PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsOutbyte PC Repair · freeA free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.
Run a Free PC Scan →ThatPainter is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn More
Sophia Instantiation, a digital artwork made with artist Andrea Bonaceto, sold at auction in Hong Kong in March 2021 for a reported $688,888—often rounded to nearly $700,000. The sale was for an artwork lot, not for Sophia the robot. The lot paired a 12-second MP4 with a physical artwork painted by Sophia.
What sold for nearly $700,000?
The work was titled Sophia Instantiation. The reported $688,888 figure is the sale price attributed to The Next Web’s March 2021 post-auction coverage; “nearly $700,000” is a rounded description of that reported amount. The auction took place in Hong Kong.
The lot combined a digital NFT artwork with a physical component. Reuters described the digital piece as a 12-second MP4 showing Bonaceto’s portrait evolving into Sophia’s digital painting. The accompanying physical artwork was painted by Sophia on a printout of her self-portrait.
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchPC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11What did the buyer receive?
The buyer acquired the artwork lot—not Sophia, her robot body, or ownership of the artist. The digital component was the short MP4; the lot also included the physical work. Reuters reported before the auction that Sophia was to interact with the winning bidder, study the bidder’s face, and add a final inspired brushstroke. The Next Web’s post-sale account says the winner, known as 888, contributed a hand-painted image that was fused into the final painting through Sophia’s brushstrokes.
#1 Best Overall
- "For Keeps is one part Aspiration, one part Inspiration, and one part Affirmation - The Power is in the Message! Each Character comes with Accessories, Fun Fashion Play, a Cupcake Keepsake (The World's Best Note Passer), and
- 20 Affirmation messages which are also Stickers! Share an affirmation with a friend, a family member or loved one by twisting off the top of your Cupcake Keepsake, inserting your affirmation, twisting the cap back on, and handing it to those you want to share your Affirmations and Feelings with! 7 Styles to Collect!
- Hot Pink Sophia - For Keeps Girl with Cupcake Keepsake Series 1 The job of feet is walking but their hobby is dancing.” - Sophia
- Keepsake: Raspberry Occupation: Choreographer Color: Hot Pink Hair
- 5.5” Fashion Doll with 9 pts of articulation packaged in a gift box. Also comes with a crown, purse, raspberry hair clip, cellphone, Mary Janes w/ ankle straps, and bows, sneakers, Interchangeable outfit (dress with straps/ruffled skirt bottom), Mystery Message Tee, “Raspberry, and Peach” Cupcake Keepsake, Pack of 20 affirmation stickers, and a stand with the For Keeps insignia."
How did Sophia and Andrea Bonaceto make it?
The work was a collaboration between Sophia and Italian digital artist Andrea Bonaceto, with a later contribution from the winning bidder. Reuters reported that Sophia’s process drew on Bonaceto’s works, art history, and Sophia’s own drawings or paintings, using repeated computational processing. Sophia’s creator, David Hanson, described those iterations as “iterative loops of evolution.”
The Next Web reported that Sophia analyzed photographs of Bonaceto’s portrait using computer vision and that transformer neural networks generated new imprints for Sophia’s robotic arm to paint. Reuters quoted Sophia describing the methods as “transformer networks and genetic algorithms” alongside other forms of computational creativity. These accounts outline the process but do not provide technical documentation sufficient to specify the model architecture in greater detail.
Rank #2
Is this the same work that sold at Sotheby’s?
No. Sophia Facing the Singularities is a separate work, cataloged by Sotheby’s as a 2021 mixed-media installation. Algorand reported that it sold at Sotheby’s on October 10, 2021, for HKD 5,015,000 / USD 644,177. Those details and that price belong to the later Sotheby’s sale, not to Sophia Instantiation’s March auction.
Quick Recap
Sources
- Reuters, March 22, 2021, on the announced format, collaboration, and planned bidder interaction.
- The Next Web, March 25, 2021, on the reported sale price and the winner’s contribution.
- Sotheby’s catalog entry and Algorand’s release, concerning the separate later work and sale.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
