Till Lindemann recorded a music video at the Hermitage Museum in Russia. He's now selling it as a series of non-fungible tokens — illegally, according to the museum.
Rammstein frontman Till LindemannImage: Boris Roessler/dpa/picture alliance
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Modern art has always been a challenge — new art forms were eyed critically and initially, few really grasped its meaning.
In today's art market, however, it's no longer just a matter of differences in taste; a new channel of distribution is grabbing the world's attention as digital artworks fetch double-digit million figures for their creators.
Once purchased, the works can't even be presented on a wall, they are simply stored on the new buyer's hard drive at home: It is a non-fungible token (NFT), a digital certificate whose owner also holds the rights to the work in question.
€100,000 for a video
Till Lindemann, singer in the German industrial metal band Rammstein, also wants a slice of that market. The rights to a previously unreleased music video are for sale for €100,000 ($117,000) — and Lindemann is offering not just one, but 10 digital copies of the work. A dinner with Lindemann in Moscow is a bonus on top, with flights, accommodation and visas for two people included.
What are non-fungible tokens?
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In the work in question, Lindemann interprets the Russian song "Lubimy Gorod" (Beloved City), which he recorded in May 2021 at the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg.
The Hermitage granted permission for the video shoot, as the museum confirmed on its Facebook page.
Apart from the fact that, so far, no one has been willing to spend that kind of money for a video, Lindemann faces legal issues.
By offering the video as an NFT, the singer violated the agreement for its use, according to the Hermitage. The same applies to other animations Lindemann is offering that show him at the Hermitage.
Lindemann shot the video at the famous Russian museumImage: picture alliance/dpa
"The use of images of objects from the museum's collection and furnishings in the collection [...] was not agreed with the museum," the Hermitage wrote, adding that the singer has not responded to a notice pointing out the violation of the museum's licensing policy. The NFTs on offer, the museum argues, are illegal.
The museum also mentions that "Mr. Lindemann personally signed a contract with the Hermitage allowing him to use images of the Hermitage and all prepared materials exclusively for the music video."
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Lindemann sings in Russian
Lindemann's management as well as the platform Twelve x Twelve, which is offering the works, did not respond to a DW query.
"Lubimy Gorod" is a Soviet song from the 1930s that was used in a war film about fighter pilots. Lindemann's version appears in Timur Bekmambetov's recently released film Devyatayev, a patriotic movie about a fighter pilot in World War II.
Rammstein guitarists Richard Kruspe and Paul Landers kissed on stage at concerts in Russia in 2019, which was widely interpreted as a sign against the country's homophobic legislation.
Meanwhile, a Russian Rammstein fan was arrested earlier this year, but Lindemann never publicly condemned the arrest. Andrey Borovikov was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for allegedly spreading pornography when he shared a clip of the band's "Pussy" video on social media in 2014.
Observers suspect a different reason has motivated authorities to arrest him: Borovikov was office manager for Alexei Navalny, the imprisoned opposition leader.
Rammstein, the dark gods of hard rock
Powerful shows have been the German shock-rockers' trademark for 25 years. They've headlined all the major music festivals, from Moscow to Buenos Aires.
Image: Universal/G. Karp
Music made of nightmares
Knowing no taboos, Rammstein have managed to infuse their performances with humanity's darkest nightmares. It's all about violence and murderous fantasies, cannibalism and various unthinkable acts of horror. They delight in crossing the line, and their provocations are celebrated by a legion of fans. Rammstein is one-of-a-kind — and the band members are worldwide stars.
Image: Universal/G. Karp
Eastern punk heritage
Come from East Berlin and Schwerin, the members first performed in seminal acts within the East German underground punk scene. Guitarist Paul Landers and keyboardist Flake Lorenz played in Feeling B; singer Till Lindemann was with First Arsch, bassist Oliver Riedel with The Inchtabokatables, guitarist Richard Kruspe in Orgasm Death Gimmick, and drummer Christoph Schneider in Die Firma.
Image: Universal
Appearances are deceiving
They actually look like nice guys. This photo was taken in 1995 when the band was one year old. "Herzeleid" (Heartbreak), the first LP, had gruesome texts on issues like child abuse in "Weisses Fleisch" (White Flesh), and necrophilia in "Heirate mich" (Marry Me). All that to harsh guitar riffs, merciless percussion and an edgy electro sound. It reached No. 6 in the German album charts.
Image: Pressefoto
God knows I'm no angel
"Engel" (Angel) in 1997 was the breakthrough. Given much airtime on the MTV and Viva music channels, it was inspired by Quentin Tarantino's film "From Dusk Till Dawn." The second album, "Sehnsucht" (Longing), went platinum both in Germany and in the US. Rammstein's contribution to the soundtrack of David Lynch's film "Lost Highway" kickstarted their career in the US.
Image: Paul Brown
A plea for tolerance in a Hawaiian shirt
Aren't they sweet? The surf boys pose on the Californian beach with pretty bikini-clad girls and sing about the foreigner that is unwelcome. The happy images collide with the hard, rapid industrial beat. When "Mein Land" (My Country, 2011) comes to an end, the candy-colored beach party is over, and it's back to familiar Rammstein imagery with fire and scowling faces.
Image: Universal
Inter-generational collaboration
In a crossover phase, German folk music star Heino covered well-known rock and pop songs, including Rammstein's "Sonne" (Sun). In 2013, the group invited Heino to join them onstage at Wacken Open Air. Facing 75,000 metal fans and flanked by flames and smoke, Heino sang together with Rammstein — looking slightly startled. The periodical "Metal-Hammer" tweeted: "Did Heino know where he'd landed?"
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Heroes onscreen
The film of the Rammstein concert in New York's Madison Square Garden, and the documentary "Rammstein in Amerika," premiered in movie theaters on September 24, 2015. The DVD climbed to No. 1 in the DVD charts in 13 countries. Rammstein has conquered four of the world's five biggest music markets: the US, Great Britain, France and Germany.
Image: picture-alliance/Eventpress
Cultivated pyromaniac
Rammstein lead singer Till Lindemann likes to shock with his outre makeup. But under the wild man exterior, Till's a sensitive, contemplative soul who published a collection of poetry titled "Messer" (Knife) in 2002. Meanwhile, the 56-year-old got his buff physique from high-performance swimming. And what about his love of fire? Lindemann took a course in pyrotechnics in 1996.
Image: Paul Brown
10 years of waiting
Rammstein's 7th studio album (untitled) was released on May 17, 2019. It was an eagerly awaited release, coming 10 years after the previous one. It garnered plenty of media attention ahead of its release, in part due to the music video for the single "Deutschland," which portrayed concentration camp prisoners. It became Germany's best-selling album of 2019.
