THE ROSS ULBRICHT GENESIS COLLECTION NFT AUCTION LAUNCHED AT ART BASEL DEC 2, 2021

 

A FUNDRAISER FOR CHARITY & ROSS ULBRICHT’S FREEDOM EFFORT

(To read Ross Ulbricht’s own words on this, click here.)

All proceeds raised from the Ross Ulbricht Genesis Collection NFT auction will not be owned by Ross Ulbricht or his family, but by a legally separate entity that will redistribute proceeds towards the Art4Giving fund and efforts to free Ross Ulbricht.

DEC 2-8 ON THE SUPERRARE PLATFORM

The Ross Ulbricht Genesis Collection NFT is a unique collection of writings and ten artworks by Ross Ulbricht, from early childhood to teen to prisoner (listed below). It also includes an original animation by Levitate, with voiceover by Ross, inspired by Ross’s experience in prison.

The auction was kicked off at Art Basel Miami through the SuperRare platform. Curated by Entoptic, this is the first and only NFT to include Ross Ulbricht’s personal work.

Link to the auction on SuperRare HERE.

“Decades of incarceration stretch out in front of me. As I face that future—my eventual old age and death in this cage—I find myself looking for meaning and purpose. Why am I here? What good can I do with the time I have left and from where I am? I hope that helping my fellow prisoners through my art is one way.”
– Ross Ulbricht

One of the pieces from the collection. Full list below.

THE OPEN-SOURCE MUSEOLOGICAL GRADE PROTOCOL KPSEC

All of Ross Ulbricht’s original artworks and writings, as well as the original animation, will be compiled into one singular NFT using Kanon’s KSPEC protocol. This process will be directly facilitated by the Kanon team.

KSPEC allows for the Ross Ulbricht Collection NFT to be delivered in full quality and allows on-chain capabilities for the winner of the auction that were previously impossible before KSPEC integration.

“This NFT collection is Ross’s creative journey of expression; it is his living and evolving story. Through drawings and video, we see glimpses of a man’s unfolding existence. This is his way to reach outside the walls of prison, as we continue the campaign for his freedom.”
– Entoptic

ART4GIVING: A CHARITABLE FUND

Prior to the auction start, Ross Ulbricht explained: “With proceeds from this NFT, we are starting a donor-advised fund called Art4Giving…There is a lot we can do, but one idea I am committed to is to help kids travel to visit their moms and dads in prison.” Read more of his thoughts about this here.

In addition to supporting various causes, proceeds will fund a trust dedicated to efforts to free Ross Ulbricht from a life in prison. These include new legal proceedings, raising awareness, and more. There is still a long road ahead.

Tweet by Ross Ulbricht, Dec 4, 2021

“With this NFT, I see a chance to make a difference…My own future may look bleak, but I can still do a little something to heal the damage I see all around me.”
– Ross Ulbricht

ON OCT 1, 2021, ROSS ULBRICHT BEGAN HIS 9TH YEAR OF LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE

A first-time offender, Ross is condemned to die in prison for his role in an e-commerce website called Silk Road. His trial charges were nonviolent, and he was never prosecuted for causing harm or bodily injury.

Bitcoin was the only means of exchange on the Silk Road platform, and devotees of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies recognize Ross’s vision as being an original catalyst for blockchain adoption.

Portrayals of Ross Ulbricht’s case and story have been misleading. This NFT auction is an opportunity to bring renewed attention to his plight and gain support from NFT communities and collectors.

THE ROSS ULBRICHT GENESIS COLLECTION NFT INCLUDES:

(Click here to access the auction on SuperRare)

Age 37
Death
Oil on canvas created in prison, with accompanying essay.

“My future died that day in court when I was sentenced to life without parole. When I got back to the federal detention center, I did not go straight to my cell block as usual. This time, I was interviewed first to judge whether I was suicidal. I wasn’t, and thankfully, I convinced them I wasn’t, or I would have spent a few days in one of the dreaded “suicide watch” cells. I understand why they did that though. Lots of lifers are suicidal. There is no parole in the federal system, so life means your whole life. It is the same as a death sentence. It just takes longer.” Full essay at FreeRoss.org/death

Age 36
Perspective
Graphite pencil drawing created in prison, with accompanying short essay.

“What is consciousness? How can it be recognized? Is it confined to your perceptions, or does it permeate all of reality?

The process of information exchange in our minds that gives rise to consciousness can be seen at all levels, from elementary particles to atoms, molecules, cells, tissues, organisms, organizations, societies and civilizations.

You know it when you see it in an eye, but how deep does it go? How many levels up and how many down? Where are we in the hierarchy? Look down and you are a giant. Look up and see the insignificance of your tiny world.”

Age 35 Uncageable Graphite pencil drawing created in prison, with accompanying poem. Drawn during the grueling 2020 year of coronavirus lockdown (22 to 24 hours a day locked in his cell every day). From the light of freedom to a concrete tomb, The fall was great and swift. My soul cried out in a mighty boom, How could it come to this? Clamped down, trapped stuck, Paralyzed in a tiny cage. Had fate left me not a drop of luck? Was there reason for this rage? Told to lay down and die, Something deep inside me stirred. I can’t be caged I have to fly! Not yet am I interred. They can take my body, tie me down, It matters not a bit. My spirit still runs wild and free, So in freedom here I sit.
Age 32 Life in a Box Graphite pencil drawing created in prison, with accompanying essay. A depiction of Ross’s cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in New York City. “I let my hair and beard grow for one year after I was given two life sentences plus forty years without parole. Then I drew this picture of me in my cell with Scott, my cellie…Try, if you can, to imagine being in this 65-square-foot cell, just you, your cellie and a pet mouse…Now imagine living here day after day after day…” Full essay at FreeRoss.org/life-in-a-box
Age 31 The Trial I Saw Graphite pencil drawing created in prison. A creative interpretation based on Ross’s perception of his trial, seen through his own mask.
Age 17 You lookin’ at Me? Graphite pencil drawing

Age 8
Quicksilver
Graphite pencil drawing

Age 6
I Hope the War is Over
Drawing

Age 4
Dolphin
Painting

Age 3
Mom’s Dae
Drawing

Original Animation by Levitate Unique and never seen before. Inspired by Ross’s experience in prison. Voiceover by Ross. Will be available on-chain in full resolution thanks to Kanon’s KSPEC protocol. Length: 2m40s

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ROSS ULBRICHT AND HIS CASE, VISIT FREEROSS.ORG

TO SIGN HIS CLEMENCY PETITION, VISIT FREEROSS.ORG/PETITION