Are NFTs really art?

Collectible and cartoonish, these digital multiples, traded in cryptocurrency, confer membership of an exclusive club - sometimes literally. But do they have any aesthetic value? A critic weighs in

In January, a clip from The Tonight Show featuring Jimmy Fallon and Paris Hilton went viral: not because either had said anything particularly interesting or scandalous, but because the interview was so uncanny in its content and its style. In the video, Hilton, who looks like a telegenic, radioactive Barbie in a lime green cocktail dress, is discussing Bored Ape NFTs, the popular crypto images that have been selling for a minimum of $200,000 since their first release in April 2021.

I'm so happy I taught you what they were," she informs Fallon in a voice a little lower than her usual characteristic purr.