Have you heard of Anish Kapoor’s Vantablack? Or “the blackest black in the world”? Discover its history and origins.
The Origins of Vantablack: The Blackest Black in the World
This pigment was developed by the British company NanoSystems to make satellites and military jets invisible. With its exceptional light-absorbing capacity—99.96%—Vantablack creates a visual illusion: when painted on a round object, it appears flat to the naked eye.
A color patented by visual artist Anish Kapoor
In 2016, visual artist Anish Kapoor acquired the patent for the blackest black in the world. He is the only one authorized to use it. He purchased the rights from NanoSystems for an undisclosed sum.
Anish Kapoor’s monopoly on Vantablack has caused quite a stir. A campaign was launched on Instagram called #ShareTheBlack.
The Response to the Vantablack Patent
In 2017, in contrast to his colleague, artist Stuart Semple released “the pinkest pink,” legally available to everyone—except… Anish Kapoor!
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