dynamic and an opening towards the public.
“From its inception in 1867, the Paris Aquarium has been at the heart of innovation. The first modern aquarium built in the heart of the industrial revolution, it left a deep impression on people and inspired Jules Vernes to write Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Today, as the era of virtual reality begins, the Paris Aquarium claims to be a pioneer of the Metaverse. It is launching a collection of 1,234 NFTs, each of these unique works created through a logarithm including biological criteria, which blend in a fascinating way with the process of artistic creation. Science and art find a new fruitful ground of exchange, to embody the magic of the Ocean in the virtual world,” says Alexis Powilewicz, CEO of the Paris Aquarium.
“For our first collection of NFTs we chose to highlight the different species of jellyfish that we present in our Medusarium®. We wanted this collection to be scientifically valid, so our team dedicated to jellyfish worked hand in hand with Metaseum’s artists to ensure that all the biological characteristics of each species were gathered. Thanks to this work, the NFTs become a new educational support to make people discover these little-known species!” – Etienne Bourgouin, marine biologist at the Paris Aquarium.
“Since I was very young, I have always been a fan of aquariums and I dreamed of having a large aquarium at home. Today, working for the oldest public aquarium in the world, creating a unique NFT collection, is a real accomplishment for me. Metaseum’s ambition is to push the boundaries of NFTs in the cultural world. We have succeeded in creating an exceptional collection, working with the Aquarium team every step of the way to ensure that the Jellyfish NFTs match the jellyfish that swim in their tanks in every way. This is a real technological achievement and we hope to create a vibrant community that is aware of the issues involved in saving marine life. I believe that by creating a strong link between cultural institutions and the public, we can promote knowledge sharing to a new level, that of the Web3. ” – Martijn van Schaik, CEO Metaseum.
How to Acquire Jellyfish NFTs ?
The purchase process has been simplified so that anyone, whether they are used to NFTs or not, can acquire one or more NFT Jellyfish.
“Go to the “Aquarium de Paris” tab on the Metaseum website, click on “buy an NFT” and you will be able to pay directly with your usual payment method: paypal, visa, mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc. As easy as any other internet purchase: this process is made possible by our partner Byont.”
For NFTs regulars, they will be able to finalize their purchase using their wallet, such as Metamask for example and pay in ethereum (ETH).
Pre-sales will be organized before the launch, the Whitelist, and will give access to 50 pre-mined NFTs. To access the Whitelist, you will have to register on Discord and be active there. Pre-sales are limited to 50 spots, so the 50 most active people will get access: sharing, participating in competitions, etc. Access to the Whitelist guarantees access to NFTs, free gas fees and an invitation to the launch event of the Collection at the Paris Aquarium on December16, 2022.
Price per NFT: 0.18 ETH (equivalent to 180€ to 220€ as of November 24, 2022).
The first aquarium to open in the Metaverse
In the first half of 2023, the Paris Aquarium will enter the metaverse, becoming the first aquarium in the world to do so.
About the Paris Aquarium and its Medusarium
Opened in 1867, it is the oldest public aquarium in the world, today with an average of 700,000 visitors per year, 13,000 fish and invertebrates, including more than 50 different species of jellyfish.
The Paris Aquarium exhibits the first collection of jellyfish in the world, outside Japan. The laboratory of the Medusarium is at the forefront of international research. The dedicated team includes four of the world’s leading jellyfish biologists. They are able to control the numerous parameters (salinity, temperature, current, feeding) at the different stages of the animal’s life development, according to each species. The Aquarium mainly studies the polyp form: the initial and fixed stage of the jellyfish. It is this expertise that allows visitors to live this hypnotic, scientific and artistic experience.
About Metaseum
Metaseum is the metaverse of culture. By creating a global community, it allows to discover museums, monuments and galleries online, as well as NFT collections authenticated by cultural institutions. It offers a fully immersive and interactive experience, powered by Unreal Engine 5 and Polygon. NFTs offer benefits such as free lifetime access to museums around the world, access to exclusive events and collectibles.
Metaseum was created with the goal of helping cultural institutions enter Web3. While museums are finding it increasingly difficult to attract new visitors, their metaverse creates and federates a community around culture. Accessible, the public is invited to discover the art and knowledge of museums around the world. Through “learn to earn”, visitors will learn to earn crytomoney, reusable within the metaverse. While physical museums are governed by strict physical and social codes, the Metaseum metaverse will offer visitors the opportunity to go beyond them: swim in an aquarium, run through the corridors, interact with the artworks, etc. It has been proven that interaction is an excellent means of learning, which is now increasingly used in schools. Introducing it in virtual museums will create a new synergy between the public and culture.
Launch event information
We would be happy to have you join us for the Collection Launch Party on Friday December 16 at 9:30 p.m. at the Paris Aquarium during a cocktail in the presence of the Aquarium and Metaseum teams. A special clubbing evening will follow at the aQuarium.
Press contact:
Sophie Candau – +33 6.07.16.40.45 – sophie@combusters.fr
Source: Metaseum
