Celebrated Web3-based artist Clair Silver has teamed up with Unit London to curate the gallery’s latest exhibition, E-Motions.

The exhibition takes a close look at the relationship between artists and technology, specifically, those who collaborate with artificial intelligence and the communion that instills.

Another underlying theme of the exhibition is the phenomenon of hikikomori, a cultural movement that continues to spread throughout Japan and other parts of the world. The exhibition is brought to life through the lens of 26 different participating artists, five of whom we’ve highlighted below.

The Concept

Hikikomori, which when literally translated into English means to pull inward or to be confined, is seen as a health crisis by officials in Japan, who define those suffering from it as individuals who haven’t left their homes or interacted socially for a period of six months or more.

While hikikomori specifically is a Japanese phenomenon, parallels can be drawn to other countries and societies around the world that are facing the same pressures due to overwhelming information and the pressure to always perform at their best.

In E-motions, participating artists channel these feelings and bring them to life using a range of different AI programs, finding a silver lining in the broader experience of hikikomori and highlighting the complementary or communion-like relationship AI systems can provide.

The Artists

Speakingtomato: Overobserving

Turkey-based digital artist Speakingtomato who is coming up on the 16th year of her artistic journey, specializes in the creation of surrealist images that take camera portraits and make them dreamlike. These images act as narrations of her life’s story as well as her own dreams.

The artist often uses AI as a starting point in her works, further refining outputs manually through tools like Photoshop, where she aims to bring together elements of modernism, surrealism, and symbolism. Beyond being celebrated for her works on an international scale, Speakingtomato is also a member of MAIF and a passionate collector, having acquired over 200 blockchain-based works.

In her work Overobserving, the artist says “Boundless vistas of the internet unfold before us, offering a wealth of knowledge and experiences at our fingertips.” She further expresses that amidst the abundance, we walk a fine line between enlightenment and saturation and that the constant flow of information can often challenge our ability to absorb and reflect.

Overobserving was recently collected by Tinoch Chan.

Chelsea Jones: Beyond the Horizon

Chelsea Jones is a self-taught artist with six years of experience in visual design and traditional oil painting. She explores the intersection of traditional painting techniques and modern technology, particularly artificial intelligence, to create beautiful and surreal artworks that celebrate black culture and personal stories. She aims to bring representation to the art world through playfulness, nostalgia, surrealism, and the profound depths of black culture. What’s more, Jones has been known to produce her AI-assisted works as physical editions, further expanding the reach of her work.

In her work Beyond the Horizon, Jones explores “a realm where the skies intertwine with memories, high above the realm of reality,” where an explorer can be seen peering out of what appears to be a massive window. Jones describes the work as a dive into the heart of nostalgia, with every pixelated memory and digital adventure whispering tales of an era passed — but one that urges us to “dream once more.”

Beyond the Horizon is still available to collect at the time of writing.

Ilya Bliznets: Sketches in the forest

lya Bliznet is a Russian artist who creates figurative paintings and digital art using traditional materials, graphic editors, and AI. His work features a painterly aesthetic and introspective AI-generated pieces. He was part of the “Cosi o cosa” art group in 2017-2018 and has been active in the NFT space since 2022.

In his work Sketches in the forest, Bliznets uses AI to create images or moments that complement the visual range with digital painting and collage techniques. The work aims to convey a magical or surreal effect that reflects the state of a child-like fantasy or dream state. Other themes found in the work include introspection and observation on the artist’s part but also extended as an invitation for the viewer to do the same.

The work was recently collected by Tyler Hobbs.

Szkandal: Concrete

Skandals, a Ukrainian-born, Poland-based new media artist started as a self-taught traditional artist before exploring AI-generated art in 2022. His work features themes of chaos, disorder, and the duality of man through graphic, illustrative imagery, drawing inspiration from graphic novelists like Druillet, Moebius, and Spiegelman. His art often includes intricate fictional architectural and natural settings, designed to encourage deep engagement from viewers.

In his work Concrete, Skandals expresses the interplay of light and shadow, sharing that the harsh lines of the concrete are meant to appear softened as the sun dances across them, revealing a “hidden elegance” — allowing the monolithic structures to become living sculptures.

The work was recently collected by DrLeeNFT.

Tomeo: dark room

Tomeo, a digital artist and philosophy graduate from Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Lisbon, analyzes hauntology and memory using metaphysical interpretations of AI-generated environments. Formerly working in graphic design and Javascript programming, he transitioned to generative art, inspired by photography and film. Through the use of AI and various generative techniques, he crafts images with animated narratives, like dark room, which he says is from a series of works about images of the past slipping from memory.

The work was recently collected by TheNightFox.

Explore all of the other works in Claire Silver’s curated exhibition E-motions presented by Unit London here.

Tokyo’s iconic Shibuya Crossing, the world’s largest pedestrian crossing, might be the next major canvas for digital artists, thanks to a collaboration between HUG, a social marketplace that allows artists to sell digital and physical goods while connecting them with collectors, and Web3’s avant-garde NFT collector Cozomo de’ Medici.

HUG announced on September 6 that it has partnered with the Cozomo de’ Medici Collection, sharing its Open Call for artists to submit their work for display alongside six artworks from The Medici Collection – Claire Silver, XCOPY, Sam Spratt, Dawnia Darkstone, Beeple, and Grant Yun. 

During the submission process, along with the help of community voting, which will be open to the public for the first time from Sep 25-27, 50 artworks will be shortlisted. Cozomo de’Medici will make the final section of six pieces to be displayed on eight digital billboards at Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, Japan, from October 9 to 15. 

The world’s biggest pedestrian crossing plays host to an estimated 2.5 million people passing through – daily.

The 6 selected pieces by Cozomo de’ Medici will be displayed along with the following pieces from The Medici Collection:

Founded in 2022 by Randi Zuckerberg, HUG is home to 4,000 digital artists spanning 85 countries and is fueled by its community-driven curation process – spotlighting diverse creators, including those from underrepresented communities. 

In April, HUG closed its $5 million seed funding, led by Web3 investment fund DIGITAL (Mark Daniel and Benjamin Milstein, aka OhhShiny), OKX Ventures, and L’Oréal’s BOLD corporate venture fund. DIGITAL’s investment portfolio also includes Yuga Labs, Dapper Labs, Recur, MoonPay, and more. 

Interested artists are invited to submit their work beginning September 6 to 24. 

HUG has shared its future plans to roll out more Open Calls, with the intention of creating the first community-curated shop that supports the sale of physical prints and digital collectibles. 

Editor’s note: This article was written by an nft now staff member in collaboration with OpenAI’s GPT-3.

Recently, SuperRare Labs, the group behind the SuperRare NFT art marketplace, known for its expert curation and affluent collector base, has launched what it’s calling the Rare Protocol.

By its simplest description, the Rare Protocol, which operates on the Ethereum mainnet, is an open curation protocol for NFTs that allows users to stake the platform’s native RARE token on artists, collectors, or curators that the user feels deserve recognition, with a chance to be rewarded as the selected individual finds success.

In this exploration of the protocol, we speak with the SVP of SuperRare Labs, Zack Yanger, and look at details on how the protocol works, why it was created, and what the broader Web3 space stands to gain from its existence, as well as the plans SuperRare Labs has for it in the future.

What Is Rare Protocol?

At its core, Rare Protocol is designed to act as an open curation protocol for NFTs with the concept of forming a Web3 native creator economy and on-chain social graph that reflects reputation and promotes discovery.

This is achieved through what the protocol calls “Curation Staking,” which is powered by two main components, Community Pools and Curated Lists.

Designed to operate as a peer-to-peer system, any participating user can stake their RARE on another, be it an artist, curator, or collector — signaling that they value that individual. In terms of financial incentive, this contribution admits the staking party into the artist, curator, or collectors Community Pool, where they’ll be represented amongst other stakers and potentially yield rewards as the individual they’re staked in finds on-chain success.

Beyond financial incentivization, the owner of the pool will also be able to engage with stakers as they see fit as well as use data like wallet addresses and staking ratings to determine and set access for specific community benefits.

As a byproduct of users staking, they’ll begin to form a “Curated List,” which Rare Protocol describes as an on-chain reflection of the artists a user has staked in, that “Link pools to other lists in order to uncover and connect similar tastes.”

Why Is It?

Aside from the potential to gain RARE, the protocol is designed to transform the way discovery is gone about in the Web3 space, navigating away from social platforms that largely rely on likes, comments, and shares — into a more natural and digitally native experience.

“Through Community Pools and Curated Lists, discovery becomes a logical and engaging game of following signals down well-lit routes from your existing connections to nearby communities of art, artists, and taste preferences,” shared the protocol.

Other inspirations behind the protocol were to help nurture a space that provides improved discoverability, security, and seller reputation. This is achieved through the broader ecosystem or a sort of social graph that is a byproduct of staking but simultaneously one of the protocol’s best features.

Additionally, in a comment to nft now, Yanger shared “We’ve seen hundreds of marketplaces, thousands of creators and collectors, and millions of NFTs having been birthed in the past five years. It’s a new paradigm for creators. We now have on-chain royalties, auctions, and self-sovereign minting smart contracts that lower the barrier to entry and create new economic opportunities, he expressed, adding “However, this market is still in its nascency, and has significant challenges. Scams and rugs are prevalent and discovery is challenging. Rare Protocol is a new system for onchain curation that aims to solve the reputation and discovery problems that have become so prevalent in web3.”

Is It Equitable?

While all of this sounds well and nice, what’s to stop the rich from getting richer, the creation of yet another walled-off garden or exclusive group being formed in a space that is meant to embody democratization — as we’ve seen time and time again.

The good news is, the Rare Protocol takes that into consideration, in fact, the rewards are on a curve that rewards early contributions as well as early discovery, meaning a staker stands to gain a higher RARE yield by staking their tokens on artists or individuals that have not yet been discovered or have a less densely populated community pool.

Explaining this in a response to a question by X user Danil Pan, Yanger said “I guess nothing can really stop people from staking on already successful artists but the system is purposefully set up in a way that incentivizes people to stake on emerging/unknown artists that aren’t yet popular.”

He further explained that “If you are the only staker (or one of a few) in an emerging artists pool when they make their first big sale the rewards are going to be better than if you are say part of a popular artists pool with 1000 other people that will all split the rewards.”

That being said, Yanger wanted to drive home the point that the system, to him, is less about rewards but “largely about being able to prove on chain that you supported an artist earlier than others did,” as he explained “In 5 years I want to be able to point back to my staked list and prove that I discovered artists x y and z before they became huge. Long term the real opportunity here is in staking emerging/lesser known artists.”

Looking Forward

As it charts a path to decentralized curation, the Rare Protocol has announced that its mission is to “revolutionize the economics of human creativity.”

It admits that it will need the help and adoption of others who are passionate about art and curation and that together they’ll be able to build an interconnected ecosystem of creativity and value.

“Rare Protocol is rooted in the belief that much of blockchain’s potential lies in its capacity to remove bottlenecks in the flow of capital that have long existed solely for the benefit of society’s affluent. In doing so, blockchain enables wealth to grow and spread to where it’s most deserved,” shared the protocol.

Sharing what he’s most looking forward to as the protocol gains traction, Yanger said “I’m personally most excited by the democratization of access for curators.”

He added ” A young curator in a remote area of the world that would otherwise have no ability to gain respect in the art world can now log onto the internet, tap into this system, and start staking artists they believe in. In the future, if any of the artists they staked go on to be a big success, the curator will get credit for discovering and supporting that artist early and in theory building up their name and reputation as a great curator with a keen eye.”

While still largely experimental, the protocol provides engaged users with an opportunity to express their unique taste, connect with like-minded individuals, showcase their eyes, and potentially earn rewards, recognition, or both as a result — which in essence creates a win-win scenario for creators, collectors, curators and the Web3 space as a whole.

For a full technical breakdown of the protocol and a step-by-step guide on how to start using it today, check out the Rare Protocol’s developer docs.

The Gateway: Korea just received an unlikely addition to the artist lineup: Keith Haring.

Today (Sept. 5), Christie’s announced an exclusive auction, “Keith Haring: Pixel Pioneer,” featuring five rare digital drawings from the renowned artist Keith Haring, each crafted on an Amiga computer during the 1980s.

The posthumous online auction will open from Sept. 12-20, with a world-premiere exhibition at The Gateway: Korea in Seoul from Sept. 6-8, followed by an exhibition at Christie’s New York from Sept. 14–19.

According to the Christie’s auction site, estimates for each piece run between $200,000 to $500,000.

The legacy of Keith Haring, often juxtaposed with street and gallery art, remains unquestionable. In the 1980s, he magnificently blurred lines between contrasting artistic spheres, marking a significant shift in art’s outreach to a broader audience. Haring’s distinct ability to bridge the realms of traditional physical art with the emerging digital era resonates especially today, in a world quickly embracing Web3.

Haring’s fascination with the digital isn’t unknown; he was amongst the early adopters, much akin to his mentor and legendary artist, Andy Warhol. A vivid representation of this is Haring’s portrayal of the Apple Macintosh computer in some of his works. His Amiga drawings testify to his brilliance, seamlessly incorporating his signature bold lines and pop color aesthetics. They mark the beginning of a new medium that dominates commercial design and 21st-century digital art.

The sale aims to follow in the footsteps of the auction house’s highly successful Warhol sale in 2021, in which recovered digital works by the iconic pop artist sold for $3.8 million.

Nicole Sales Giles, Christie’s Vice President and Director of Digital Art Sales, says, “It has been an honor to work with the Keith Haring Foundation on this project. Haring’s work embodied an era where art crept outside the traditional gallery walls and into the streets. I believe that as an early adopter of the digital age and as a strong proponent of bridging art and mass culture, Haring would have been at the forefront of the Web3 community. With an aesthetic that translates naturally to the digital medium, Haring’s Amiga drawings will be coveted additions to all best-in-class contemporary art collections.”

The venture has been realized in partnership with the Keith Haring Studio, a subsidiary of the Keith Haring Foundation. The foundation tirelessly works to preserve and amplify Haring’s art and principles, actively backing nonprofits that cater to children and AIDS-related education, prevention, and care.

“The minting of five natively digital masterpieces by Keith Haring created on the Commodore Amiga computer in 1987 as NFTs by Christie’s auction house carries an immense significance in digital art and NFTs,” adds Gil Vazquez, Executive Director and President of the Keith Haring Foundation. “This collection by Haring represents a pivotal moment in identifying Haring as a pioneer in the digital art space and a groundbreaking convergence of art and technology. Haring’s distinct visual language, characterized by his iconic motifs and energetic lines, translates seamlessly into the digital art realm, underscoring the lasting relevance of his artistic legacy. These works honor that legacy, reaffirming the enduring significance of Haring’s art, and emphasize the limitless possibilities of art’s digital future.”

To bring this monumental initiative to life, Christie’s collaborated with Artestar, a global licensing agency and creative consultancy.

As the boundaries between traditional and digital art continue to blur, this auction is poised to be a landmark event, further solidifying Keith Haring’s enduring legacy in the global art narrative.

Editor’s note: This article was written by an nft now staff member in collaboration with OpenAI’s GPT-4.

In Medina Marrakech, you can now stay amongst 300 thoughtfully curated works of art, including a significant exhibition of physical NFT artworks. This is all made possible by boutique hotel group IZZA, at its debut House of Friends location that also encompasses its Museum in The Medina (MITM) curated by Studio137.

The grounds are made up of seven ancient homes that host 14 unique bedrooms, three tranquil courtyards, a pool, a restaurant, a bar, and a sprawling rooftop terrace — which is said to feature Refik Anadol’s Machine Hallucinations: Mars on a 6-foot screen.

As for the rest of the collection, MITM has shared that it has specifically exhibited works that relate to four main categories, Generative Art, Photography, Contemporary Art, and Bill Willis archives, a leading light of Moroccan-style interior design in the mid 1900’s.

It’s worth noting, that the attention to detail that has gone into this curation is reflected by the presentation of each work, with NFT-based works including information like title, edition count, date of creation, description, links to the artist’s site and socials, as well as who collects the work and its contract address.

Generative Art

Of all the categories collected and curated, the generative art section of MITM is the most substantial, featuring multiple works from each of the following artists: William Mapan, Dmitri Cherniak, Matt DesLauriers, Refik Anadol, Tyler Hobbs, Dandelion Wist, Kjetil Golid, Michael Zancan, Manoloide, Monica Rizzolli, Emily Xie, Iskra Velitchkova, Tara Donovan, Che-Yu Wu, Osinachi and a set of punks and Autoglyphs from LarvaLabs.

Notable generative art collections highlighted by MITM include Fidenza by Hobbs, Ringers by Cherniak, Meridians by DesLauriers, Anticyclones by Mapan, and Memories of Qilin by Xie.

Photography

Photographers featured in the collection include Leila Alaoui, Sebastião Salgado, Ismail Zaidy, Ziad Naitaddi, Anass Ouzziz, Diana Lui, Daoud Aoulad Syad, Yatreda, Zhou Peng, and Reuben Wu.

MITM mentions large-scale photographs from Alaoui’s Les Marocains series as one of the notable pieces of the collection alongside motion portraits by Ethiopian prodigy Yatreda

Contemporary Art

On the contemporary art front are names like Khadija Jayi, Mouhcine Rahaoui, Hicham Benohoud, Hassan Hajjaj, Rachid Bakkar, Hafid Marbou, Nabil Boudarqa, Ahmed Bibaoune, KRM, Tibari Kantour, Hafid Marbou, and Yassine Mekhnache.

Some of the most notable works that MITM highlighted include those by Hajjaj, Jayi, and Rahaouian.

Bill Willis Archives

Last but not least are the Bill Willis Archives, which hold a special place at the heart of IZZA, as they act as an underlying inspiration for the overall concept and design of the hotel museum.

IZZA shared that it “Draws from the life and aesthetics of Bill Willis. His distinctive style and eclectic designs are evident throughout the hotel. Guests can marvel at intricate zellige details and a plethora of photographs and memorabilia showcasing his life among stars like Grace Jones, Mick Jagger, and Yves Saint Laurent. These precious items were sourced from his former home, Dar Noujoum, a property that IZZA’s proprietors take pride in owning.”

A Unique Place and Space

Of all the rooms available at IZZA, Grace stands out for its diverse art collection and Parisian textiles. Named after the renowned musician and actress, Grace Jones, this bedroom is adorned with a custom-made textile and hardwood bedhead. The detailing continues with bespoke taupe floor tiles complemented by a hand-cut zellige border inlay.

Inside the room and its adjacent private sejour, guests will find works from DesLauriers, Xie, Boudarqa, and a host of Bill Willis archives.

You can book a stay now at any of the rooms, with prices ranging from $150 USD to $770 USD per night, based on current rates and availability at the time of writing.

Beyond the beautiful surroundings and rooms, IZZA represents a unique space in time for digital art as a whole, as the represented works take on the physical form, further cementing their significance in the overarching traditional art world.

Recently, we caught up with Singapore-based artist Shavonne Wong, known for her expertise in 3D virtual modeling and surreal environments, that stem from her years of experience in fashion photography.

In this conversation, Wong shares with us a glimpse into her journey so far in Web3, as well as how she ended up becoming a co-founder of the nonprofit community builder, NFT Asia, that is empowering Asian and Asia-based NFT artists.

Additionally, she touches on aspects of The Gateway Korea that she feels are exceptional and that align with her own personal objective of fostering diversity in Web3.

A Canvas of Challenges and Triumphs

Having first been introduced to NFTs via her husband, Wong shared that “Being someone who easily dives into passions, I went all in. The learning curve was steep but equally exciting.”

Despite her talent and success outside of Web3, Wong shared, that like anyone just starting out in a new space, maintaining visibility and “countering the social media algorithm” were two of her biggest challenges. Put quite humbly, she added, “On the brighter side, the ability to sell my art is an incredibly positive outcome.”

Fast forward just a few years later and Wong, at the time of writing, is currently hosting her first European solo exhibition, taking place at NFT Factory Paris and utilizing Foundation’s new Moments update that we recently covered.

Just a few days into the exhibition, which runs until September 9, Wong has already received a 5 ETH bid on one of three new works featured at the show in collaboration with Marie Claire Arabia.

Highlighting one of her favorite aspects about the show, Wong shared “I believe that during bear markets, physical exhibitions help promote my work beyond the confines of the Twitter circle.”

A Beacon for Asian Artists

Beyond finding her own success in Web3, Wong has also become a champion for other Asian or Asia-based artists, with an aim to assist them in their journey through NFT Asia.

Speaking on how she became a co-founder, Wong said “I found myself part of a small group during the early days, where we recognized a glaring need for support and a safe haven for Asian artists within the NFT space,” adding “We decided to initiate NFT Asia to address this gap.”

Wong admits that she and her co-founder never anticipated the current magnitude of the nonprofit but that she’s thankful for it. Pulling data from 2022, Wong shared that the group has showcased the works of over 93 artists from 21 countries through 8 different exhibitions.

She also explained that one of the simple, yet effective things NFT Asia does is RT and share artists’ works daily with its growing audience of 21,000 followers on the X app.

“The most rewarding aspect has been the exposure our artists have gained. They now have opportunities to exhibit their work globally and even have pieces auctioned on platforms like Sotheby’s,” she shared. While past its deadline now, a recent example of these opportunities can be seen in the NFT Paris open call featured by the page and supported by the Joyn platform.

Exiting the Echo Chamber

With NFT Asia and our Web3 arts and culture festival The Gateway: Korea drawing so many parallels, we asked Wong what she thinks of the event and what aspects of it excite her the most.

She shared that “The event seems extremely promising” and highlighted the fact that with Asia poised to see substantial growth in the next bull market cycle, an event in Korea could turn out to be an excellent strategic move, especially for introducing new artists artists, and collectors to Web3.

Of everything we have going on at The Gateway: Korea, Wong amplified that the artist open call is potentially one of the most significant aspects of the event, sharing that “Displaying artists’ works at such events expands their visibility beyond their immediate circles.”

Beyond breaking out of the echo chamber, Wong highlighted that another “remarkable quality” of the event was the aim to not only highlight but embrace more diversity. Check out the list of participating artists in the post below.

Sphere, the world’s largest LED screen, will soon play host to Refik Anadol’s artificial intelligence (AI) data sculpture, “Machine Hallucinations: Sphere.”

Hailed as the world’s largest spherical structure, the 366-foot tall globe-shaped structure, located in Las Vegas, also contains the world’s highest-resolution wraparound LED screen. 

Beginning on September 1 as part of a four-month AI-generated art residency, Anadol’s sculptures will mark the inaugural use of MSG Sphere’s “Exosphere,” an awe-inspiring programmable digital canvas covering, spanning an astonishing 580,000 square feet with around 1.2 million “hockey puck-sized” LEDs. 

The astonishing Las Vegas entertainment venue officially opens on September 29 with a powerhouse series of 25 performances by U2. The sphere was fully illuminated for the first time on the Fourth of July. 

“There’s nothing like it. It’s light years ahead of everything that’s out there,” said U2’s The Edge while touring the venue in a recent Apple Music video. Even Sphere’s chief operation officer, Rich Claffey, who has been in the entertainment business for almost 40 years, told CNN that he’s never seen anything like this. 

Anadol’s installation represents a stunning fusion of art and technology within the framework of this architectural marvel. This installation forms the latest addition to Anadol’s acclaimed Machine Hallucinations series, offering viewers a multisensory encounter rooted in local atmospheric data. These data points are amalgamated and transformed into abstract images, culminating in a meditative and intricate experience. 

This new installation also marks the second and concluding chapter of Machine Hallucinations: Nature, inviting the audience to contemplate “alternative realities constructed by invisible data movements around them.”

“It’s so exciting to be given such an architectural and engineering marvel as a canvas. This opportunity aligns perfectly with our studio’s long-term mission of embedding media arts into architecture to create living architectural pieces that are in constant interaction with their environments,” Anadol said in a press release. 

Guy Barnett, Senior Vice President of Sphere Entertainment, praised Anadol’s artistic vision and the unique capabilities of the Exosphere, asserting that it is “an incomparable canvas for artists who want to explore their artistic expression on a global stage and push the boundaries of what’s possible.” 

He also emphasized Sphere’s dedication to showcasing both art and brands on the venue’s exterior, heralding a revolution at the intersection of art and commerce.

This will be followed by filmmaker Darren Aronofsky’s immersive experience, ‘Postcard from Earth,’ opening its doors to the public on October 9th. These events mark the dawn of a new era in entertainment, where art, technology, and architecture converge to craft unforgettable experiences for audiences across the globe.

Anadol’s AI Data Sculpture at Sphere serves as a remarkable leap in the integration of technology and art, providing a tantalizing glimpse into the future of interactive and immersive installations. 

As Las Vegas now solidifies its position as a next-gen creative and entertainment hub, MSG Sphere takes the lead in redefining the boundaries of artistic expression and cultural encounters.

Editor’s note: This article was written by an nft now staff member in collaboration with OpenAI’s GPT-4.

If you’ve been in the Web3 art space for any amount of time, chances are you’ve heard about a majority of the artists on this list. Whether you have or not, the movements of the Web3 market are in constant flux, so we thought we would show you where everyone’s at currently, refresh you on their background, and give you a glimpse into what they’re currently working on.

It’s worth noting that the financial data, represented as “Current Artwork Value,” is based on the current USD values of ETH, XTZ, and RARE and does not reflect the total amount of sales based on historical pricing from the time of accumulated sales — which would likely be millions of dollars higher considering a majority of these artists thrived in the previous bull run.

1. Pak

Current Artwork Value:

$290,981,271 USD

What they’re known for:

Murat Pak or simply Pak, is known for creating the curation platform Archillect, an AI-powered bot that reshares media based on user interactions with content hosted on various social platforms and for launching a platform for burning NFTs to receive tokens of the cryptocurrency Ash.

Additionally, the anonymous artist has also become well-known for their highest-selling NFT collection “The Merge,” which netted $91.8 million USD in December of 2021. Pak is also credited with playing an integral role in onboarding our second artist on this list — Beeple.

What they’re doing now:

With Pak, it’s difficult to know their next move as they don’t really share all that much detail via social media — adding to the mysticism of their character. What we do know, is that they appear to be focused on continued efforts via their media experiences studio UNDREAM as well as the aforementioned content creation platform Archillect.

2. Beeple

Current Artwork Value:

$172,902,414 USD

What they’re known for:

Mike Winkelmann, better known to the Web3 world as Beeple, is best known for his “Everydays” series, which was started in 2007 with the practice of creating one artwork a day. The artist was forever etched into NFT history when his “Everydays: the First 5000 Days,” collage sold at Christie’s auction house for $69 million USD — the highest sale for a single NFT to date.

What they’re doing now:

For starters, he’s still carrying on the “Everydays” series, making one work of art a day that touches on anything from popular meme culture to sociopolitical topics and touchpoints. Additionally, he’s constructed a massive physical space for community activations and artist’s workshops to further advance the Web3 space.

Last but not least, he’ll be showcased by us at The Gateway: Korea this week, keep an eye out for more, or check out our chat with him if you missed it.

3. Snowfro

Current Artwork Value:

$93,017,141 USD

What they’re known for:

Erick Calderon, aka Snowfro, is most well known in the Web3 space for his generative art project Chromie Squiggle and for his founding of the generative art platform Art Blocks, which has championed and become a foundry for success for countless artists in the Web3 space.

What they’re doing now:

Most recently, Snowfro has partnered with Jordan Lyall and his platform ProhibitionArt to launch an inclusive generative project called “Heart + Craft” something he shared represents “my present curiosity towards demonstrating value for NFTs beyond scarcity, FOMO, and promise of future value utility…” but rather “…my vision of a digital optional/physical optional future that I believe can be appealing to a broader consumer audience.”

4. Tyler Hobbs

Current Artwork Value:

$73,230,141 USD

What they’re known for:

Tyler Hobbs is regarded by many in the Web3 space as being a pioneer for generative art via NFTs, with his most notable set of outputs being his Fidenza collection, minted in 2021. The series of 999 generated images have now become highly sought-after fine artworks and have been sold at famed auction houses like Sotheby’s and Christie’s for millions of dollars each.

What they’re doing now:

Based on a recent X post, Hobbs is celebrating the one-year anniversary of his project QQL, created in partnership with Indigo aka Team Dandelion on X. This celebration is set to include a few surprises for September as well as the offering of physical prints.

5. XCOPY

Current Artwork Value:

$63,112,183 USD

What they’re known for:

XCOPY, the anonymous, London-based digital artist, is most well known for their glitch-style works that have seemingly inspired an entire subset of artists. Topics of their works are often focused around themes of dystopia or apathy and littered with memetic nods to crypto culture.

One of their most notable works is “All-Time High in the City,” which is subsequently their highest-selling work, minted for 0.5 ETH in 2021 and sold for $6.1 million USD in 2022.

What they’re doing now:

While the artist is active almost daily on the X app, they’ve shared little on what they’re currently up to. However, their works are still finding plenty of representation around the world and in various digital galleries across the Web3 space. Although no official projects in the works have been shared, there is some speculation around a recent post that has some fans believing an open edition release could be around the corner.

6. Dmitri Cherniak

Current Artwork Value:

$61,938,324 USD

What they’re known for:

Dmitri Cherniak is a Canadian-born, New York-based generative artist known for creating a unique p5js script stored on Ethereum via Art Blocks, which produced a unique generation of art automatically — this would lead to his Ringers series, consisting of 1,000 NFTS of different combos of strings and pegs to create unique geometric artworks.

Since the creation of this series, Cherniak has gone on to see the works resold for astronomical amounts, with one of the most significant and recent sales being that of Ringers #879, aka “The Goose,” which was sold through Sotheby’s for $6.2 million USD to Punk6529.

What they’re doing now:

Based on a recent X post, it would seem Cherniak is getting closer to launching a physical art book for his collection Light Years, to be produced in partnership with the photography platform Fellowship. Another post from Cherniak hints at his increased interest in physical prints, as he’s right-click saved and “tested” a few for his own viewing pleasure.

7. Hackatao

Current Artwork Value:

$31,477,949 USD

What they’re known for:

Hackatao, a personal formed by Italian artist duo Sergio Scalet and Nadia Squarci, first formed in 2007, has been a long-time contemporary art practitioner.

Finding their start in Web3 via SuperRare, the duo quickly found success and community resonance for their works, with subjects often touching on major societal issues, the environment, humanity, crypto, art history, and more.

What they’re doing now:

While the duo hasn’t shared any major announcements as of late, they did post a 10-minute animation that was first featured at NFCsummit Lisbon, showcasing their artistic journey to date.

8. Matt DesLauriers

Current Artwork Value:

$30,198,366 USD

What they’re known for:

Matt DesLauriers, known in Web3 by his X handle Mattdesl, is a Canadian-born artist living in London, most well known for his generative art projects Subscapes and Meridian, both of which were originally released on the Art Blocks platform.

In addition to NFTs, DesLauriers has done a substantial amount of commercial work, including interactive installations featured at various events and integrated into various shows worldwide.

What they’re doing now:

While we admittedly don’t understand most of what DesLauriers posts on X, we did see some stress test works that could possibly be an indicator for new works to come or just the artist and coder having fun. Additionally, although sold out now, the artist did notably release a stunning art book showcasing his work in partnership with Monopo and VertoEditions.

9. FEWOCiOUS

Current Artwork Value:

$28,541,690 USD

What they’re known for:

Victor Langlois, better known in the Web3 world as FEWOCiOUS, is an American digital artist and painter who found his rise in the NFT space between 2020 and 2022.

Notably, Langlois has worked with the LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, the estate of the late musician David Bowie, and Billboard magazine — as well as recently released a collaboration with adidas.

What they’re doing now:

Recent announcements from FEWOCiOUS include updates on his Fewos collection ecosystem, set to mint in mid-September.

10. Trevor Jones

Current Artwork Value:

$23,498,672 USD

What they’re known for:

In his own words, Jones describes himself as “a traditional painter but one who is also very much fascinated with art and tech collaboration. I enjoy exploring how new technology can be used with my work to more actively engage the viewer or to be incorporated to enhance or alter the viewer experience.”

Some of his most notable works include “Bitcoin Angel” and “From Palette to Canvas” which amassed several million dollars in total sales during their release in 2021 — in a matter of minutes.

What they’re doing now:

Based on a recent X post, Jones is getting ready to host his IRL “Castle Party 2023” event, which runs from September 3 to 5 and includes local eats, an open bar, DJs, games, debates, fireworks, an artist charity exhibition seemingly linked with MakersPlace, and more.

Baltimore-native artist Vinnie Hager, renowned for his distinctive and bold use of lines, shapes, and patterns, and popular NFT collection, ‘Letters,’ will release a deeply personal artistic endeavor on September 7. Titled ‘Diary,’ this collection of 100 1/1s and a generative open edition offers audiences a glimpse into Hager’s artistic journey from his initial foray into drawing in 2016 to the present day.

Through ‘Diary,’ Hager intends to offer an authentic window into his creative evolution and deeply rooted emotions, a sentiment he candidly shared during a conversation with nft now.

An archive of growth

Hager says the idea for ‘Diary’ all started during a visit to his grandma’s house. He found a bunch of saved drawings, paintings, and doodles over the years and wanted to do something special with them.

“I took out a batch of 100 drawings that I felt really told a story about myself throughout the past seven years,” he said. “There were turbulent personal times, and this body of work tells the story to some degree.”

His collection will feature the 100 1/1 drawings, and minters will get digital and physical versions.

He said he showed many friends his visual eras of artwork and ultimately worked with fellow creator Danny Cole of Creature World to categorize and add a generative art aspect to his drawings.

“There will be 12 categories of the 100 drawings,” Hager said. “Each one is a visual style. The categories range from bold lines of patterns, different media elements, and portraits, and there are ones where I used more texts and dates, etc.”

All physical drawings were drawn by Hager throughout 2016-2023, with the new inclusion being the generatively produced additions.

An exploration of the past

Beneath the lines, hues, and intricate patterns lies a tapestry woven with profound personal tribulations – the loss of his parents and brother.

“The main personal thing that I went through that made me put my head down and focus on art is the passing of both of my parents,” Hager shared. “It was a turbulent four to five years, but artwork was something that was there for me. It was a therapeutic thing for me.”

Through these artworks, Vinnie Hager aims to articulate the profound impact of his creative practice and therapeutic artistry, which emerged as his guiding light during moments of adversity. This profound journey enabled him to transcend challenges and discover fresh avenues for growth, connection, and self-expression, a story he ardently seeks to share with the world.

As time matured his perspective, Hager found solace and self-discovery in looking back at his old drawings.

“Growing older and now looking back, and seeing what I had to say and express through drawing,” Hager said. “It was nice for me to look back and do a deep dive into my thoughts and emotions.”

After sharing a short video snippet on his Twitter account, Hager says he will premiere a longer form mini-documentary around 10 minutes and will be released before September 7.

Throughout two years in the NFT space, Hager has partnered and worked with brands, including Meta/Instagram, Tommy Hilfiger, TIME Magazine, OpenSea, Cameo, and more. Now, after cultivating his audience and expanding his collector community through art, Hager wants to use ‘Diary’ to build on the profound connection he has with those genuinely interested in his work.

Exclusively debuting on OpenSea and crafted in collaboration with Creature Labs, the sale will be open for a 24-hour window, starting at 2 p.m. EST on September 7. The mint price will be 0.049 ETH.

Crisis often begets catharsis.

For New York artist Sam Spratt, rebirth could only come after the realization that a decade of client work had left him feeling hollow. Despite working with marquee artists like Kid Cudi, he was creatively lost with “nothing to say.”

“I had sidelined every component of what makes you human to create that client list and work on those jobs,” he recalls. “I had totally missed everything else that is life. Just top to bottom, how to be a friend, be in a relationship, and be an artist.”

Spratt unlocked something larger than himself by leaning into his own creative vision. His Luci project has captivated the Web3 art world with its nuanced lore and sprawling vision, garnering a cult following with six-figure sales at major auction houses like Christie’s and assembling a council of notable collectors who hold his coveted Skulls of Luci.

“Despite its appearances, I wasn’t even really attempting to make a cult,” Spratt claims with a sly smile.

The project’s next chapter, entitled The Monument Game, kicked off last night (Aug 21) on Nifty Gateway with the sale of more than 256 “Player” tickets that enable holders to compete for three Skulls of Luci by co-creating stories within Spratt’s new 1/1 artwork, “IX. The Monument Game,” over the course of four days.

Selling out in seconds, the “Player” sale raised more than 695 ETH ($1.1 million), while the 1/1 artwork currently boasts a 150 ETH ($229,000) bid with three days to go.

In an illuminating nft now podcast interview, Spratt recounts his journey from rock bottom to launching the Luci project and offers us a deep dive into The Monument Game.

Matt Medved: Who is Luci? What is the genesis of the project?

Sam Spratt: Luci was born from the feeling of starting over. When everything went to shit, I felt like I missed every step that every human throughout history has built and left behind. Luci, in a way, is a joke on me. The name Luci references our ancient relative, Australopithecus afarensis, discovered in Afar, Ethiopia, coupled with a few other inspirations fans might discern.

Luci is more than just a product of my personal experiences. It’s a refracted self-portrait. The emotions I express, and the paintings I create, aren’t solely autobiographical; they’re about the shared experiences many have overlooked.

Strangely, the crypto and NFT space seems to attract many people who missed something. Their financial outcomes, whether success or failure, become secondary. I’ve seen individuals who’ve done phenomenally well in their lives but have missed basic tenets of humanity that they are finding here, among brethren who also missed it and are like, “Hey, I stayed inside my room for the last 30 years being a gamer and a gambler. What does friendship look like?”

The primary driver here is to make something that is my whole self. It’s not emotional vomit but a primary motivator to keep going. Get up, build, make something, find your tribe, find people, stitch it together, make something bigger, stretch, grow, tear. This space is good for that. There’s a feeling of decay in whatever we were up to before. There is a profound driver to see and create whatever the future holds.

What’s the story behind the Skulls of Luci?

When I first discovered the space, I saw all these artists without a filter. There was no middle management, agency, label, or studio in between them and their output. I spent about ten months just studying, lurking, following everyone, including you and your classic punk back there. I was far too shy to speak up.

As I observed the NFT space, I noticed two trends: the ephemeral nature of auction stories and the often thoughtless airdrops. Inspired by these, I introduced an idea to create a derivative artwork for every unique bidder on my works. This was my way of showing gratitude. The auctions were surprisingly intense. Notably, the skulls representing Luci were particularly captivating. However, there wasn’t much secondary trading or interaction with the skulls, making me feel a bit disheartened. But as time passed, a deeper appreciation for the skulls emerged, proving that patience and close observation were essential. The Skulls of Luci wasn’t a failure; I just needed to adjust my expectations and timeframe. Art’s communal and participatory nature, especially in the blockchain, enriches its essence. This realization has set the foundation for my next venture, The Monument Game.

What is the Council of Luci?

Earlier this year, I created the council as an experiment. I wanted to see how I could bring this tight group of 50 Skull of Luci holders closer to me and closer to each other. I wanted to do it in a way that was not the proverbial community, without utility or an airdrop.

The council created that communal layer, this story that begins in the image but actually unfolds with the participation of the people around it. The act of collection is not actually just transactional. It is the beginning of an actual bond that, if nurtured and strengthened, can actually do something crazy.

The first initiation took place at my home, the same place I married my wife Rachel. During NFT NYC, I shared this project and what I was trying to do with them. Instead of offering them perks, I made a request: I wanted them to take on responsibility within my art world. They’d be intimately woven into my art in return for offering some of their time and judgment.

They are very intelligent people who approach life from very different angles. I now have this incredible group of people I can go to and ask for advice to test my ideas and never have one guiding voice but dialogue and discourse. I try to live my life by the idea of mental sparring. It’s like everything gets better if you fight it out.

What is The Monument Game? How are you thinking about this technology as a new creative canvas?

The Monument Game was born because I was in Milan and I went to see “The Last Supper.” It’s a painting everyone knows. It is memed to death. It almost feels unspecial despite how famous it is. But then you see it, which is a very confrontational experience. It’s all you’re looking at. I was deeply curious, how do you do that digitally?

I’ve planted the seeds for The Monument Game since Luci began. This includes elements like the story, lore, codes, and even the market structure that evolved from Luci’s inception. The Monument Game is based on four main pillars:

The Painting: This is the most intricate piece I’ve ever crafted. I’ve never poured more love, time, and attention into anything. But I questioned its purpose if one can just scroll past it online. Unlike in a museum where one can sit and absorb a grand artwork, how could I replicate that digital experience? This led me to the idea of creating our own platform.

The Game: It’s a viewer. I consulted with developers, including Duncan Cockfoster of Nifty Gateway, to create a platform where users can zoom into and pan around the vast 20,000-pixel painting. This allows them to delve deep into the hundreds of stories woven throughout.

The First Edition Work: This acts as an entry ticket. It grants the holder access to the one-of-one painting, allowing them to share their observations. This isn’t for everyone. Instead, I wanted to design a system that demands something of you and requires you to give a piece of yourself to it.

The Skulls of Luci: The Council plays a pivotal role. While the painting is the focal point, the Skulls and the council are the community that gathers around the fire. This outer circle of players can inch closer if they play the game well. Once the game closes, the council will deliberate on all 256 observations. Their task is to reach a consensus on the top three players, who will then earn a Skull of Luci and a position on the council.

How does one play The Monument Game?

From August 21st to 24th, the primary artwork will be auctioned on Nifty Gateway, using an on-chain Manifold contract. You will see this giant painting that you can enter and look around. You will need to buy a ticket to place a marker and leave an observation. Concurrently, 256 tickets, allowing observation submissions, will also be up for sale on Nifty. The first observation will be from PTM, a notable collector who secured this privilege from a previous Christie’s auction.

After the four-day observation window, the game and auction close, and tickets are minted into NFTs with their observations written into the metadata. Nifty Gateway has built a special secondary market exclusively for The Monument Game, where you can read all the observations. The Council then starts its deliberations. Over the next week and a half, two voting rounds will determine the most impactful observations. The selected finalists are then published, and a final vote by the council determines the winners.

If you have given a piece of yourself to this project and you’ve shared some unique variable, some part of your life that is reflected and refracted through the art. That’s what I’m looking for. That’s what the council is looking for. You must also hold on to your observation to win The Monument Game. Selling it forfeits potential council membership and the accompanying Skull of Luci.

Are you gunning for this? I love treating art, observation, and life as a friendly competition. I think that we get stronger when we are pushed. I want people to run like wolves with each other. I want them to like nip at each other’s heels and attempt to come out ahead. What I enjoy most about art is doing that against myself, finding other artists that are so inspiring and creative, and letting what they’ve put out into the world feed me and fire me up to go further and see what else I’m capable of. Within The Monument game’s boundaries, it is my grandest hope that people play well and play to win.

What artwork are you showing at The Gateway: Korea?

The Monument Game introduces a ticket element called the “Player.” With an edition size of 256, each will be named as Player One, Player Two, and so on. This piece will be showcased in Korea. If “The Monument Game” is the most zoomed-out and intricate painting, “Player” is a very intimate and personal piece that connects on top of it. I wanted my first edition work to fit everything else I’ve made. It signals what it’s like to take that thing that used to only be for a few people and share it.

If I had to connect this to what you guys are trying to do, I think we are all very curious about whether we have stumbled into the exact group of people that will always be here. The roster is done. This was a beautiful time in life. We all experienced some wins and some pain. This technology may outlive it, but whatever this current iteration of it is, it stays within this zone. It only surrenders to being in that zone if no one bothers to try to build things to get it out of it. So that requires building projects, artwork, and platforms that promote the best ideals, but also requires people like you pushing into areas that are ripe for understanding this, that already have all of the ingredients, the love, the appreciation for art, games, creativity, and do it. The same way you would in Miami, right? The same way you would anywhere else. This will be the furthest away I’ve ever seen my art displayed. So I’m very curious to see what people make of my angsty, pale blue Australopithecus in Korea. But if life and this space are any indication, I think we share pretty much everything in common, and the country is irrelevant.

This interview transcript has been edited for concision and clarity.

Watch or listen to our podcast episode with Sam Spratt for the full and uncut interview.