Blondie have announced a new NFT collaboration with Hackatao to celebrate the 93rd birthday of Andy Warhol.
The crypto art series, dubbed “Hack The Borders,” will be be released through digital art online auction platform Nifty Gateway next month. The artwork is based upon Warhol’s first ever digital portrait of Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry, shot in 1985.
The one-of-a-kind artwork, which Blondie have called “a present day manifestation of the punk rock movement,” will land on August 6 via Nifty Gateway, to celebrate what would’ve been Warhol’s 93rd birthday.
“I heard of Hackatao early on when the NFT phenomena went mainstream,” Blondie’s Chris Stein said in a statement. “Andy, who embraced modern technology, would certainly have been minting Warhol NFT’s. I am attracted to the lack of gatekeeping that thus far is a significant factor in all this.
Debbie Harry added: “Techno expansion and discovery has always fascinated me as did Andy. I love the idea of honoring his memory on his birthday this year with our collaboration with Hackatao.”
Explaining the idea behind the project, Hackatao said: “We like to think of our art as something timeless and universal, much like Blondie’s music and iconic legacy. Doing a project with Blondie is not just a collaboration with a band, it is a collaboration with the history of music and art.
“Andy Warhol has similarly been an artistic inspiration to us for his use of colors and trademark way of making art accessible for everyone. For Hack the Borders, we chose to release the project on August 6, which is not only the birthday of Andy, but also of S. of Hackatao. We felt it was a perfect way to pay homage to his genius, and connect us further to the project.”
Back in June, it was announced that Blondie would be headlining the Cruel World Festival in 2022. The single-day fest will also feature Psychedelic Furs, Violent Femmes, Echo & the Bunnymen, English Beat, Public Image Ltd., Berlin, Missing Persons, Christian Death, the Damned, the Church, and more. Tickets for the May 14 event are in sale now.
Listen to the best of Blondie on Apple Music and Spotify.