Interactive live auction show by Edward Snowden remembering Ellsberg and his Pentagon Papers from 1971
According to a press statement shared with nft now, government leaker Edward Snowden is auctioning off a recently generated NFT this week during the first edition of PleasrHouse, the interactive live auction program by Web3 community group PleasrDAO.
Together with political activist Daniel Ellsberg, Snowden created the one-of-a-kind artwork “Wouldn’t You Go to Prison to Help End This War?” as a tribute to Ellsberg’s 1971 Pentagon Papers publication.
The auction will take place on January 12, 2023, at 3 p.m. ET and will include highlights from a PleasrDAO documentary as well as interviews with Ellsberg and Snowden. The auction’s proceeds will support the respective political causes of both individuals.
What’s at stake
Over the years, Edward Snowden and the Web3 community have bonded quickly, with the former attracted by the blockchain’s decentralized, censorship-resistant characteristics and the latter by Snowden’s history of exposing widespread spying. Snowden published and sold the “Stay Free” NFT in 2021 for 2,224 ETH ($5.5 million at the time). The NFT figurehead PplPleasr’s supporters founded the Web3 community of DeFi aficionados known as the buyer PleasrDAO (Emily Yang).
A 1971 interview Ellsberg gave on the steps of the Boston courtroom when he turned himself in to authorities is featured in the joint work, which is based on the activist’s legendary release of the Pentagon Papers. Wouldn’t you go to prison to help end this war, Ellsberg responded when asked about the likely effects of his actions. The Pentagon Papers, which dance throughout the act, filter the interview via them. The Freedom of the Press Foundation developed special software specifically for this project, which was used to generate the video.
The Freedom of the Press Foundation, whose board members Ellsberg and Snowden are, reportedly received more than a year’s worth of operational expenses from the proceeds of that piece’s auction. According to the DAO, it acquired the item as part of its goal to assemble NFTs that, in its opinion, belong to the public. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Snowden’s next NFT will be featured on PleasrDAO’s live program this week. (Find out why PleasrDAO also purchased the $4 million Wu-Tang Clan record Once Upon a Time in Shaolin in 2021).
PleasrDAO seeks to revolutionize the live art auction experience with PleasrHouse. Each episode will center on a distinct work of art, examining its significance through fresh content, interviews, and other methods, and concluding with a prominent auction for the artwork.
BY PLEASURE HOUSE
The Freedom of the Press Foundation and the Daniel Ellsberg Initiative for Peace and Democracy will each receive a portion of the money raised by the Snowden-Ellsberg auction.
Next steps
The first episode of PleasrHouse aims for something special. Enabling Web3 fans to participate in a live auction on the blockchain in this way could prove to be quite interesting and profitable. Snowden and Ellsberg are huge figures in the struggle against government corruption and overreach. PleasrHouse is planning further episodes with the goal of having a significant effect in the future.