Pavel Durov, the Russian entrepreneur known for founding VKontakte and the Telegram messenger, visited the Dubai Art Dubai 2024 fair to explore contemporary visual projects and meet artists pushing the boundaries of digital culture. The sighting, captured in a video shared on the Telegram channel and later highlighted by artist Elena Sheidlina, underscored the growing convergence between technology and fine arts in major international exhibitions.
Elena Sheidlina participated in Dubai Art 2024 with a provocative project titled Annihilation – Mirage. The series centers on digital works that straddle the space between physical creation and its virtual counterparts. Annihilation – Mirage was presented as NFTs that are exchanged for TON, the cryptocurrency integral to the Telegram ecosystem. This pairing of art and cryptocurrency reflects a broader trend where artists leverage decentralized platforms to reach global audiences while keeping ownership and provenance transparent through blockchain technology.
According to the official TON Diamonds Telegram channel, the project rests on a poetic premise that weaves desert imagery with spiritual motifs. It describes seven sand formation stones, each associated with a different desert spirit and located within one of the emirates. The narrative invites viewers to interpret how desolate landscapes and intangible energies interact in a digital marketplace, offering a unique lens on how artists encode meaning into blockchain-based assets.
Sheidlina is among the earliest creators to showcase her work on the TON Diamonds blockchain platform. Her bold move signals how blockchain namespaces and art markets are evolving together, enabling artists to publish scarce, collectible works directly on a distributed ledger. At the time, TON Diamonds represented a group of five artists, signaling a nascent but growing ecosystem where collectors can acquire verifiable digital originals without traditional intermediaries. This moment is often cited as a turning point in the integration of contemporary art with crypto-native infrastructure.
In the video released by the artist, Pavel Durov observes Sheidlina’s installation with careful attention. The founder surveys the display, stepping slightly aside from the camera frame which leaves some of his expressions out of view, yet his presence signals a broader interest from technology leaders in how art and digital tokens intersect in public spaces. The scene highlights how influential tech figures are engaging with art fairs not merely as spectators but as participants who help shape conversations about value, authenticity, and the future of ownership in creative practice.
Previously, discussions around Telegram have touched on policy and accessibility issues in various regions, including Ukraine, where conversations about platform blocking and regulation have continued to unfold. The ongoing dialogue underscores the delicate balance between safeguarding user experience, national security concerns, and the preservation of open communication channels that many digital communities rely on for creative collaboration and cultural exchange.