The Wu-Tang Clan’s iconic album, “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin,” which was famously bought by Martin Shkreli in 2015 and later sold at auction, will finally be played publicly for the first time next month. These exclusive listening events will take place at Australia’s Museum of Old and New Art as part of its Namedropping exhibition. Along with a 30-minute excerpt of the album, the physical record, encased in a silver box, will be showcased to the public.
Jarrod Rawlins, the museum’s director of curatorial affairs, expressed in a press release, “Every once in a while, an object on this planet possesses mystical properties that transcend its material circumstances. ‘Once Upon a Time in Shaolin’ is more than just an album, so when I was thinking about status and what a transcendent namedrop could be, I knew I had to get it into this exhibition.”
Although the album is now owned by digital art collective Pleasr, a contract specifies that it cannot be commercially exploited until 2109. However, it can be played at private listening events such as the ones hosted by MONA. The exhibition is scheduled to run from June 15-24.
Fans of the Wu-Tang Clan and music enthusiasts alike will have the rare opportunity to experience this unique piece of musical history in person at the Museum of Old and New Art.
