It seems like everyone is trying to get their piece of the NFT pie right now— even the Queen of Pop herself. In her contribution to the rapidly expanding medium, Madonna stays as true to her brand as ever with “Mother of Creation,” a triptych that’s racy, provocative, and every bit ridiculous.
In this collaboration with the graphic artist known as Beeple, Madonna unleashes three digital renderings of herself in surrealist scenarios that she claims are inspired by motherhood.
“Mother of Creation” features three one-minute videos: “MOTHER OF NATURE,” “MOTHER OF EVOLUTION,” and “MOTHER OF TECHNOLOGY.” In each, a nude 3D Madonna lays with her legs spread in wild environments: on a table in a lab, on the hood of an abandoned truck in what appears to be an dystopian landscape, and on the ground within a jungle.
The NFTs wouldn’t be complete without an incomprehensible Madonna voiceover, in which she speaks breathily in abstract terms about birth, love, and other lofty concepts. Her narration includes lines from the poet Rumi, and is accompanied by atmospheric sound design created by Sasha Kasiuha.
Each of the three works is meant to represent “a different form of birth in our contemporary world,” as it says on the project’s website where the NFTs can be viewed. In a statement on the same site, Madonna explains her intentions of exploring the idea of “giving birth to art” and “investigating the concept of creation, not only the way a child enters the world through a woman’s vagina, but also the way an artist gives birth to creativity.” Call me a hater, but I preferred when Madonna’s creative output consisted of pop hits and spunky movie cameos.
“Mother of Creation” was released for purchase on the platform SuperRare on May 11, and as of the writing of this article, each of the three is going for over $20,000 a piece.
If you’re as demoralized reading this piece as I am writing it, there is a silver lining. Madonna will be donating the sales from the auction to three nonprofits focused on supporting women and children; The Voices of Children Foundation, The City of Joy, and Black Mama’s Bail Out. At least we can find some solace in that.