I saw it. You probably saw it too. The headlines screamed: "NFT of Christ Launched into Space!" Mayte Spínola’s Galactic Christ offers a colorful, psychedelic interpretation of Christ. That stark contrast with the deep, endless abyss shouldn’t give you the willies, right? Like looking into the abyss and having a meme look back at you.
Cosmic Canvas or Blasphemous Billboard?
Let's be blunt: is this art, tech, or a cynical grab for attention? WISeKey, a cybersecurity company, teamed with artist Mayte Spínola to debut this NFT on the SpaceX rocket. The goal? To "pioneer the use of space as a platform for artistic and personal expression." The truth is, that’s the hard part. A DIGITAL RECREATION OF ONE OF HISTORY’S MOST INFLUENTIAL RELIGIOUS FIGURES IS HURTLING THROUGH THE COSMOS ON A SATELLITE!
Spínola says it’s a symbol of unity, a bridge between art, science and faith. She imagines it going beyond national borders, fostering goodwill and peace. Carlos Moreira, CEO of WISeKey In a vision where space becomes the new medium, WISeSat/WISe.ART would be the secure projector. Whose peace? Whose unity? And at what cost?
The 1970s ad campaign promoting Jesus Jeans comes to mind. It was very controversial at the time, with many finding it blasphemous for its use of provocative religious imagery to sell blue jeans. Is 'Galactic Christ' any different? It’s weaponizing faith for good… what now, precisely. To legitimize NFTs? To make WISeKey look innovative? To give Spínola’s art a cosmic spotlight? I don’t buy it.
Here though is the crux of the issue with NFTs. This is not only a digital representation, but a digital tokenized asset. It’s secured on a blockchain, intended to be unhackable with WISeKey’s proprietary “Root of Trust” and post-quantum secure elements. It’s a digital deed of ownership, a non-fungible token, aka NFT, that exists as a certificate of authenticity in the metaverse.
Digital Identity, Spiritual Authenticity?
What does it even mean to “own” a piece of Christ in the digital world, anyway? Is this the real future of artistic expression, or a dystopian precedent for the future of our digital identity? Aren’t we just one leap away from tokenizing everything sacred and spiritual though, or believing we can turn our core beliefs into tradable commodities?
Think about the implications. If ‘Galactic Christ’ can be tokenized, what could possibly be next on the blockchain? Buddha NFTs orbiting Alpha Centauri? A digital Kaaba secured on the moon? The possibilities are endless and frankly terrifying.
This unwittingly creates new IoT attack surfaces. The worst part about the satellite’s two-way data connectivity. It’s a schema and data standard that enforces the validation of metadata and helps structure the exchange of messages. It comes with the danger of manipulation and misuse. Who controls those messages? I wonder what sorts of narratives will be cast from this awesome, digital pulpit in the sky?
The launch of ‘Galactic Christ’ brings with it a heady mix of excitement and trepidation. None of this is to undermine, of course, the awe at the technological achievement, at the sheer audacity sending art into space. Concerns over ethics, over exploitation risk, over where faith ends and money begins.
Awe or Anxiety, The Choice Is Yours.
WISeKey’s last orbiting NFT, with Brooke Shields back in 2022, seemed like an amusing curiosity. This feels different. This feels… calculated.
I can’t help thinking that this project could be the Trojan horse. On the surface, it may just sound like the playful, tongue-in-cheek marketing ploy of a tech startup looking to get a foot in the door to the emerging religious handout sector.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to suggest that Spínola’s intentions are evil. Perhaps she truly is convinced that this particular project will bring us lots of peace and love. However, good intentions do NOT remove the need for critical thinking. We need to ask ourselves: who benefits from this? What narratives are being amplified? What are the long-term implications of making our spiritual representations into digital trade goods?
The ‘Galactic Christ’ goes beyond the universe of NFTs. It reflects us, our values, anxieties, hopes, and dreams for the future. What do you see in that reflection? Is it an equitable, inclusive, connected, national vision of a more joint and advanced future? Or a world out of Orwell’s 1984, where not even faith is unpurchasable?
It's time to decide. Are we really opening up to a thrilling new frontier of creative expression? Or are we naively stumbling into a future where all—including the revered—becomes tradable, tokenable and subject to exploitation?
It's time to decide. Are we celebrating a bold new frontier of artistic expression, or are we sleepwalking into a world where everything – even the sacred – is commodified and tokenized?
Think. Reflect. Then, let's talk.
