SPOTLIGHT:This NFT Enthusiast Experienced Yuga Labs' BAYC Display During Paris Blockchain Week

At the end of March, Bored Apes graced the walls of the historic Louvre Museum in Paris France during Paris Blockchain week and this crypto enthusiast shared some of the first photos of the historic event online.

Lil Pudgy holder and CEO of ZenGo, Ouriel Ohayon, was attending a VIP dinner during Paris Blockchain week at the Lourve last month when he saw something boring prominently displayed at the 230-year-old museum.

“I knew we were going to have a private visit of the museum but never expected to see NFTs exposed right at the entrance,” Ohayon told the Gazette. “It was a major surprise to see a set of Bored Apes right at the gate until the iconic Louvres Pyramid.”

The set of Bored Apes that Ohayon saw at the Louvre that day were owned by some of the club’s most notable members such as Yat Siu, Snoop Dogg, Frédéric Arnault, Adidas’ Indigo Herz, Deepak Thapliyal, Bored Caviar, Timbaland, Lior.Eth, J1mmy.Eth, and Bicylce Playing cards.

Photo credit Ryan Selkis

This bored display at the Louvre was part of a partnership that Yuga Labs had with Paris Blockchain week.

“Partnering with Paris Blockchain Week to display notable Apes in the Louvre was a creative way to not only recognize BAYC’s outsized impact on culture, but also showcase how Apes have leveraged IP in exciting ways,” Yuga Labs’ Chief Creative Officer Michael Figge previously told the Gazette. “It also drives forward the very important conversation of digital art getting the recognition it deserves.”

Seeing Apes on display next to some of the greatest works of art in history reinvigorated Ohayan on the Web3 space and gave him hope for the future of NFTs.

“It is easy to make critics about our industry. I do believe we deserve a fair share of those. But we need to focus on rebuilding trust with our own communities but also with the outside world crypto and NFTs are too focused on pleasing a small audience and feels still very selective as opposed to opened and embracing. We need less toxicity and more openness. We need more builders and less speculators and opportunists. We need more honest ambitious entrepreneurs and obviously less fraudsters and bounty hunters. If we want NFTs to be everywhere we need to build a space that is truly secure, safe and honest. This week I felt something very special about it while I was passing those apes past such monumental masterpieces of art that were created out of vision and passion. This is probably a hidden message to our industry of where we are and where we need to be tomorrow.”

The Bored Ape Gazette will continue to follow Yuga Labs as they get even more digital assets displayed at museums around the world. Stay tuned for updates!