Robot dogs modeled after the faces of U.S. big tech founders and North Korea's Kim Jong-un sold out at prices topping 100 million won.
On the 11th, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that robot dogs called "Regular Animals" were all sold despite their high price of $100,000 (about 146 million won).
Regular Animals are robot dogs created by digital artist Mike Winkelmann (stage name Beeple) and were exhibited at Art Basel Miami Beach, the largest contemporary art event in North America, held in Miami, Florida.
They are characterized by a dog-shaped robot topped with a famous person's face, using the faces of big tech tycoons such as Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and art history masters such as Andy Warhol.
The robot dogs were displayed roaming freely inside an enclosure. They spun around like real dogs or stared into space, and a robot dog modeled after the face of North Korea's Kim Jong-un also appeared, drawing attention.
The robot dogs also filmed their surroundings with a chest-mounted camera and then printed the images from the rear. The act appeared as if a dog were dropping excrement, drawing visitors' eyes.
Winkelmann said, "The Picasso dog excretes Picasso-style prints, and the Warhol dog excretes Warhol-style images," noting, "It's a kind of generative art."
He added, "Now our worldview is being reshaped by tech moguls, especially those who hold powerful algorithms," and said, "They decide what we see and don't see."
WSJ said purchase verifications are continuing. An anonymous collector using the name "Cozomo de' Medici" posted on social media (SNS) that they bought two dogs, the Picasso and Warhol versions.
Ted Smith, former CEO of the U.S. auction house Sotheby's, also said he purchased the Musk version.