Tezos and HEK Basel have announced a digital art partnership that brings blockchain into an institutional, research-oriented context within contemporary art. The collaboration connects Tezos, a proof-of-stake blockchain, with HEK Basel, a leading European institution dedicated to new media art, digital culture, and experimental practice.
HEK Basel has a long history of exhibiting and contextualizing work that engages software, networks, and emerging technologies within broader cultural and political frameworks. In this context, the partnership reflects a broader shift toward institutional and research-led engagement with blockchain, positioning it as part of digital art practice rather than primarily as a speculative market mechanism. Under the collaboration, Tezos will support HEK Basel’s institutional programming related to digital and blockchain-based art. Public materials emphasize engagement with decentralized technologies in artistic and curatorial contexts, alongside knowledge exchange and public-facing initiatives that address blockchain’s cultural implications.
For Tezos, the partnership aligns with a strategy of engaging established cultural institutions as part of its broader arts ecosystem. For HEK Basel, it provides resources to explore blockchain within existing curatorial and research frameworks while maintaining institutional independence. More broadly, the announcement points to a slower, institutionally grounded pathway for blockchain in the arts—one centered on sustainability, critical inquiry, and long-term cultural relevance. For artists and designers, it suggests a future in which decentralized technologies are treated as cultural infrastructure rather than short-term trends.
