As you know from my latest podcast episode and issue, I think December will be huge for generative art. fxhash is launching its ETH integration tomorrow, opening the doors to over 100 new generative art collections over a month.

In this issue, I highlight six collections I am paying attention to during the upcoming month.

These pieces are based on my taste (very subjective), the artist’s intention, vision, and previous work. I also looked for uniqueness — have I seen something like this before?

Read more

Hello, art fans!

I’m thrilled to share all the details about the upcoming Blind Gallery show I’ve been working on for over six months. It is a collaboration with Feral File, where I had the chance to curate alongside Casey Reas.

If you aren’t familiar with the Blind Gallery Editions, it is a week-long digital event where the story, inspiration, techniques, and hints about the creators are released parallel to collecting. Collectors can immerse and discover new artists until their names are finally revealed at the end of the event.

Building upon previous Editions —1st, Bear Market, Seed— six mysterious generative artists present artworks inspired by the landscape theme. Collectors can choose their preferred artwork and get a unique piece from the selected collection.

Why Vistas Edition?

“As part of my creative coding teaching practice, I’ve noticed how many of my students develop a strong interest and curiosity for generative landscapes.

Across history, many artists have used scenary and real word views as their inpiration. Nevertheless, the tools and technologies keep evolving, opening the doors for new aesthethics, not possible before.

For that reason, I was keen to put on a show with some of the finest scenery creators of this space.”

Casey Reas.

Artists draw upon their backgrounds, skilfully mixing perspectives of natural elements– both figuratively and abstractly. Each stroke of generative algorithms breathes life into these mesmerizing vistas, creating a harmonious blend of technology and artistic expression.

This exhibition serves as a testament to how "computer" creations redefine the real world, adding depth and dimension to its beauty.

How to participate in the Vistas Edition?

Same process as in previous editions:

1. Purchase a Mint Pass on fxhash.

2. Check out the collection’s previews, and join the conversation over Twitter/Discord with other collectors.

3. Pay attention to hints and the story behind each artwork to make your decision.

4. Exchange your Mint Pass on our site - each can be exchanged for a free allowlist spot in the selected collection.

The Mint Pass

Designed by Mark Knol - you can exchange the Mint Pass for an allowlist spot in your favorite collection.

• You must exchange your Mint Passes on our website before the exchange period ends (September 6).

Important Dates and Information

Supply

• 750 Mint Passes

• Each collection has a 150 cap. You can't select a collection once the cap has been reached.

Pre-Sale: August 31

• Price: 50 Tezos (~$35).

• Each Blind Gallery Club member gets 2 pre-sale spots.

• Premium and Legendary Blind Gallery Club holders will get their airdrops during this time.

• You can collect a membership token on fxhash.

Public Sale: September 1

The remaining Mint Passes will be sold on a Public Sale.

• Price: 90 Tezos (~$60).

Exchange Period

This is where you choose your favorite collection and exchange your Mint Passes.

• The Exchange Period will last 5 days (September 2 to September 6).

Artist Reveal and Mint

• On September 7, the artists will be revealed, and all the collections will be available to mint on fxhash.

• Only those with allowlist access (obtained by exchanging a Mint Pass) can mint for 0 Tezos.

I can’t wait to share more stories, inspiration, and hints behind the artworks and their creators. Stay tuned via Twitter, Discord, and newsletter.

Questions? Just reply to this post.

Until next time,

- Kaloh

Share the Blind Gallery Vistas Edition with your friends 👇

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gm friends!

Today I’m very excited to partner with Joyn.xyz to share a deep dive into their platform —an ecosystem to co-create and highlight art, projects, and communities that I had the chance to collaborate on a few times in the past.

What is Joyn.xyz?

Joyn specializes in supporting digital creators through different co-creation possibilities. Just in the last year, nearly 500 digital and physical open calls were created for events in more than 20 countries, receiving over 180,000 submissions from over 30,000 artists!

I’ve used it to organize the Blind Gallery Art Incubator, and plenty of events I’ve been to, like NFT Show Europe, and NFC, have used Joyn to foster collaboration and host exhibitions. In many cases, winners also get rewarded with monetary prizes.

Joyn’s Composer

So why am I writing about Joyn today?

Two weeks ago, I was invited to test and try their Composer, which lets communities run the full-cycle curation process.  I had to share my thoughts as I believe those could be extremely useful for artists, curators, collectors, and also, writers.

Let’s get into the new possibilities first:

1. Create Stories

You can use a mix of on & off-chain assets across a multiplicity of marketplaces, elevating the content within your blogs, articles, and publications.

2. Curate Showcases

Perfect for collectors and curators to elevate their favorite artists and artworks. You can create showcases, drops, and themed curations, with curator fees. Curators can list artists within a showcase, who will then be notified that they have been exclusively selected to be listed on Joyn.

3. Compose open calls, contests, and exhibitions.

You can source artwork using themes, prompts, and set specific requirements. Reward participants for submitting their art.

Joyn Use Cases

Over the past week, launch partners have been playing with the composer, and there have been some exciting results.

1. Open Call: Patrick Amadon’s Monthly Art Catalog

A monthly decentralized, chain-, and platform- agnostic art exhibition to highlight the latest digital art. By artists, for artists. With its latest issue in August, over 30K of art has been collected across a multiplicity of platforms from some of the most notable collectors.

Look at this gallery containing a selection of artists whose works were collected from the previous 404 July Art Catalog open call.

👉 Active Open Call: SuperRare Open Call - Get Your Art on SuperRare with Montage.

2. Showcase: ZEITGEIST

A group showcase including 33 Artists, focusing on the empowerment of modern techniques within artistic expression. Works that make viewers question, think, and experience from the frame of the most modern lens of the emerging Web3 Art Culture.

👉 Tidal by Transient Labs and Cellscapes by evbuilds are more examples of how Joyn’s Showcases can be used to curate exhibitions.

3. Story: Ana Isabel Hewlett - Goddess Story #1

In this interview, Andrea Reade explores the fine art photography of Portuguese digital artist Ana Isabel Hewlett. Stories are extremely flexible and can be used for essays, interviews, news, and content, with the added value of linking on-chain assets.

👉 Here is another interesting read – A story about Buba Viedma —by Michael Chester— an artist, and illustrator who uses surrealism, symbolism of dreams, and a dark sense of humor.

Why am I particularly excited about it?

Two main reasons.

For a long time, I’ve wished there was a place where you could curate and earn royalties based on sales. It feels like a natural way for art fans to elevate their favorite pieces and artists while getting rewarded. I know Foundation exists, but it is different as you must curate a world, which requires setting up the exhibition with new pieces and coordinating with the artists.

What I find valuable and innovative about the Joyn composer is that you can curate showcases using any NFT, old or new, owned or not, without asking permission. No friction.

Secondly, telling stories on the blockchain isn’t as easy as it should be. You might be thinking, what about mirror.xyz? It feels like the audience isn’t tailored to art and collecting. Things are different with Joyn, as their audience is tailored to artists and digital art producers.

Sounds exciting? You can learn more about Stories, Open Calls, and Showcases on Joyn here.

Until next time,

- Kaloh

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As a kid, I spent hours playing a baseball simulation game1 where you could manage your team, develop the players and compete against others over the years (every day counted as a week in the game). Mitchell F Chan created an experiential artwork using a very similar concept.

This collection is a creative model of how NFTs can be more than static art.

The Boys Of Summer in a glance

There will be 999 pieces which are generative 3D PFP (profile pictures) that represent the characters in the game. Having the NFT lets you connect your wallet to access the imaginary world, where you can make decisions that drive your character development.

Interesting facts:

• Each token has an intrinsic potential, which is not immediately apparent to the collector. 

• In the quest to ‘win’ and become a professional baseball player, you’ll be asked to make a series of decisions about your character– your hitting, power, and other baseball-related traits, but also personal choices such as sleeping time, cleaning, and eating habits.

• At the end of the game, collectors can assign their scores to their players as metadata.

Mitchell highlights three essential elements in today’s culture with this collection: PFPs, the quantification of self, and sports. As described by the artist, these three elements are critical to a participatory experience, as they bring rarities, personalities, and a fun and accessible entry point for collectors.

The Boys of Summer details:

• Collection Size: 999

• Allowlist spots: 50

• Mint Price: 0.12 Eth

• Release date: August 16, 2023

Mitchell has a strong history of creating unique artifacts

Mitchell isn’t new to exploring new forms of artistic expression in the digital realm. In 2017, he released Digital Zones of Immaterial Pictorial Sensibility at InterAccess in Toronto2.

The artwork is significant not only for being one of the earliest NFT artworks to be exhibited and minted in a legacy art gallery, but also for imagining, in 2017, the ways that non-fungible tokens could advance the conceptualist project of separating the commodity form of an artwork from the experienced form. It also explored the ways the separation changes a collector's relationship to art.

Chan explored the generative coded medium in 2021 with the release of the LeWitt Generator Generator on Art Blocks.

Sol LeWitt's Wall Drawing #118 instructs executors to connect randomly-placed points with straight lines on a continuous surface of the wall. Art Blocks Project #118 imagines that seminal artwork executed on complex, algorithmically-generated walls.

Just a few days ago, I had the chance to chat with Mitchell on my Podcast. We had an exciting discussion about his art career, which started in 2006 and evolved from creating sculptures and art for public spaces to conceptual digital games3.

If you want to learn more about The Boys of Summer and Mitchell’s previous collections, listen below.

The Boys of Summer by Mitchell F Chan allowlist

Would you like to get access to the allowlist? Follow the link below to participate in the exclusive allowlist spot. Remember, this is a unique link for Kaloh’s community members only.

Allowlist Access

The collection will be available on August 16 via Wild. I can’t wait to mint my character, play the game and see how my character attributes and potential develops.

Until next time,

- Kaloh

In this article, we will explore its inception, the concept of Super Rare NFTs, and the top artists who have made a mark on the platform in 2023. Additionally, we will uncover the Super Rare Crypto Token, known as $Rare.

What is Super Rare?

Super Rare is an exclusive marketplace that operates in the realm of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Unlike traditional art markets, Super Rare requires artists to undergo a rigorous acceptance process before they can showcase their artworks on the platform.

This stringent selection ensures that only the highest-quality and most innovative artworks are available for purchase. Founded in 2017, Super Rare was one of the pioneers in the NFT space, setting a standard for authenticity.

What is a Super Rare NFT?

NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, have revolutionized the way digital art is bought, sold, and owned. A Super Rare NFT, in particular, represents a unique and one-of-a-kind digital artwork.

Super Rare specializes in hosting NFTs that are limited to a single edition, meaning there are no reproductions or multiple copies of the artwork. This exclusivity adds value and desirability to each Super Rare NFT, making them highly sought after by collectors and art enthusiasts.

Top Super Rare NFT Artists 2023

Super Rare has attracted a plethora of talented artists who have made significant waves in the NFT market. Here are the top five artists on Super Rare in 2023:

XCOPY

XCOPY is a digital artist, known for glitched artworks exploring themes of death, dystopia, and apathy. With a strong presence on platforms like SuperRare and Nifty Gateway, XCOPY is a leading figure in the NFT art community.

Robbie Barrat

Robbie Barrat is an AI artist who has pushed the boundaries of neural networks and art. Although considered an outsider in the NFT world since 2018, his 41 NFTs, including the notable "AI-Generated Nude Portrait" series, have achieved significant trading volumes.

Are you interested in learning and staying up to date with the digital art movement?

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Hackatao

Hackatao is a highly successful NFT duo, having sold over $27 million worth of digital art since 2018. Their work is showcased at prestigious auctions and explores the intersection of humanity and technology, while their elusive nature adds to the intrigue surrounding the duo.

Free Ross

Ross Ulbricht is a skilled artist who has found expression through drawing and painting while serving a life sentence without parole. His artwork, created from a young age, reflects his journey. Additionally, Ross contributes to charitable causes through Art4Giving, using the proceeds from his art sales to support projects that positively impact people's lives.

Dmitri Cherniak

Dmitri Cherniak is a generative digital artist known for creating NFTs through algorithmic processes. With his series "Ringers," he combines strings and pegs to produce geometric artwork, challenging perceptions of automation as a creative and artistic endeavor.

What is the Super Rare Crypto Token ($Rare)?

In addition to the crypto art marketplace, Super Rare has introduced its native cryptocurrency token called $Rare. Serving as the primary currency within the SuperRare ecosystem, $Rare facilitates seamless transactions and enables active community participation.

Holders of $Rare enjoy exclusive benefits such as access to special events, early releases, and various platform perks. The introduction of $Rare has enhanced the SuperRare experience, fostering a vibrant and engaged community of artists and collectors. Moreover, SuperRare's recent developments, such as the $RARE curation token and SuperRare Spaces, demonstrate their commitment to inclusivity and decentralization, empowering a diverse network of curators and enabling artists to create bespoke NFT minting contracts through Sovereign Smart Contracts.

SuperRare has revolutionized the NFT industry with its exclusive marketplace, high-quality curation, and community. The introduction of the $Rare token has enriched the user experience, while initiatives like SuperRare Spaces and Sovereign Smart Contracts showcase their commitment to inclusivity and innovation. As the NFT market evolves, SuperRare invites readers to join the conversation and shape the future of digital art.

Until next time,

- Kaloh

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Since immersing myself in the BrainDrops world last week, I have wanted to explore the AI art universe further. However, I must confess, I found myself crippled by analysis paralysis… Where should I start? With a plethora of options at my fingertips, I was overwhelmed and unable to take the first step.

Luckily, a few days ago, I DMed my friend ClownVamp —known for creating and collecting AI art (and all sorts of digital art) before it was cool — to see what he was up to.

It turns out ClownVamp had been curating the Deep Fake exhibition by SuperChief Gallery x MAIF released via Foundation.

“Perhaps these ‘fake’ tools can create some real thoughts and feelings.”

Clownvamp on Deep Fake: The World’s Largest AI Art Exhibition1

I couldn’t have dreamed of a better place to start.

I immediately recognized some names. Jenni Passanen, who I am not surprised is leading the exhibition bidding wars while I am writing this; JDVE, a Dutch photographer who created one of the most popular pieces for the Blind Gallery Bear Market Edition; and Von Doyle, who I believe created one of the most iconic 1/1s on Tezos.

After exploring this gallery and mixing a few other platforms I’ve been tracking for a while, I came up with a shortlist of artists worth watching (in no particular order).

1. STR4NGETHING

In a world where branding, fashion, and mystery converge, STR4NGETHING has masterfully crafted an awe-inspiring digital presence. With nods to the past and a dash of enigma, he has garnered attention from VOGUE, Complex, and Hyper Beast. Inspired by the curious phenomenon of the Mandela Effect in Fashion, where contemporary objects seem misplaced in time, STR4NGETHING blurs the boundaries of the past and present in a mesmerizing display of artistic originality.

2. Elena Lazutina

Drawing from a rich graphic design and illustration background, Elena Lazutina's vibrant compositions capture vivid, dynamic scenes with a subtle hint of motion. And let me tell you, I'm particularly taken with the recent project by Elena, who skillfully recreated iconic magazine covers in a bold, new light. As a matter of fact, I've toyed with a similar concept myself in the past, and it's fascinating to see how Elena has breathed fresh life into this idea with her own unique vision.

3. Danielle King

I’ve been keeping a close eye on the creative endeavors of Danielle King, who has been delving into the AI prompting game. Just a few days ago, she began offering glimpses of her forthcoming collection entitled "The Muses", set to be unveiled via Emergent Properties, a platform dedicated to AI art on the Tezos blockchain.

I must say the fruits of Danielle's labors are stunning outputs that display an admirable coherence of style across all of her muses. The many long months of tireless effort have finally paid off in spades for Danielle.

4. textrnr

Textrnr, a photographer who has artfully integrated AI into his work, possesses a nuanced and understated style that sets him apart from his peers. His latest collections on Foundation - "Existence" and "Breathe" - showcase his ability to capture buildings, homes, ordinary neighborhoods, and the various moments of day through shadows and lightning, all while conveying the themes of both existence and vitality.

5. Anna Condo

Anna Condo, a veteran of filmmaking and photography, has demonstrated remarkable versatility in using the AI medium. Whether capturing the beauty of flowers, the everyday objects surrounding us, or drawing inspiration from her homeland of Armenia, Anna stands at the forefront of the AI art movement. Her extensive work includes over 1400 pieces and 37 collections on Foundation.

6. RedruM

RedruM's use of red is striking and commanding, serving as a focal point for his artwork. His commitment to this hue shows a clear vision and intentionality in his artistic choices. The phrase "between dream and nightmare" further adds to the tension and complexity of his work, pulling the viewer in and inviting them to explore the depths of his AI creations.

To close today’s issue, I would like to share that I’m thrilled when I come across artists who have succeeded in establishing a distinctive trademark. Especially these days, it is exciting to see artists harnessing the power of AI to produce a new form of storytelling.

I hope you are as much enjoying the AI discovery journey as I am.

Until next time,

- Kaloh

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What are Bitcoin Ordinals?

As I wrote a few months ago, Bitcoin Ordinals refers to inscribing files on satoshis (the minimum subdivision of a Bitcoin). You can find a summary of the theory behind Bitcoin Ordinals below.

When I wrote that article, it was almost impossible to navigate Bitcoin Ordinals as there wasn’t support for easy minting, collecting, or just exploring the collections. Things have changed. Quickly.

How to Buy Bitcoin Ordinals?

Multiple marketplaces have incorporated the possibility to inscribe (or create) Bitcoin Ordinals NFT, like Magic Eden and Gamma. It is as easy as connecting a Bitcoin wallet (like Hiro, Xverse, or Unisat), funding it, and collecting the Ordinals you want in the marketplace listing.

Gamma makes it easy to inscribe an individual piece or a full collection (this was a real issue a few months back), and for ~$50, you can get your Ordinal NFT minted in one hour.

Bitcoin Ordinals Ecosystem Is Moving FAST

… Although quality is questionable. The community around Bitcoin Ordinals is proliferating, from the supporting infrastructure (marketplaces, wallets) to projects and artists inscribing their creations. Nevertheless, I looked at the most popular collections measured by volume to find most of the projects are animal jpegs (pfps).

If you are like me, you are probably more interested in generative art (including coded or AI-assisted artworks).

6 Bitcoin Ordinals Generative Art NFTs to Watch

I spent time navigating the marketplaces and came up with a shortlist of 6 collections to watch…

Read more

Ringer #879 by Dmitry Cherniak, also known as ‘The Goose,’ just sold for $6.2M (including the premium, as the hammer price was $5.4M), eclipsing the $2M to $3M estimates. The auction was coordinated by Sotheby’s in NYC as part of the GRAILS collection.

The event was streamed online and was blazing fast, taking around 20 to 25 minutes to complete and having three bidders competing until the end. The winner was prominent collector 6529.

The 10 Most Expensive Ringers NFT Sales of All Time

The following chart shows the top 10 Ringers ever sold. Interestingly, ‘The Goose’ was already the second highest-sold Ringer (selling for 1,800 ETH or $2,997,306 at the time).

From the list, all but #879 and #377 are owned by the same wallet.

Despite the massive sale, the chart doesn’t change, as Ringer #109 was sold for $7.1M (2100 ETH) and maintains the top position. ‘The Goose’ sold for the equivalent of 3,700 ETH, becoming the highest sale in ETH terms.

Why are Ringers By Dmitri Cherniak So Valuable?

It is an iconic collection because of its minimal and well-balanced compositions. One of the first Art Blocks Curated collections, Ringers exemplifies the power of generative art, where randomness is at the center stage.

There are an almost infinite number of ways to wrap a string around a set of pegs. On the surface it may seem like a simple concept but prepare to be surprised and delighted at the variety of combinations the algorithm can produce. Each output from 'Ringers' is derived from a unique transaction hash and generated in Javascript in the browser. Feature variations include peg count, sizing, layout, wrap orientation, and a few colorful flourishes for good measure.

Ringers by Dmitri Cherniak official description

Why is Ringer #879 - The Goose - So Special?

The main reason why it has become trendy in the digital art world culture is because it resembles a goose. This might not be that impressive on the surface, but when you think about it, millions of possible Ringers could have been created, so the fact that the goose made it to the 1,000 pieces is a fantastic coincidence.

If we look at the traits, it has 10 pegs out of 55, the body is yellow only (5% of Ringers have this trait with a 75 ETH floor), and it is a Recursive Grid Peg Layout (only 14% of Ringers have this trait and the floor is 89.5 ETH).

I think these traits are interesting, but they don’t make it so valuable on their own. The goose resemblance and its virality (over 34,000 views on OpenSea), hundreds of memes, and derivatives make it stick in our minds.

Other Exciting Sotheby’s Generative Art Sales

Although Ringer #879 was the main course of today’s Sotheby’s auctions, other fantastic pieces sold for impressive amounts, such as:

• Chromie Squiggle #1780 (Perfect Spectrum) by snowfro sold for $635,000.

• Archetype #397 by Kjetil Golid sold for $330,200.

• The spiral Fidenza #216 by Tyler Hobbs sold for $609,600.

How much time should we wait to see another multi-million gen art sale?

We don’t know, but this will certainly put generative art and digital art on the map —once again.

Until next time,

- Kaloh

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What Are 1/1 NFTS?

A 1/1 NFT is a way to describe digital objects that only have one copy in existence. Imagine the process of creating an item in the physical world, like a book, where there will be a number of copies in existence. NFT technology offers the possibility to create multiple copies or editions of the same artwork. A 1/1 NFT means it is the only one in existence, and there is only one owner.

Keep in mind there are collections (particularly important in generative art) where the pieces are also 1/1, but they are in batches by an algorithm. In that particular cases, those pieces are called 1/1/x (where the x depends on the collection size).

So, in summary, 1/1 NFTs are the rarest NFTs that exist, just because they are very scarce.

What are the Most Iconic 1/1 NFTs on the Tezos Blockchain?

Since it is the #OneOfOne (1/1) month on Tezos, I thought it made sense to research and find iconic 1/1s in this blockchain. This isn’t a ranking, and I’m sure I missed many amazing pieces.

To create this list, I looked at the early minted pieces on the Tezos blockchain and talked to many active collectors and artists. Additionally, I checked the market for sales, offers, and potential future value. I also ignored big collections (like long-form 100+ collections on FxHash or PFPs) because I wanted to focus on rarer and unique pieces.

Lushtemples — Highlights of the Hike by Zancan

Zancan is the top-selling artist in the Tezos blockchain. I had the chance to interview him, you can read it here.

Luckily, he has been slowly releasing 1/1s under the Lushtemples collection like A broad conversation in time, Vantage points — Monument edition.

Ornamism 2021 | Sketch #001 by Mario Klingemann

Mario Klingemann aka Quasimondo is one of the artists that sparked the hic et nunc phenomenon. He is known for his AI works. Ornamism is his first minted piece (1st of March 2021) and object #167 on Tezos. By the way, there are multiple 1/1s from Mario from March 2021 that are very iconic too like Neural Studies: The Examiners.

A01 by Manoloide

“Cuando olvido mi cuerpo mis pensamientos tan rápido solo encuentro refugio en la belleza de los árboles.”

A01 has the highest offer in the whole Objkt.com market, a whopping 38k Tezos ($54k), but it has been ignored by the collector until now. How much could it be worth?

Window Still Life 012 by John Karel

I mentioned John Karel when I wrote about the top-selling artists on the Tezos blockchain. His “Window Still Life” series is a Tezos classic with just a few 1/1s (most are multi-edition).

Other window 1/1s are Window Still Life 038, Window Still Life 058, and Window Still Life 069.

0001AI by Jenni Pasanen

Jenni is one of those artists that has mastered AI and her “AI” series is a delight for those that love mixing human creativity with adversarial networks. This series features only 1/1s and there are over 100 pieces in there.

I had the chance to chat with Jenni, read it here.

FACES/PHASES - 5 by Adam Disbrow

Adam Disbrow aka AD_AD is an expressionist painter who is another talented artist that minted very early on the Tezos blockchain. His piece FACES/PHASES - 5 was minted 20th of May 2021 and is one of the first times you could see his trademark golden square in an NFT.

Library Of Babel's Missing Links (or) Voids Of Entry by Tim Maxwell

“Handmade, no rulers”. You better zoom in to appreciate the small details in this amazing piece. Read more about Tim here.

Purgatorio by Ganbrood

Ganbrood is one of the first artists to experiment with GANs and mint his works on the Tezos blockchain. Purgatorio is a collage made with bigGAN that originally had 12 editions. Besides Purgatorio, Ganbrood has created other iconic 1/1s like the Collaborationist (recently sold for 6k Tezos).

No name VIII by Iskra Velitchkova

This piece is part of the first collection Iskra minted in the Tezos blockchain in March 2021. It is called Generative Nature and it consists of 10 limited editions that share the same algorithmic structure.

Thinker in the Forest of Digital Dreams by David Cheifetz and Von Doyle

This one is a collaboration by two hic et nunc OGs. David is an oil painter while Von Doyle uses AI to modify historical creations. I think the combination, done in June 2021, is one of the most iconic pieces on Tezos.

Interestingly, the 1/1 format isn’t as popular as others.

In my opinion, it could be because other formats (like gen art long form collections or pfps) attract multiple collectors that keep the momentum going. Nevertheless, 1/1s are much more unique and rare.

As I said earlier, this isn’t a ranking and I’m sure I missed some amazing pieces. I’d love to hear your favorite 1/1s in the comments.

Leave a comment

Until next time,

- Kaloh

Consider subscribing to Kaloh’s Newsletter to receive my articles for free in your inbox. For the full experience, become a premium subscriber.

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• Premium posts + NFT market updates and monthly public posts.

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• Participate in monthly NFT giveaways.

Find all the details here.

Bonus: All newsletter readers can access Flower Sand by Yuma Yanagisawa's allowlist.

An AI-generated imagery and motion simulation that depicts the beauty of nature generated by algorithms, representing our connection to the natural world in the age of artificial intelligence (more details about the collection at the end of this issue).

Let’s jump into my chat with Douglass…

What's Wildxyz?

Wildxyz is the community where you create, collect, and explore experiential art.

Our mission is to put artists at the forefront of designing the spatial internet, so we can power a new wave of expression and possibility. You can collaborate with boundary-pushing creators in our artist residency, collect curated experiential art on our platform, and experience immersive works produced by Wildxyz, all in one destination.

Could you tell us more about your background before Wildxyz?

Before Wild, I was the CEO of Apartment List for 14 years, a company I founded. Last year, the company did nearly 2% of all the rental moves in the US.

I led the team through multiple funding rounds, including their latest Series D, and now serve as Chairman. I’m also a creator, music producer, dad, metaverse evangelist, art collector, and sports enthusiast.

What inspired you to create Wild?

We believe the future of the internet is going to be a spatial one – and the most creative people should be at the forefront, so we decided to build a platform dedicated to doing just that via NFTs. 

I also wanted to create a dedicated space to foster incredible talent in and outside of Web3. A space dedicated to artistic collaboration, community building, and critical thinking is the key to helping artists succeed.

Expecting an artist to be able to do it all on their own is a lot – from creating the work itself to promoting it, marketing it, and branding it. There’s so much that goes into creating work and being able to leverage the experience, knowledge, and network of fellow artists is invaluable.

Put simply, we believe we’re stronger as a team than anyone could be individually, and we’re excited to provide the environment and the space to do that. 

After finding success in Web 2, what’s the biggest challenge in building a Web 3 or NFT company?

I’ve been always excited about consumer experiences and marketplaces, and that’s why Web 3 and the new creator economy were very appealing to me. Nevertheless, in Web 3 there are multiple advantages, but also multiple challenges.

Every creator and founder is trying to navigate the macro and market fluctuations. This isn’t easy, but at the same time forces us to create an environment where we have to be ruthless in prioritization.

What makes Wild NFT different from other digital art?

Wildxyz, first and foremost, is focused specifically on the genre of experiential art. We support it through a few initiatives– the first being our artist residency, which is an application-based program through which artists learn, connect, collaborate, and receive support from our team as well as fellow artists. The program is pretty hands-on and high-touch, and we’re fortunate to be able to work on a curated basis with our artists in residence.

Unlike other art platforms, we also create our own art– including an exciting collection we’ll be releasing later this year– stay tuned

We also offer support in other forms, specifically on the technical, design, and marketing side, to help set our artists up for success and to provide value-added resources, especially around experiential art. 

Finally, but perhaps most uniquely, we’re focused on building for the tech that’s coming and creating immersive, interactive experiences that allow people to engage more deeply with our artists' work.

There’s a lot going on behind the scenes with our technical team that I’m very excited to share. 

What's the artists' curation process?

The artists apply to be a part of the residency. We then review applications on a number of criteria, in particular, evaluating their focus on experiential art. We are also excited to employ the support of our newly established Curatorial Board, which includes Deafbeef, Casey Reas, Holly Herndon & Mathew Dryhurst, Mitchell F. Chan, Nancy Baker Cahill, Harm van den Dorpel, Gabriel Massan, Maria Paula Fernández, and Serwah Attafuah.

The Board will not only support in referring artists, but they will also determine collections on Wild that will receive the distinction of ‘Wild Signature.’

What are you currently excited about?

So much!

We have some amazing NFT drops coming out this month, including Flower Sand which I am excited for your community to have allowlist access to!

We also have a collection coming out later this summer with a legendary crypto artist you likely know and love – more to come soon.

Flower Sand by Yuma Yanagisaway Allowlist

As said before, Douglass and Wildxyz were keen enough to offer allowlist spots to my readers for Flower Sand NFT collection.

This is a 100 pieces AI collection that goes live on June 15.

Flower Sand is a collection consisting of 100 moving image works. It explores vibrant colours and fluid movements inspired by nature, using AI-generated imagery and motion simulation. Using leading generative AI models such as Stable Diffusion and Midjourney, the generated AI flowers are diverse as well as sophisticated. Repurposing them with fluid particles results in generative sculptures. The work depicts the beauty of nature generated by algorithms, representing our connection to the natural world in the age of artificial intelligence.

Reserve your spot here:

Allowlist Access: Flower Sand

After getting to know Douglass and the Wildxyz team (many of whom used to work at top entertaining brand companies like Disney and Roblox), I can tell you they are super ambitious and driven by their mission. It seems the right time to foster critical thinking and support for spatial, experiential, and immersive artists.

I can’t wait to see what comes next from them.

Until next time,

- Kaloh

Over the past months, I’ve noticed a wave of very talented female artists creating generative art and leading this movement. I wanted to know them better and share more insights about their backgrounds, motivations, and challenges they faced emerging in this new field.

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1. Iskra Velitchkova

Iskra ( @pointline_) has been producing physical art in the form of plotter work and generative NFTs inspired by the relationship between humans and machines. She switched from a career in data and information systems and hasn’t looked back since then.

Life is not just about digital. Or physical. I don't think we should make techonology more human, I believe that we have to push technology forward to understand us better.

- www.iskraovelitchkova.com

What has been your biggest challenge in this space?

First of all, finding my place in the space. I mean, I worked for a long time in digital graphics. I had my place in my fields: data visualization and information design, but I was new in expressing myself through art itself. At least in terms of sharing it. For me was very important to find, since the beginning, the right ecosystem in terms of the community I wanted to be part of. Finding the right people to connect and learn, the right pace –the long run one– and building a solid narrative along with my work. Understanding the possibilities that this technology opens to us and being part of this art movement at the same time. Being part of that force without being washed away is an incredible challenge.

What advice would you give aspiring NFT female artists?

There is no female or male artist; there are just artists. Believe in yourself, do your best, follow your intuition and be proud of being able to bring beauty to people. Beauty always wins.

Among her influences, Iskra mentioned Andre Tarkovski, Bauhaus teachers and students, and Alma Mahler.

2. Ivona Tau

Originally from Lithuania, Ivona (@ivonatau) combines AI and photography to great success. Besides obtaining multiple awards, one of her NFTs sold at Sotheby’s auction house in New York.

A core element of Ivona’s work lies in the intersection of arts and photography with the new technologies and machine learning. Her goal is to find and evoke emotions in the artificially intelligent tools, this way making them more human.

- www.ivonatau.com

When and how did you discover NFTs?

Early last year, I started hearing about NFTs more and more and I got curious. Also, a bunch of AI artists that I was following started mentioning this cryptic platform - Hic Et Nunc. I finally decided that it would be pretty cool to immortalize my works on blockchain, not even with the purpose of selling but owning NFTs of my own work. Even though I ended up minting my first NFT on OpenSea, Tezos was where I fell in love with the ecosystem and the community as it felt really organic and authentic. It feels like Hic Et Nunc was where I grew up as an NFT artist and built my brand and recognition, which afterward translated also to other areas.

What has been your biggest challenge in this space?

Being taken seriously, as a woman artist, is something you need to work on constantly. Especially with this omnipresent “bro culture” of the NFT space and collectibles. It feels like often you have to be bolder, talk louder, be more confident than you’d normally like to. I actually had learned a lot of those skills during my career in engineering and A.I., a field that is also still quite masculine.

3. Lisa Orth

From tattoos to code, Lisa Orth (@lisaorthstudio) is one of the most popular NFT artists on FxHash.

On a mission to establish her singular style, Lisa Orth translates natural themes into otherworldly etchings on skin. Her distinctive technique is often imitated but never equalled, with clients traveling from across the globe for a chance to receive a piece of her original artwork for their very own.

http://lisaorth.com

When and how did you discover NFTs?

I suppose like a lot of other people I discovered NFTs during Covid. I’ve always worked as an artist of some sort, starting off in graphic design. I did a lot of work for Sub Pop records as their very first Art Director, designing Nirvana’s first records and their famous “logo”, among other things. I’ve owned a design firm, done illustrations and fine art, and most recently been focusing on a career in tattooing.

When shutdowns started I wasn’t able to tattoo at all, and I found that I had all this spare time to devote to other kinds of art that I’d put on the back burner cause I was so focused on tattooing. I don’t remember when or where exactly it was that I heard about NFTs, but when I did it was so exciting. The idea of proof of ownership and royalties for digital artwork seemed like a dream come true. When I discovered Hic et Nunc and the tezos ecosystem I knew something special was happening. So much incredible art and experimentation on the platform. Also with proof of stake crypto being so much better for the environment, a nice side effect is the low minting fees really inspire risk-taking and experimentation.

What advice would you give aspiring NFT female artists?

I guess I would say find your own unique voice and be fearless in your experimentation. Art should be in part about pushing the boundaries we find within ourselves. Also, I feel like this question deserves addressing the issue of naming a “women” or “female” led movement, as it excludes trans and non-binary folks, who are already not represented in a lot of spaces. Finding ways to be inclusive should really be a priority as we carve out these new spaces.

Among her influencers, Lisa mentioned Jean-Claude Marquette, Manfred Mohr, Vera Molnar, Jared Tarbell, Marcelo Soria-Rodriguez, Eko33, Kazumasa Teshigawara, and Joanie Lemercier.

4. Anna Lucia

Anna Lucia (@annaluciacodes) is an engineer turned generative artist. She is originally from the Netherlands but relocated some years ago to Cairo to work on large-scale water infrastructure projects.

When and how did you discover NFTs?

I first heard about NFTs back in 2017 when my brother told me about CryptoKitties. I had just started dabbling in crypto and researched NFTs for a bit back then. I even looked at buying some land in Decentraland. It would have cost me around 25 dollars at the time. Today, I can't remember why I didn't do that back then. In 2018, I kind of forgot about crypto and NFTs until the start of 2021 again. Generative artists that I had been following for a long time started doing exciting things on Art Blocks and Hic et Nunc. I minted my first pieces on Foundation in August of 2021 after the encouragement of IX Shells.

Was it hard to become a full-time NFT artist?

Yes, and no, it might have been both the easiest and the hardest professional choice I've made so far. I'm an art school dropout but never stopped creating and always had this hidden desire to work full-time as an artist one day. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's had dreams about quitting the 9-to-5 and following their passion, but as you become more invested in another, often more stable, career path, it becomes harder to make that choice. Making that choice was hard, but I didn't do it overnight. I prepared myself; financially, I made sure I had my ducks in a row, and I could weather the ups and downs of crypto; I didn't burn any bridges behind me and could return to my previous industry if I'd like to. That makes things easy now, and I can focus on making art because I created that stability beforehand.

What advice would you give aspiring female NFT artists?

Find your community. I would not be doing this full-time today without the amazing artists and collectors who have supported me. I would especially advise finding artists in a similar niche. For me, that is generative art, but I'm sure that for any medium, there is a group out there somewhere. And feel free to send me a DM!

5. Aleksandra Jovanić

Aleksandra (@alexis_o_O) holds a Ph.D. in Digital Arts and BSc in Computer Sciences. She combines her duties as an assistant professor with her artistic side making generative NFTs.

In her artistic practice, she mainly focuses on interactive art, art games, and generative art. Her recent works explore nonlinear narratives and the use of computer games logic and rules in the context of art.

http://aleksandrajovanic.com

When and how did you discover NFTs?

At the beginning of the last year, I was involved in the creation of an interdisciplinary course for high school students (a combination of math, programming & arts) and I realized I haven't got any of my generative art and creative coding sketches in my online portfolio and that I should post more of those. That eventually increased my social network and connections to other generative artists, and I got more interested in NFTs. For months I didn’t know how to start or whether to start at all! Most practical and helpful information came from Raphaël de Courville (@sableRaph), and I started mid-August.

Are you a full-time NFT artist? If yes, was it hard to make the decision? If not, are you planning on going full-time soon?

I’m not a full-time NFT artist. I’m an assistant professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade. I still manage to find time between online lectures (due to the pandemic) and during (winter/summer) break between semesters to make NTFs. I love teaching, so that’s the main reason I haven’t yet considered becoming a full-time NFT artist.

What advice would you give aspiring NFT female artists?

The advice I would probably give would be the same for every artist, and it would be direct adoption of part of Sol LeWitt’s letter to his friend Eva Hesse: “Just stop thinking, worrying, looking over your shoulder wondering, doubting, fearing, hurting, hoping for some easy way out, struggling, grasping,…Stop it and just DO!…” [You can easily find the whole letter online, it’s just the perfect advice.]

6. Amy Goodchild

Amy Goodchild (@amygoodchild) focuses on shared interaction and group experiences by creating installations that multiple people can use together.

I have a background in user experience design and I consider my audience in everything I do - creating art that people want to engage with. 

- www.amygoodchild.com

What has been your biggest challenge in this space?

I think the biggest challenge currently is responding to the changeability in the market and social media. It can be hard not to take the ebb and flow personally and that has an effect on my mental health and motivation. 

Consciously I know the markets and algorithms have periods of wax and wane, and it has no reflection on my work, but emotionally it can be hard to feel that. When things are good it’s a real high, and then when things are slow, it’s important to focus on keeping going and making the work. 

Are you a full-time NFT artist? If yes, was it hard to make the decision? If not, are you planning on going full-time soon?

I used to combine making art with being a freelance UX Designer. I haven’t had a UX contract for almost a year now, so you could say I’m a full-time artist! I didn’t have a full-time job to quit, though, so it made that transition a lot easier, and it feels like I still have freelancing to fall back on. 

What advice would you give aspiring NFT female artists?

Mostly I would just encourage them to get involved! It can feel like a bit of a boys club, but there are male artists who are allies to female and minority artists. The battle is definitely not won, but there is at least a deliberate effort from some people to make space for a more diverse demographic of artists. There are often subgroups within larger communities where you can connect with other diverse artists.

I hope you enjoyed this short overview of these six talented NFT artists. This wasn’t supposed to be a comprehensive list; there are many more fantastic women creating NFT art or female art, from generative art to other forms.

Until next time,

- Kaloh

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What Is Gen Art?

I was trying to define “generative art” before explaining why I think it is so special. So I googled gen art, and good old Wikipedia had a solid description.

Generative art refers to art that in whole or in part has been created with the use of an autonomous system. An autonomous system in this context is generally one that is non-human and can independently determine features of an artwork that would otherwise require decisions made directly by the artist.

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Top 5 Reasons Why Gen Art NFTs Are Unique

Some say we are still early into crypto and NFTs. I think we are even earlier to generative and machine-assisted art. Today might be the best time to explore, follow and get your feet wet in this fantastic new field. With this in mind, I’ll try to explain why this form of art is so unique, and maybe it helps to understand why Art Blocks Fidenza #313 sold for 1k ETH (+$3 Million USD).

Interpretation of my portrait photography by Generative Adversarial Networks. Inspired by classical and contemporary art and photography I harvest and curate generative adversarial network brood that resonates with my subconscious mind. the Collaborationist.

Bas Uterwijk (@ganbrood)

1. A genuinely new form of art made possible by technology

This form of art has been available for a very short time. Keep in mind, code and computers have been around for less than 70 years. Therefore, this type of invention is made possible by the intersection of NFTs/crypto and the progress made on computers and machines.

Popular artists like Iskra Velitchkova, who had a professional background in data visualization and information design technologies, found this new world right at its inception. Although she has only been producing NFTs since the beginning of this year, her pieces are leading the highest sales rankings on platforms like hic et nunc.

I’ve been working on creative coding, data visualization, genart and information design for the last 10 years, so it’s exciting for me to see all this happening right now, and be part of it.

Iskra Velitchkova

2. One algorithm, thousands of creations

Something that makes generative algorithms so unique is they can produce thousands of individual works at once. They all come from the same source code.

Smart contracts cap the algorithms, which means they could have produced even more objects. One example is the Genesis Automatons, a generative collection of 4000 pieces.

dGen Automatons are a variation of cyclic cellular automata in two dimensions; an implementation of a discrete-time deterministic system where an integer based lattice changes state based on an algorithm which defines the neighborhood of a cell.

3. The tech community recognize the value even more

Crypto and NFTs are, by definition, technical fields filled with geeks and developers. For that reason, this form of art has rapidly found a home in what is called gen art community. I haven’t run the numbers, but there is a big chance most of the NFT community knows how to code or at least understands the fundamentals.

Jess Hewitt (@rustysniper1) is the perfect example. She is a developer who uses basic computer concepts in her creations, some of them are “Partition”, “Lost Packets”, “Sector Wipe”, “Virtualization” among others. When asked about what drives her NFTs, she replied:

I'm often inspired by amazing pieces made by other artists, and I also frequently draw upon dreams or other unusual experiences.

Jess Hewitt

4. Outstanding algorithms are damn hard to create

I’ve been chatting with some of the most popular collectors in the field. They mentioned the aesthetics, technique, coding quality, artists’ background, and authenticity as crucial factors in evaluating a gen art collection. Gen artists are like cyber architects; they need to design software capable of producing striking pieces while making them unique. Every detail is essential. If you have worked with neural networks, trained a model out of data, or coded complex loops with inner loops, you get a good feeling of how time-consuming and draining this process can be.

What makes it even more exciting is there is not only one form of generative art. There are multiple styles, techniques, and outputs, making this space super-rich in variety. The examples showcased in this edition are primarily visual arts, but generative art can also refer to literature, music, theater, and more.

5. Made on-chain, will live forever

Another aspect that is sometimes undervalued in gen art is the algorithm is actually in the smart contract. It can reproduce the piece without the need for an external entity. Some NFTs aren’t 100% decentralized, as the object points to a centralized service.

This technical detail depends on how the specific NFT was set up, so you should research the roots directly. Get your hands dirty and review the smart contracts and the underlying objects to appreciate the quality of the work (again, it is not only about the aesthetics).

I hope this helped you realize why this art type is so valuable and maybe get some inspiration to collect or even create your own pieces. Coming from a computer science background, I am fired up to learn processing, p5.js, and develop my own algorithms…

Until next time,

- Kaloh

PD: If you liked my writing, feel free to click the ❤️ button on this post so more people can discover it on Substack 🙏

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Hello everyone!

Today, I would like to weigh in on the differences between these two art styles. It all started on Twitter after I shared a poll to understand the perception of both disciplines.

Despite the poll results, it became clear there is considerable confusion about the differences between both styles. I spent some time researching and will try to outline the contrasts between both areas or, at least, how I see them. During the process, I learned a lot, and before starting I have to say there isn’t a clear consensus about many of these definitions yet.

What is AI Art?

First, let’s define artificial intelligence (AI) in simple terms.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence demonstrated by machines, as opposed to the natural intelligence displayed by animals including humans.1

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Over the past decades, we’ve seen a massive improvement in artificial intelligence systems due to advances in storage, faster processors, cloud computing, and, more importantly, vast and diverse data sets. Data sets are essential since they are the gasoline for artificial intelligence systems.

AI has many applications and an extensive amount of techniques with their pros and cons. From autonomous systems (like self-driving cars) to chat and voice assistants, visual detection, forecasting, natural language processing (the capacity to understand languages and produce text outputs), and image generation. The last one has been widely used over the past year - in different ways, such as in AI art.

How does AI Art work?

I won’t go into the specifics, as these technologies are pretty complex, have many variants, and evolves constantly. My goal is to provide some basic context at this time.

In 2014, Ian Goodfellow and his colleagues created a framework called generative adversarial networks, or GANs, a subtype of neural networks 2. This technology takes data (training set) and generates a new output with similar characteristics to the input. For example, providing a training set with photos can produce similar photos as the output.

One year ago, you needed to technically understand how these neural networks worked, set up your models, handle massive amounts of data (images), and run the neural network, which required a lot of processing power, among other steps. Only those with the technical knowledge, time, and resources had access.

“Hybrid ecosystems: kelp systems” was created by Entangled Others Studio, co-founded by Sofia Crespo (neural artist) and Feileacan McCormick (generative artists), explores synthetic life forms, and is an excellent example of unique AI art.

Over the last year, some applications have taken this process to another level, making it very easy for anyone to generate such outputs without creating their own training set, as many images are included by default. Some are Midjourney, DALL-E, and DALL-E-2. Additionally, GPT-3 by OpenAI works similarly (using another type of neural network for natural language processing), producing text outputs. It can write books, poems, jokes, stories, or whatever you tell.

Users must provide a prompt or short text to use these platforms. You can control the parameters and the outputs by changing your prompts, which is why sometimes this kind of art is called “prompt art.”

Remember, not all AI art uses prompts, as artists could set up their own models, processes, and setups. One example is Dy5p1ace by Mario Klingemann, who created an interactive installation in London during Proof Of People 2022. The input was the joystick movements the collector did, who ended the experience with the artwork minted to his crypto wallet.

Some discourage this art practice (when using tools like Midjourney or DALL-E). Nevertheless, there are artists innovating and creating unique masterpieces. Here are some things they are doing differently:

• Master the prompt game to perfectly guide the AI. As you practice and study all the possibilities, you get better at navigating and controlling the neural networks..

• Come up with your own style. As the outputs can be wild, figuring out how to create your visual style consistently might be the hardest thing to accomplish by an AI artist.

• Use your photos or images as the training set. By doing this, you make sure you will get unique outputs.

What is Gen Art?

Let’s jump into gen art or generative art now. Well-established researchers and historians formed many definitions. This one is one of my favorites so far:

Generative art refers to any art practice where the artist uses a system, such
as a set of natural language rules, a computer program, a machine, or other
procedural invention, which is set into motion with some degree of autonomy
contributing to or resulting in a completed work of art

Philip Galanter 3

If we take this definition, AI Art falls under Gen Art because neural networks are autonomous systems producing a work of art. Nevertheless, it seems that currently, there isn’t a widely accepted structure.

How does Gen Art work?

When we think about Gen Art collections on platforms like ArtBlocks, and FxHash, there is a difference in how these collections are constructed. They usually use mathematical methods and incorporate random functions to ensure each work is unique. This form of art has been explored since programming languages and computers were created, but they have become widely popular with the introduction of the blockchain.

The reason is the code is stored on the blockchain, and the seed of the random function is connected to the blockchain transaction. This new mechanism wasn’t feasible before and is one of the reasons why this new art form is so sought after.

Currently, generative art platforms (FxHash, ArtBlocks) aren’t rigorously designed to support AI technologies. Artists employ their preferred methods and libraries - the most popular are the javascript language and the p5.js library.

One of the purest examples of a Gen-Art collection is RGB Elementary Cellular Automaton by ciphrd. It replicates a previously created algorithm and has multiple sets of rules randomly followed to generate different outputs.

Stephen Wolfram's Elementary Cellular Automaton where 3 different rules are drawn in the Red, Green and Blue color components of the image.

Rules are selected randomly among a pre-selection of 53 rules from which nice behaviors emerge.

Tokens can have a cell size in the [1; 20] range.

RGB Elementary Cellular Automaton by ciphrd

Differences between AI Art and Gen Art

One key difference when creating a collection on a platform like FxHash compared to generating an AI image is artists need solid coding skills. In the case of AI, new tools like Midjourney and DALL-E are making it much more accessible, although having your custom setup could be highly complex and requires considerable technical skills too.

For that reason, there is a high entry barrier to this art form. In addition, artists face different challenges as they must decide the collection length and how many pieces the algorithm should generate. This isn’t a trivial question, as setting this too high could affect the general perception of the collection in case the artwork ends up being repetitive. Setting this value too low could undermine the collection as the outputs don’t reflect the reach and capacity of the algorithm.

This challenge leads us to important concepts - long-form gen art and short-form gen art 4.

It is called long-form gen art when artists release the algorithm and produce hundreds of outputs. It is also possible to create an autonomous system and curate the outputs, so artists only showcase the ones they like instead of letting the program run freely. When an artist decides to do this, it’s called short-form gen art.

Coming back to the comparison, both disciplines aren’t too far from each other, and some artists have already combined both techniques. Ivona Tau and Cyril Diagne released generative collections on FxHash that use AI principles.

The project has been developed in multiple stages. It started with an inspiration by the Lithuanian landscape and research of the ancient myths and legends. The photography aimed at capturing the mysterious, spanning months and years of different experiences. A custom pre-trained artist’s GAN model was then trained on a collection of several hundred photographs in high resolution. Selected outputs were curated by artist and included as a starting canvas for the next stage. Then, a set of stochastic manipulations were programmed to create alternative narratives through the visual destruction. Fog turns into smoke into burning radioactive forest in an unpredictable manner, guided by the random variables, their boundaries crafted by artist.

Mythic Laten Glitches description by Ivona Tau

A generator for the mascot of darkness.

The moons are generated with a real-time GAN of 1.6M parameters that has been trained on thousands of photos collected on the internet.

Each grid performs a unique cycle of 29.53 days, in sync with the iconic celestial body.

Waxing Crescent by Cyril Diagne

Another difference between both is AI image generation will be widely used (and already is) for commercial uses outside the art field. Due to how easy it is to generate high-quality images which reflect ideas perfectly for marketing purposes.

To conclude this piece, it seems clear we are in the origins of both art disciplines. Most players in the NFT art space - artists, collectors, and platforms - have been involved for less than two years, some even less than a year. This means experimentation and innovation are still at the center stage of both movements. We can expect plenty of new ways to use gen art, and many emerging artists will become more prolific and capable of taking these techniques to new levels. As I mentioned, there isn’t a clear consensus on these definitions, and since the NFT space moves so fast, it will probably take several years to establish the general terms.

Until next time,

- Kaloh

PD: Thanks to community members @koljaaa_ @ethspresso and @WTHisCrypto for their feedback before publishing the article!

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What Is Generative Art?

Well-established researchers and historians formed many definitions. This one is one of my favorites so far:

Generative art refers to any art practice where the artist uses a system, such
as a set of natural language rules, a computer program, a machine, or other
procedural invention, which is set into motion with some degree of autonomy
contributing to or resulting in a completed work of art

Philip Galanter,

What is Generative Art? - Complexity Theory as a Context for Art Theory.

What Is Code Art?

We could say code art is a subset of generative art, which, as the name says, uses code to create a piece of art. They usually use mathematical methods and incorporate random functions to ensure each work is unique. This form of art has been explored since programming languages and computers were created, but they have become widely popular with the introduction of the blockchain.

I wrote the difference between generative art and AI art below.

How to Use ChatGPT to Create Art?

You may well be familiar with the buzz surrounding ChatGPT in recent months (If not, I urge you to give it a go here). The efficiency and user-friendliness of this chatbot have sparked widespread discussion about AI, its present-day applications, and its implications for the future.

You might be wondering, can chatgpt create art? and the answer is yes. Let’s dive in.

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I've seen countless Twitter threads and Instagram videos extolling the virtues of incorporating ChatGPT into one's daily routine to save time. And businesses are adapting to this shift, as evidenced by the emergence of a new job title on job boards - the ChatGPT engineer.

As it turns out, ChatGPT is also rather adept at coding. Whether you need templates or ideas to jumpstart your programming, ChatGPT can quickly generate code in virtually any language.

Although I’ve written about AI art in numerous issues (last week I wrote about an autonomous AI artist), it has been about artists using prompts or training their own generative art models using different techniques to produce visual outputs directly, not code.

Why is this new chatbot so important — in the context of algorithmic art?

Because ChatGPT can create generative art, too.

I’m not the first one to try or point at this; in fact, Pronoia, a popular collector who sold Zancan’s Lushtemples, Highlights of the Hike for 83k Tezos — included in 10 iconic 1/1s on Tezos — was one of the first to explore the concept of AI-assisted generative art back in August 2022 in his article “GPT-3 and me: A generative coding study”.

Here is a snippet of that article (keep in mind, it uses GPT-3, which, although pretty powerful, wasn’t at the same level as GPT-4, the latest version).

I knew GPT could create simple code and source it from a large codebase already presents in the training data. What I wanted to see was whether I could push the system to produce something that could be considered “original”. This article follows selected inputs and outputs from the generative art journey between GPT-3 and me, a collaborative article. I have never written a line of Javascript code in my life.

….

Not only are all the outputs shown in this article produced by GPT through my inputs, the article itself was also partly written by the system. I encourage readers to try and find what parts of this article were purely written by a human, and which GPT wrote. It was extremely fun and rewarding to work with this system, trying to push it’s coding limits. In the future I believe these systems will play an integral part in discovering the potential of creativity in artificial intelligence.

Since then, many more have explored the chatbot power. It isn’t surprising that Claire Silver, who started to explore AI art in 2018, also jumped into AI-assisted coding.

Using GPT4 to write code is quickly *teaching* me code. Its code is 90 percent right, but the 10 percent that isn’t has me learning by doing, and I’m retaining what I’ve learned. Brain feels weirdly neuroplastic in a way it hasn’t since elementary school

Claire Silver

As she highlights, learning by doing has been very useful, as the code isn’t exactly perfect (10% wrong), and you need to fix it.

After seeing these use cases, I wondered, have any AI-assisted long-form generative coded projects been published?

The answer is a handful of projects have been published since mid-2022. The open fxhash platform has been the home for these experimentations, as anyone can release a collection by following their coding guidelines.

Here are 7 generative art code examples that have different levels of artificial intelligence involvement, and they can help you understand how to use chatgpt for art.

7 Generative Art Examples Using AI

Or, should we call these chatgpt art?

1. The Geometry of Rain by Chris Wallace

An artwork co-created by Chris Wallace and GPT-4 exploring the relationship between the geometric shapes and the rain, highlighting the intersection of mathematical precision and organic fluidity.

ChatGPT writes, "This artwork explores the relationship between the geometric shapes and the rain, highlighting the intersection of mathematical precision and organic fluidity."

In this case, Chris (founder of UltraDao and the Woodies) used a trial-and-error process to update the prompts and show chatGPT creating art. He recalls that the code needed to be updated manually in some cases. The title was also generated by ChatGPT-4.

2. Starmap - AI Study I by CoDexter

Published in July 2022, "Starmap - AI Study I” was created by CoDexter (John Wowkavic & BrainArt Labs) entirely using GPT-3 as only the Math.random() operation was added (using fxrand()) to produce the randomization needed.

Starmap brings you to different sectors of the generative art galaxy. A first of its kind generative art experiment using a Text2Code workflow, which involves writing text prompts that get translated into javascript code. This project was created with English words and human imagination, but the programming of the piece is all AI.

3. Man and the Machine by Maxwell White & CoDexter

CoDexter continued his exploration of AI-assisted generative art algorithms and teamed up with collector Maxwell White. This collection has a powerful premise “What is the point of coding something so that it looks like it’s not coded?”

Overall, Man and The Machine is a testament to the creative potential of combining human artistic vision with the power of AI and computer code. Together, we sought to push the boundaries which occur at the intersection between the organic and the inorganic, and this collection is a celebration of the beauty and complexity of both.

4. The Beauty of Discord by Abdi

Abdi assembled one of the most popular AI-assisted collections until today on fxhash. He used ChatGPT-3 to generate a poem and Dall-E 2 to come up with stunning images. As Abdi describes it, the human touch shows up when merging both technologies and creating the right compositions.

The combination of these two AI technologies, along with the human touch in the painting algorithms and composition, creates an artwork that is truly one-of-a-kind. The final product is not only visually stunning, but it also serves as a glimpse into the future of humanity and the possibilities of AI collaboration in art. The artwork is a testament to the beauty that can result from a seemingly discordant combination of human and machine inputs, and it invites us to consider the impact of technology on the creative process and the role of the human artist in the age of AI.

5. Materia by Water Flowing

Materia is a collection inspired by its resemblance to carved wood, metal, or elements made of silk or felt. In this case, the artist used ChatGPT to generate the function names used as the features, but not in the code — hinting that AI can also assist in creative areas.

6. SOUND GROWS INTO SPACE by Sasha Stiles x Here & Now

Sasha, known for her AI-assisted poetry, has been using AI for a long time. She has published books and multiple collections on fxhash and other platforms together with her AI alter ego, Technelegy. Besides the AI component, this collection is particularly exciting as it was featured on the Here & Now immersive experience and uses fx(params). This new fxhash feature allows collectors to co-create their pieces by adjusting the settings used to develop the final artwork or should we say, chatgpt artwork?

Poetry endures across space and the passage of time precisely because of a paradox: it is immutable yet intensely personal, becoming something irrefutably unique with each and every reader. In this poem, shifting parameters influence the flow of feeling and understanding, imbuing verse with multidimensional meaning and empowering deep engagement in the act of reading.

7. Full Of Flowers by SMLDMS

Another collection that uses ChatGPT, specifically to create a poem as the centerpiece of the work. The code isn’t generated by AI, only the poem.

Oh my god, it's full of flowers
Nature's art, in full bloom
Petals soft, a colorful array
A sight to behold, they gently sway

But with computers, a new art is born
Generative designs, a digital morn
Code and algorithms, a new way to create
Flowers rendered, no longer innate

Gone are the days of pen and paper
Now, with a click, a new flower caper
Infinite variations, a never-ending bouquet
Generative art, a new way to play

But let us not forget the flowers of old
Nature's beauty, worth more than gold
So let us embrace both, hand and machine
A balance of art, a true scene serene

The implications of AI-assisted art are complex and multifaceted. While some may argue that this new technology threatens to replace human creativity and skill, others see it as an opportunity to explore new artistic horizons and push the boundaries of what is possible.

On the one hand, it offers artists new tools and techniques that can enhance their work in exciting ways (as we saw in the multiple examples). On the other hand, many have been raising questions about authorship and originality. When it comes to generative art, the question is how much you value coding skills.

Purpose, connection, and originality will be even more crucial than technical complexity and the WOW factor.

Until next time,

- Kaloh

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Last week, I joined my first NFT collectible project. I had collected NFTs before, but this was the first time I got into one of the generative avatar types that have been trending over the past months. The collection I am now part of is called “Fame Lady Squad.” I had a blast, learned many new things, and changed my perspective. In this article, I share my experience, and I tell you four reasons why I think you should join one.

What are NFT Collectibles?

First of all, If you aren’t familiar with digital collectible projects, here is how they work. Usually, a team of two to five people (primarily developers and artists) designs a theme. A theme could be an animal like an ape, a cat, or, like the one I joined, a lady. In addition, they design traits or attributes. For example, a trait could be different skin colors, eyes shapes, or accessories like rings or tattoos. Depending on the project, there could be tens to hundreds of other traits. Then, they take advantage of generative algorithms, which smartly combine those traits to produce a massive amount of avatars. As the combinations are random, it is possible to come up with items rarer than others, affecting the pricing of such objects. Anyone could’ve minted an object for around 0.02 Eth ($40) + gas if you were fast enough to do it before they sold out. 🙃

The Fame Ladies Squad project had a particular characteristic: all the characters are females, and there are only 8888 different ladies. I had a blast participating in the project’s launch as a collector and spectator. Here are the four reasons this project taught me about NFT collectibles and why they are exciting.

1. Be part of a crypto-centric community

All these projects have a community chat hosted in Discord open for everyone. If you are the owner of a lady, you get a special badge. There are currently 2500 individual wallets holding a lady. In general, everyone in this community supports each other because they want to succeed. On my first week, I noticed an excellent vibe where the participants were trying to make friends, meet new people with similar interests, learn about other projects, and support newcomers.

I asked the other members why they liked this project, and I immediately got many answers. This one stood out.

Art is super clean, all of the traits are aesthetically appealing, first all female avatars run by an all female team, a great cause with the Care charitable donation… but my favorite thing was that it caught my daughter’s attention and allowed me to explain NFTs to her and get her own Fame Lady that I can’t wait to transfer to her when she gets her own ETH wallet.

Message by the user Reaper on Discord.

2. It is a future investment

Initially, they sold for 0.02 Eth ($38), while the average price moves from 0.26 to 0.32 Eth ($494 to $607). The highest sold lady up to date was 9.99 Eth (~ $20000), and many members are very optimistic about each lady reaching 1 Eth (~$2000). Of course, there is a lot of speculation, and the market can go up or down for different reasons. From an economic perspective, it feels more like a gamble.

The demand of the specific NFT drives prices. That’s where the rarity and the particular traits of each object make a difference. Rarity.tools is a website that showcases a rarity ranking for the most popular NFT collections.

3. You can help a special cause

The fame ladies squad has already donated $20k to avoid violence against women. The project also represents the first female-centric avatar collection, promoting and bringing more women into the crypto space.

I love ladies because it is representation that was needed of women made by women. Also as a survivor of domestic abuse the project donating to that cause brings me hope that more and more projects will support social change and help uplift. Art - avatars included - if applied like this and other projects can help change the world.

Message by the user Empress on Discord.

Finding a project you feel connected to is the tricky part. In your mind, it needs to make sense. Don’t worry too much if you can’t find it meaningful at the beginning. Many of these projects were born as jokes and slowly increased, fueled by the community and its members.

4. Be known as a visionary because you were an early adopter

We are still early. Some of the early crypto collections can be the Da Vinci’s, Rembrandt’s, or Michalangelo’s of this new era. For that reason, owning one of the earlier pieces has additional value than its market price. It is a way to show that you were a visionary, an early adopter. You were bright enough to see the crypto hype and didn’t miss the train. Can you imagine flexing that avatar in 10 or 15 years?

In summary, I believe this is the right moment to try out and collect a couple of avatars. I guarantee it will be fun, you will learn a lot, and in addition, if you are lucky and pick the right project, you might make a buck or two. Now, as always, use your money wisely and don’t be a FOMO customer 😉.

PD: Some celebrities and investors are breaking into the NFT space. Gary Vee is one of them. I had the chance to have a “small chat” in Discord over the weekend, which was very exciting. I couldn’t resist tweeting about it.

And yes… Gary is in the Discord server!

If you liked the Fame Lady Squad’s mission and aesthetic you could:

• Follow their Twitter account here.

• Purchase a lady on their Open Sea collection here.

Shilling Section

Check out these cool drops from other crypto artists.

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- Kaloh

What is fxhash?

fxhash is a new marketplace on the Tezos blockchain dedicated to generative art. It lets creative coders create and submit their algorithms and produce outputs that can be “minted” into the blockchain by collectors. Each artwork is unique and uses the blockchain transaction as the seed that produces an NFT or gentoken (that is the name for fxhash NFTs).

If you aren’t familiar with generative art, I wrote 🧬 5 Reasons why Gen-Art NFTs are something special which is a great way to understand this new form of art.

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Over the past weeks, I’ve been researching and collecting some fantastic gems. Today, I’d like to share some of my favorite artists.

1. Maze and Hex by Yi-Wen LIN

These two collections are at the top of my list. Yi-Wen produced striking palettes and textures in a small sampling space (there are only 128 pieces in each collection).

I can easily see myself hanging any of these in my living room. The collections are so rich that you can pick a palette you like, from dark colors to more colorful ones.

2. SMOLSKULLS by Mark Knol

It is hard to find gen-art on Fxhash that gets adopted as PFPs. One reason is that creators aren’t trying to create avatars. Knol’s Smolskulls don’t obey that rule and have already been adopted as an avatar by many community members, which is an excellent indicator of long-lasting success.

Mark released three collections: ASCII-SMOLSKULL, SMOLSKULL, and 3D-SMOLSKULL. Don’t sleep on the Smolskulls!

3. RIVER by Camille Roux

Camille is establishing his red, green, white, and yellow palette as his trademark. He makes it easy to understand his creations, selecting simple scenes like flowers, cities, or rivers as his inspiration. I was amazed by the different sets of scenes his River algorithm generated.

4. RGB Elementary Cellular Automaton by ciphrd

Ciphrd is the mastermind behind FxHash. Although RGB Elementary Cellular Automaton is already one of the top-performing collections, the sky is the limit for this one. As a creative coder himself, he knows how to push the platform forward and is very active in their Discord server.

5. Hashed Cities by Yazid

Nothing better to define Yazid’s work than his own words:

This token generates a deterministic set of minimal, abstract buildings of varying widths, heights, transparencies, and patterns, assembling a skyline view of your own unique imaginary city. Each city comes with its own randomized city day.

Each mint has a native setting (Day or Night) which combined with the current time of viewing influences real-time movements of celestial bodies in your mint, e.g. on a mint with the Day setting, the sun will only appear when viewed during the day. The piece will re-render every minute.

6. School of data by Daniel Oropeza

Daniel is one of the top creators in terms of volume. He released more than ten sold-out collections while his style is improving every day. His collections will find a house on those collectors that love abstract shapes, pixels, and electric colors. You need to open his pieces, as the main attraction are the movements - it feels like a short trip.

7. Fireworks by Hevey

Hevey has created generative art pieces for the famous Art Blocks platform in the past and seems to be enjoying Fxhash so far. Besides the electric Fireworks collection, he also produced some mind-blowing series named Sequences and Cycles, which have been doing very well in the market. Once again, you need to open his pieces because the animations give them a special touch.

8. CMYK:RND by nor44

Nor44 uses code to continually create new faces and compositions using 'Print-ready' styled elements giving the artwork a more tactile, less digital feel. In my view, this collection is way different from anything created so far and has a diversity and inclusion touch that makes it stand out.

The Future of Gen Art and fxhash

What I love about the current state of this marketplace is we are so early that more than +/-90% of the creations sell for less than 5 Tezos. Right now is a great time to collect - both as an art lover and investor. For instance, some of the collections I showcased earlier have the floor below 3 Tezos ( +/- $12 USD).

Time will only tell where Fxhash NFT goes from here (it is still in Beta!). But so far, with what I’ve seen in terms of quality and reception, I’ll continue to pay close attention. If you know how to code or are willing to learn, you should probably give it a shot. Maybe I should too?

Until next time,

- Kaloh

PD: This is not financial advice, and I own multiple pieces from these collections.

Manifold NFTs are taking the spotlight in NFT town, and we can’t ignore it anymore.

If you have been following crypto art over the past few weeks, you probably have seen, minted, or released work through Manifold.

If you haven’t, no worries; the goal of this issue is to go through Manifold.xyz and explain why its volume has been doubling month to month (it looks like January is going to triple December’s volume).

• Manifold claims in December: $4,2M (3.8k Eth).

• Manifold claims until January 26th: $11.1M (7.7k Eth).

What is Manifold.xyz?

Manifold Studio is a platform that allows you to mint tokens on your self-deployed creator contract.

It allows you to retain true ownership and maintain the highest level of provenance of your work.

NFT minting is the process of creating an NFT in the blockchain. There are different ways of doing it, and Manifold (or Manifold XYZ) is making it easy to create, customize and deploy NFT smart contracts. You don’t need to be an advanced coder to deploy your own contracts anymore.

What Manifold is doing is quite crucial for multiple reasons, but I see two clear benefits:

1. Decentralization and ownership: smart contracts minted through Manifold are genuinely owned by the creator and not just signed (like when using Opensea). With everything that happened recently in the crypto world — like companies going bankrupt and marketplaces not honoring royalties — who knows what else can come next?

2. Customization: Two years ago, a simple mint on OpenSea or Foundation felt like all we needed. The truth is the space is growing, and so are artists, projects, and collectors’ needs.

Two components make Manifold work (there are more, but I am trying to simplify things… Full documentation can be found here).

• Studio: this is where you create the Manifold smart contract and customize it with different add-ons and features.

• Gallery: This is where you can create auctions or listings for your NFTs.

What is Manifold Studio?

One of the most significant advantages is there aren’t any platform fees when selling NFTs on Manifold. Keep in mind gas fees need to be paid by the artists when minting the contract. Also, if a Manifold NFT is sold on other platforms, those platforms’ fees will apply.

Manifold Studio is completely free to use and charges no platform fees or any royalties on sales.

Any costs associated with deploying/minting are the standard gas fees that come with minting on Ethereum mainnet.

Integrating Manifold with other NFT Marketplaces

Sharing NFTs in different marketplaces is critical for discoverability. That is why Manifold is already well integrated with popular open marketplaces (on Ethereum) and could be upon request on curated ones.

For artists, minting an NFT on Manifold alone won’t help much to expand their collector’s base; for collectors, finding and listing their NFTs on popular marketplaces is also essential, which is why smooth integrations are crucial.

Ideally, cross-chain integration is in the making.

Manifold’s Burn Redeem App

Recently, Manifold released a new feature that allows artists to set up “burn and redeem”, where collectors can burn tokens and receive new ones.

Lucrece launched an open edition, “Defy” — commanding over 8k mints for 0.06 ETH (+$800k) just on the primary sales — and quickly followed it up with a burning game called “proceed w/ caution.”

The burning concept isn’t anything new. We have used it multiple times in the and many creators have done so (Lucrece included) via other platforms. Nevertheless, it makes me wonder if upcoming features released by Manifold will get the same level of adoption.

Could Manifold define the “meta” or the trends moving forward?

Who else is minting on Manifold.xyz?

Here are some of my favorite artists creating their own intelligent contracts through Manifold…

There are ways to use Manifold to create generative art using their extensions, but we will leave that for another day.

Until next time,

- Kaloh

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According to the latest reports, they face $3.5B(!) in creditor claims.

Interestingly, Davies and Zhu had a strong taste in art (hopefully?), as among their assets is an impressive digital art collection.

Teneo, the company in charge of liquidating the collection to pay back part of the debt, released the list of artworks. It includes iconic digital art pieces: Archetype by Kjetil Golid (13), Apparitions by Aaron Penne (20), Autoglyphs (3), CENTURY by Casey REAS (4), Chromie Squiggle by Snowfro (2), CryptoPunks (11), Deafbeef (3), Crypto Citizen (1), Elementals by Michael Connolly (3), Elevated Deconstructions by luxpris (4), Endless Nameless by Rafaël Rozendaal (5), Fidenza by Tyler Hobbs (30), Genesis by DCA (2), Ringers by Dmitri Cherniak (17), Subscapes by Matt DesLauriers (7), Alpha Centauri Kid 1/1s (3).1

Sotheby's Metaverse got its hands into these outstanding collections and is auctioning them at different dates in public and private auctions —they call these pieces GRAILS (not to be confused with PROOF Grails).

The first artworks went on auction last week, and all have been going for more than anticipated by Sotheby’s analyst. As I noted in the weekly digest, Fidenza #725 by Tyler Hobbs sold for over $1M, while Autoglyph #187 by Larva Labs went for over half a million dollars.

Besides the pieces that already sold (beating the estimates by a wide margin), I made a list of the ones I would bid on — if I had the means — and included my own sales estimate…

It will be fun to see how far off I was (or accurate)…

1. Ringers #879 by Dmitri Cherniak, aka “The Goose”

• Estimation: $340,000 to $400,000.

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Hi friends,

I woke up today with an interesting thought about the future of digital art commerce.

I feel that lending and borrowing NFTs will soon change how we commercialize digital art. NFT art events are about to get more exciting (not only for artists and visitors but also for collectors).

Let me elaborate...

NFTs provide untapped potential that just a few are taking advantage of. Think about simplifying logistics, insurance costs, space needs, and artwork inventory, among others. Exhibitions and events like Bright Moments and Vertical Crypto have been visionaries, capitalizing on these features to go around the world (London, Mexico City, Miami, Tokyo, New York, and the list goes on…) while focusing on event experience and top-class art/artists.

Until now, most exhibitions have predominantly focused on showcasing brand-new artwork. However, as time goes on, an increasing number of art enthusiasts will divert their attention toward historical creations, thus shifting the spotlight to these pieces instead of the latest releases — this is already happening.

This phenomenon mirrors what transpires in the traditional art world, where institutions, museums, and galleries frequently "rent" art for specific exhibitions. My aunt, for example, has a popular piece displayed in her living room, and she occasionally receives requests for it to be exhibited. Sometimes she receives compensation, but her primary interest lies in people having the opportunity to view her painting.

That's why lending and borrowing protocols can prove immensely advantageous.

Here are a few metrics on how such a protocol could work. Take this with a grain of salt, as technicalities might be hard to accomplish.

Collectors (must own iconic pieces) could be rewarded by these metrics:

• Views or screen time.

• A portion of the sale (if the art sold in the event).

• Standard fee per day exhibited.

There are protocols already going in that direction, like NFTfi ($400M in cumulative loans and over 40k loans – in less than 2 years). Those protocols aren’t focussing on physical scenarios just yet. But I am sure this use case isn’t far away from being a reality.

I would love to hear your thoughts, as always ✌️

Leave a comment

Until next time,

- Kaloh

PD: If you enjoyed my writing, feel free to click the ❤️ button on this post so more people can discover it on Substack 🙏

“Glitch” refers both to unintended consequences and also to effects deliberately designed to make an audience question whether or not the software is working as intended. I think it will also be helpful to consider the glitch in terms of three separate but related forms: 1) glitch as discovery, 2) glitch as aesthetic, and 3) glitch as performance.

Alex Pieschel in Glitches: A kind of history (2014)

Ah, yes, the ancient art of manipulating defects. It's a practice that has been embraced by artistic visionaries throughout history, long before the advent of modern technology such as video games, television, or the digital wonders of xCopy and Deslucrece. Indeed, some suggest that the movement of cubism, with its bold experimentation and avant-garde approach, served as a major source of inspiration for the glitch art we see today.

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The appreciation of visual glitches goes much back much further than the
1980’s - 90’s and the ‘home computer’ retro aesthetic imagery that is often
associated with that time.

In visual investigations, a wealth of Glitch-alike imagery was found and the
notion of the accident in art spanning across decades of the use and misuse of
media in artistic practice. I would like to draw attention to the cubist movement.
While their works are not commonly thought of as ‘glitches’ per se, I believe that
they were possibly influential in the way we can appreciate a fragmented style
being applied to a digital image today

The Evolution of Glitch Art from Origin to Present, Dr. Diaa EL din Tantawy, Dr. Amr EL Halaby

Blockchain art and NFTs offer a natural platform for distributing such art, filling a commercial void that previously existed for this type of creation (this argument can also be applied to other forms of digital art).

Here is a diverse collection of glitch art pieces that have captured my attention for various reasons. This list includes artists from different blockchains and styles, encompassing established names and emerging talents.

In no particular order…

Spøgelsesmaskinen

Looking at the Screensavers collection, it is hard to imagine another series that fill this definition better… “Glitch” refers both to unintended consequences and also to effects deliberately designed to make an audience question whether or not the software is working as intended.

Elbi

Elbi’s tagline couldn’t be more on point - “Piloting 90s hardware through web3.”

Patrick Amadon

POP!

*For those tracking the market: POP Culture sold for 8.9 Eth ($13,700) in January 2023, making it the most expensive piece in this list.

EMPRESSTRASH

Empresstrash made “Move On” for the Vintage Glitch series that took part in SuperChief x NFTRome Bad Glitches Only exhibition. By the way, has her own Substack - don't forget to check it out.

Move On from what we knew to the new.

rust

Making 1/1s, daily (alas Beeple), for 480, Four Eighty by rust portraits a mix of xCopy x Deslucrece, which is perfect for those interested in 1/1s, long series, and glitch.

0xNiel

Niel is one of the younger artists (in terms of blockchain career) on this list. Nevertheless, his glitch style is colorful, catchy, and worth a mention.

aertime

FUTURE FORECAST minted out while I was editing this piece.

Marta Timmer

Marta is a multidisciplinary artist who combines glitch and collage. She is exploring beauty, memory, decay, and emotion and has been sold at Sotheby's.

jonCates

The Art Institute of Chicago says that Jon is “widely recognized as a founder and key figure in Glitch Art.”

Glitch art has many forms and shapes.

Who are your favorite glitch artists? As always, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Leave a comment

Until next time,

- Kaloh

If you liked my writing, feel free to click the ❤️ button on this post so more people can discover it on Substack 🙏

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