A Verse therapy session, TikTok level speeds, overly safe curation and the illusion of permanence
On this week's episode we dive into Leyla's recent thread asking people what frustrates them about our space. Replies included the constant pivots at the expense of the culture, an over emphasis on institutional recognition, the insane operational speed and of course the constant bag shilling. There were unsurprisingly too many comments to go into every single one, but the entire thread is linked bellow. Welcome to the first Verse therapy session. 00:44 - Addressing community concerns 01:42 - Platforms pivoting to oblivion 04:30 - A pivot or an evolution 09:00 - Understanding the technical infrastructure11:44 - Responsibility for preservation and the loss of individual control 12:44 - The cultural implications of fragile storage 13:46 - Pandering to the traditional art world at the expense of our own culture 16:45 - How institutions engage with and understand web3 culture 19:05 - Digital art for a digital world 20:20 - Artist responsibility and the weight of maintaining collector relationships 25:50 - Overly safe curation and the reality of sales 30:45 - Leveraging the network effects of the space 32:08 - The power of the cabal 33:45 - Building legacy level art at TikTok level speeds 37:55 - We're still building, we're still learning 38:54 - Verse rundown 41:35 - Artist highlights Mika Ben Amar: https://x.com/100o111Erik Swahn: https://x.com/erikswahn Parker Ito: https://x.com/creamydreamyMother Louisiane: https://x.com/motherlouisiane Leyla's art therapy thread: https://x.com/verse_leyla/status/1939098021058560393
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45:34
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45:34
Natalie Stone and Shane Lavalette: The next chapter of CryptoPunks, collecting against the trend and curation as the new PFP
This week we sat down with former General Manager of CryptoPunks and founder of StoneWork Natalie Stone, and artist, gallerist and broker Shane Lavalette. We unpack Stone's journey into NFTs, Node’s Punks acquisition, and the enduring passion of the community as well as the evolution of curation and collector identity, Shane's thought process when looking at an artist's body of work and the value of transparency and provenance.00:30 - Welcoming Natalie Stone and Shane Lavalette 02:44 - Stone's path into NFTs and her work with CryptoPunks 06:40 - The significance of Node's Punks acquisition 09:50 - The future of CryptoPunks under Node 12:40 - The resilience and passion of the Punks community 16:30 - Will there be another project as significant for the space18:13 - First order of business for Node 20:05 - How time has shaped community dynamics 21:38 - The maturation of the space and collector curation 24:00 - Curating as an expression of identity 29:00 - Developing taste, the role of education and exposure 32:40 - Notable collections and collectors 34:55 - Shane's background in the arts and introduction to NFTs 37:32 - The importance of brokering and advisory services 43:24 - Creating space for emerging voices 44:44 - Diving deep and collecting against the trend 51:10 - Dream collecting, "if money were no object" 52:28 - Shane's list in GrailersDAO 55:05 - Balancing transparency with a simplified marketplace experience 59:28 - The importance of provenance 01:01:48 - Artist highlights 01:07:37 - Verse Rundown Shane Lavalette: https://x.com/shanelavalette Stone: https://x.com/naughtaliestone bhare: https://x.com/bhareboy0009: https://x.com/0009ineKlea McKenna: https://x.com/klea_mckennaNoah Kalina: https://noahkalina.com/chickencameraMolly Soda: https://mollysoda.exposedRalph Lemon: https://www.momaps1.org/en/programs/377-ceremonies-out-of-the-air-ralph-lemon
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1:10:19
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1:10:19
Tyler Hobbs: navigating the traditional and digital worlds, prioritising the art, and dealing with the effect of a legacy
We sat down this week with long-form generative pioneer Tyler Hobbs to explore Day Gardens, his new body of work released with La Collection at Art Basel this week. They dive into the balance between personal life and artistic career, and the future of generative art in a rapidly changing landscape, as well as the effect of audience expectations and market dynamics on a creative practice.00:50 - Welcome Tyler Hobbs 04:50 - The evolution of Tyler's artistic journey 10:20 - Consistency and integrity and putting the work first 13:22 - Art Blocks and the shift to digitally focused distribution 15:50 - Navigating between the digital and physical artworlds 21:20 - The importance of saying no, learning when to say yes 25:49 - Thinking about release cadence and managing time 27:30 - Exploring Day Gardens 33:20 - Dealing with the noise and finding balance 39:25 - The increasing speed of culture 41:45 - Thinking about audience expectations and the effect of a legacy 47:00 - QQL and exploring new formats 50:15 - Cultivating community and stepping back 56:00 - What made Fidenza resonate 56:27 - The evolution of generative art and future directions59:10 - Different ways of creating and engaging with the space 01:01:20 - Diewiththemostlikes and a new wave of superstar artists 01:02:50 - Prioritising fun over a traditional approach 01:06:50 - Social commentary and online performance 01:08:30 - Changing perspectives and open mindedness 01:11:55 - Artist highlights 01:61:21 - Verse Rundown Tyler Hobbs - https://x.com/tylerxhobbs Jack Butcher - https://x.com/jackbutcher Shl0ms - https://x.com/shl0ms diewiththemostlikes - https://x.com/toadswiback Sarah Zucker - https://x.com/thesarahshow
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1:18:20
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1:18:20
Erik Swahn: inside Soma
Jamie and Leyla sit down with artist Erik Swahn in advance of his upcoming series Soma. They discuss his artistic evolution, the impact of attention on creativity, and the relationship between colour and music. The conversation delves into the title and concept of Soma, as well as Erik's thoughts on the future of his artistic practice. 01:10 - Welcome Erik Swahn 02:40 - The effect of attention on the creative process 04:30 - From architecture to art 06:39 - Discovering NFTs 08:31 - The impact of fxhash and community 10:30 - Exploring the success of Farbteiler 12:00 - The relationship between colour and music 14:19 - Fields, abstraction and the sublime 16:50 - An evolving practice and the influence of the Baroque 18:43 - How time frames work differently 23:40 - The weight of expectation 25:50 - A flattening of art history 27:25 - The emergence of Soma 29:38 - An ongoing preoccupation with colour 31:25 - The significance of a smaller series and a finite frame 35:30 - A brave new world and finding inspiration in the abstract39:41 - Shared attention and the power of art Erik Swahn: https://x.com/erikswahn
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41:22
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41:22
Sofia Garcia: the birth of ARTXCODE, building relationships and the future of art
Jamie and Leyla sit down with Sofia Garcia to explore her journey through digital art, from the early days of ARTXCODE and building lasting relationships, to navigating the 2021 hype and envisioning the future of art in the age of the internet.1:00 - Welcome Sofia Garcia 05:25 - The birth of ARTXCODE 10:50 - Selling works at CADAF and the first mint 17:10 - Finding an organic aesthetic in the digital 18:42 - The state of the community circa 2019 23:37 - The pandemic and a move to digital curation 26:55 - The early perception and growth of NFTs 31:55 - 2021 and navigating the hype 37:40 - Taking ARTXCODE full time 40:17 - Thoughts on collecting, curation and the current digital art zeitgeist 42:55 - A fluid definition of a practice 45:14 - Artist representation 49:58 - Honest feedback and understanding collector expectations 52:00 - Building a roster and working relationships 54:25 - A support system based on shared values 01:01:02 - Thoughts on gatekeeping 01:08:01 - What does the future of art look like 01:12:20 - A holistic approach to the digital art space 01:16:30 - Sales and the realities of curating blockchain-based art 01:20:42 - What's next for ARTXCODE 01:27:09 - Sophia's dream artist to sign 01:29:09 - Artist highlights 01:37:06 - Verse rundown Sofia Garcia: https://x.com/sofiagarcia_ioMika Ben Amar: https://x.com/100o111 enigmatriz: https://x.com/enigmatriz Frank Manzano: https://x.com/loved_orleer Kevin Esherick: https://x.com/kev_esh Mr Richi: https://x.com/richi0118 Mr Richi - It's Just JPEGs: https://x.com/richi0118/status/1931643514003111974?s=46&t=Y0qIYiBAAsy4ea-t-FfRQw
Österreich