Will Your Heart Pass the Test?

 

Will Your Heart pass the Test? is an NFT by Drue Kataoka, leading Japanese American artist-technologist-activist and CEO of global art studio Drue Kataoka Art Studios, in collaboration with Industrial Light & Magic ILMxLAB, Lucasfilm’s pioneering immersive entertainment studio. 100% of the auction proceeds will benefit two esteemed civil rights organizations, The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social change (The King Center) and Stop AAPI Hate.

 

This unprecedented project is an impressive and complex technological feat with each frame taking 20 minutes to digitally render. “This project has been a labor of love for a huge team across London, Singapore, the San Francisco Bay area, and Las Vegas. In the male-dominated world of art, technology, crypto, and visual effects, it’s remarkable that this project was led by women from five inspiring organizations covering the art, vision, execution, and non-profit dimensions,” says Drue Kataoka. Vicki Dobbs Beck, VP of Immersive Content Innovation at ILMxLAB adds, “We saw this as a unique and compelling way to use emerging technologies and our collective talents to raise awareness and funding for two very deserving organizations dedicated to racial justice. We are honored to help bring Drue Kataoka’s artistic vision to life and together, innovate across art, storytelling, and technology – all with the goal of positive social impact.

 "I believe that 'Will Your Heart Pass the Test?' is unprecedented in the nascent crypto space in terms of effort, epic artistry, social mission, and the sheer number of human hours dedicated to the perfecting every detail: from light angles and textures, to the numerous Easter eggs embedded in the narrative." —Drue Kataoka

 

The Final Judgement

 

The idea of judgement of a person’s soul is thousands of years old. According to the ancient Egyptian funerary text The Book of the Dead, one of the final tests the deceased would have to pass was depicted in Spell 125, Weighing of the Heart.  In this ritual, the deceased person’s heart would be weighed against the white feather of Ma’at, goddess of truth, justice and order. If the person’s heart was found to be lighter than Ma’at’s feather, they were led to Osiris and granted passage to eternal paradise.

 

 

Will Your Heart Pass the Test? depicts the rite as a call for introspection amongst all facets of today’s society: technologists, politicians, business leaders, influencers, opinion-makers, each and every one of us.

 

“At the end of our lives, how will we be judged? The problems we face are of our own making. But time is slipping away with every beat of our hears, and turning the tide becomes increasingly harder. Are we hiding our individual responsibility behind the collective “we”? Are we finger-pointing, while sexism and racism comfortably colonize the next wave of revolutionary technologies?” asks Kataoka.

 

Reverend Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Center, remarks, “The proliferation of racist and sexist imagery in the NFT space is deeply concerning. Will Your Heart Pass the Test? is a phenomenal artwork, and with it we hope to establish a new gold standard for artistry, vision, and commitment towards social ideals in the NFT space. The King Center and I are proud to participate in this historic NFT artwork. Drue Kataoka shares our vision that powerful emerging technologies like blockchain and AI should be bent towards the purpose of social justice, not just commercialization and militarization. Her multi-decade commitment to the intersection of art and technology as a social force for good can inspire the next generation of diverse youth to help us build the Beloved Community.”

 

Cynthia Choi, co-Founder of Stop AAPI Hate adds, “We are deeply humbled to be the beneficiary along with The King Center for this cutting-edge NFT art collaboration led by the visionary Drue Kataoka. It is our hope that it will compel each of us to hold a mirror up as individuals and collectively on how we emerge from this profoundly painful period. We are excited by the potential of art to heal, to explore injustices and catalyze civic action.”

 

 

 

 

The following terms supplement the Conditions of Sale which govern the sale of this Lot. 

 

The artist has created the following physical piece to accompany the NFT (the physical piece includes: a unique Chromaluxe dye sublimation metal print with wooden back-frame measuring 24 x 43 in. (the “Physical Companion”). Note that the Physical Companion is not part of this Lot and is not covered by Phillips’ Authorship Warranty. Phillips makes no representations or warranties about the Physical Companion including but not limited to its nature, condition, description, uniqueness, functionality, compatibility, durability, or the availability of this physical work, either now or in the future, or that it will function in the manner the artist intend.

The Buyer may request in writing, for Phillips to release or deliver the Physical Companion to Buyer. Buyer’s written notice must be received by Phillips within 30 days from the end date of the Online Auction. Phillips will only release arrange or deliver the Physical Companion to the Buyer upon Phillips’ receipt of full payment of the Lot’s Purchase Price.

The Buyer will be responsible for paying all shipping charges associated with a delivery of the Physical Companion by Phillips to Buyer. Phillips will not be responsible to Buyer at any time for any physical loss or damage to the Physical Companion.  For further terms and conditions regarding the Physical Companion, please review our Online Auction Conditions of Sale.

 

Buyers of this lot may be entitled to claim a charitable contribution deduction for the hammer price, but such deduction will be limited to the excess of the hammer price paid for the lot over its fair market value of $187,500. In accordance with applicable IRS regulations, Phillips has provided a good faith estimate of the fair market value for the lot. Buyers will have until February 28, 2022, inclusively, to indicate to The King Center and Stop AAPI Hate in writing, their wish to benefit from this charitable contribution deduction by sending an email to donations@caasf.org. Bidders are advised to consult with their own tax advisors to determine the application of the tax law to their own specific circumstances and whether a charitable contribution deduction is available.

 

Further Information on NFTs

Which currency will bidding be denominated in?

The auction will be conducted and invoiced in US dollars (USD).

What forms of payment are accepted?

Payments are due in either USD or in Ether. Each bidder will be responsible for conducting their own U.S. Dollar to Ether cryptocurrency conversion throughout the online-only auction and at the time of each of their bids, and you acknowledge and agree that cryptocurrency rates fluctuate regularly and the conversion rate may change during the course of the online-only auction and you are responsible for the payment of a winning bid at the rate of exchange at the time payment is made by you, and not at a previous rate of exchange.

Are there resale royalties due to the charitable organizations on secondary market sales?

The NFT is subject to resale royalties on any subsequent resales of the NFT. On any subsequent resale of the NFT, the successful bidder and buyer of the NFT at the auction may be obligated on Seller’s behalf to collect and remit to Seller resale royalties as applicable equal to 10% of the sale price of the NFT. Other resale royalties and transaction duties imposed by law may also apply in relation to such resales.

PLEASE NOTE THAT BY REGISTERING TO BID YOU AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING:

• You are bidding as principal and not on behalf of anyone else

• You have a wallet capable of supporting and accepting a ERC721 token

• You accept and understand that payment can be made in Ether only if made:

  • from a single wallet registered to you;

  • using funds belonging to you; and

  • maintained by one of the following:

    • Coinbase Custody Trust;

    • Coinbase, Inc.;

    • Fidelity Digital Assets Services, LLC;

    • Gemini Trust Company, LLC; or

    • Paxos Trust Company, LLC.

 

Payments from digital wallets hosted at other exchanges or self-hosted wallets will not be recognized or accepted and in such circumstances payment will be required in US dollars.

 

If you are the successful bidder you agree to provide us with all information and documentation, we request in order to verify your identity and to confirm that the Ether payment was made from a digital wallet registered in your name and maintained at by one of the platforms above. Partial payments of a lot from multiple digital wallets will not be accepted.

 

Please view the full Online Auction Conditions of Sale.