on 14 Jul 2022
The 'Ode to the Sea' NFT collection is a collaboration between photographer Ali G and yacht firm Simpson Marine
Hong Kong-based luxury yachting company Simpson Marine has teased details of its upcoming NFT collection, which has been created in collaboration with local photographer and NFT creator Ali Ghorbani (better known as Ali G) of Ali G Studios.
The collection, called Ode to the Sea, is based around the concept of a ballet dance at sea on board two yachts, a Sanlorenzo SX76 and a Bluegame BGX70.
The photoshoot took place in Hong Kong, against two of the SAR’s most famous vistas — Victoria Harbour and the South Side (Repulse Bay & South Bay).
This direction was selected as part of a broader collaboration with the worlds of ballet and performing arts, after Simpson Marine became an official member of Club Hong Kong Ballet and a Corporate Patron of the Hong Kong Ballet in June 2022.
The full collection of 15 images is released on July 28
Ode to the Sea is described as “an exclusive premiere collection of 15 unique photography NFTs, each a 1/1 edition.” They will be available for collection via Ali G’s account on the NFT Marketplace Foundation.
Buyers will be entitled to use their NFT towards the purchase of a yacht, the exact value of which will be based on terms and conditions. Buyers will also receive a museum-quality print of their NFT signed by Ali G in a 1/1 edition; gain access to one VIP event hosted by Simpson Marine in 2022; and receive two premium tickets to a Hong Kong Ballet show in 2022. For collectors from outside Hong Kong, an alternative will be proposed.
Despite a recent correction in the NFT market, there is still much hope for the potential of this innovative and game-changing tech into the future, particularly in the yachting industry.
“This has been an exciting project to work on with Ali G, as we have been witnessing Hong Kong’s creative NFT effervescence for the past few months,” says Ewa Stachurska, group marketing manager at Simpson Marine. “We are conscious that many of our yacht owners are crypto investors and NFT collectors and thought that this creative project would appeal to them, and they would want to have a piece of this exclusive collection in their growing portfolio. We are proud of our new relationship with the ballet world as we have just become official patrons of Hong Kong Ballet and are committed to supporting its artistic growth as part of our community projects.”
Simpson Marine says it is the first yachting company in Asia to launch such an NFT collection.
“I am honoured to be part of this collaboration and to use my art to bring alive a vision that we planned for months and executed flawlessly together,” says Ghorbani. “I hope this paves the way for more brand and artist collaborations in the future.”
The full collection of 15 images will be revealed on 28 July.