Artist behind Putin NFT will burn Picasso, Rembrandt paintings if Assange dies
A Russian artist who previously created a series of NFTs depicting a bloodsoaked Vladimir Putin says he will destroy Picasso, Rembrandt, and Warhol masterpieces worth $45 million if WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange dies in prison. Andrei Molodkin’s art project ‘Dead Man’s Switch’ has seen him gather 16 famous artworks in a 29-tonne safe along with two barrels filled with an “extremely corrosive” substance. After 24 hours the barrels are rigged to destroy the art. Only when “someone close” to Assange confirms daily that he is still alive will the timer be reset and the acid kept at bay. If Assange is freed, the art will return to its owners. The project is inspired by Assange’s fight against his extradition to the US where he is charged under the Espionage Act and will make his final appeal next week. If unsuccessful, his supporters say he could face 175 years in prison . Sketches of the vault storing the artwork by Andrei Molodkin, shared by Sky News. “Since Julian Assange has