Artnome: “the fxhash community is a very strong community.”
generativeart
genart
ciphrd
Generative art
written by Aleks
30 Aug 2022100 EDITIONS
2 TEZ
The past, present and future of fxhash
Following the initial interview with 0x7E3fC267Da74c...in December 2021 as part of GeNFT Weekly, a Twitter spaces-series focused around Generative art on Tezos co-produced by Electric Artefacts' co-founder 0x7E3fC267Da74c... and collector 0x7E3fC267Da74c..., we expand on the interview and highlight some of the recent activity in the evolution of fxhash this year.
Early days: from the get-go, generative art’s attraction for 0x7E3fC267Da74c... lay in the breaking down of limitations and restrictions
Pior to launching fxhash, Ciphrd has been working as a developer, and had a keen interest in the possibility of creating interactive worlds. His journey into the generative realm was made through the development of video games. However, while he enjoyed creating virtual environments, they centred around a single player - creating a certain degree of constraints for imagination. With generative art “the visuals themselves could be the art with no limitations” said Ciphrd, confessing the discovery of a whole new realm generative art offered.
His own collection, 'RGB Elementary Cellular Automaton', was inspired through this interest “in algorithms from which life-like structures can emerge.” as Ciphrd described. The series was one of the first to be released on fxhash, paying a tribute to Stephen Wolfram’s Automata but also demonstrating the platform's functionality to other creators.
Initially put off by the high gas fees on many other NFT-platforms, Ciphrd eventually found the cost-efficient and curator-less format of Hic et Nunc on the Tezos Blockchain and the ball started rolling towards a similar open model. Ciphrd explains:
When I opened hic et nunc for the first time, something clicked, this was raw content, there was the ability to join the party for little cost.
Ciphrd set up fxhash partially just because it was something he himself was looking for as a creator
The curator-less approach has attracted unprecedented demand. With 170'000 mints in just over the first month, fxhash has grown explosively. Ciphrd barely had the time to stop and process what occurred as the demand forced him to stay up around the clock to ensure smooth running of the platform. When asked about why he initially started the fxhash, he answered simply: “I created a tool that I wanted for myself as an artist.” But others were looking for it as well - and not just artists but also the collectors, especially in a post-Hic et Nunc closing down vacuum.
Ciphrd shared that the “goal is to remove all those gates that prevent artists from posting their work.” These encompass both technical aspects (such as storage space) and hurdles in the way some spaces are gate-kept through curation. Instead, fxhash was meant to be open for anyone to enter. Ciphrd stated that “these components make the platform”, and that it’s “important for the community to have tools that are as open and transparent as possible.” As time passed, we could agree that many of those promises continue to be true today.
I created a tool that I wanted for myself as an artist
Ironically, with the accelerating amount of work that fell on Ciphrd's shoulders, he was at times unable to keep track of all the amazing artists onboarding fxhash. Creators such as 0x7E3fC267Da74c..., 0x7E3fC267Da74c..., 0x7E3fC267Da74c... and many others have released their collections using the platform since. At the recent NFT Show Europe event in Valencia, Ciphrd recalls noticing 0x7E3fC267Da74c...Garden, Monoliths collection without realizing its full complexity until weeks later. " I thought these were drawn illustrations layered on each other" he reflects.
The concept of fxhash opening and closing each day was borne out of chaos and necessity
In the early days of fxhash, the platform was available at certain time periods. The concept of opening and closing the platform for minting “came out of chaos.” The system was simply unable to allow for all the people minting, so they shut down for the system to cool off a bit. People “enjoy those rest times”, as Ciphrd put it, as it allows us to reconsider things and has led to an appreciation of the system for a generative art platform. You need some time to properly understand what you are minting: do you like it? Do you want to sell it? Downtime is an opportunity to rest and prepare.
Towards a global community
As time passed, fxhash has opened up to be working 24/7, with a new wave of creators onboarding and beginning to experiment. Collaborations were introduced in spring of 2022, allowing artists to take advantage of the collaboration factory contract, used to originate collaboration contracts between any number of entities. An example is the Gerhard project, launched by 0x7E3fC267Da74c...and 0x7E3fC267Da74c...or horizon(te)s by 0x7E3fC267Da74c...and 0x7E3fC267Da74c....
In less than a year, the fxhash team has grown its presence across the globe, powering live-minting at events in partnership with both art world and crypto-native institutions. Only this year, we already witnessed curated collections released at Art Basel HK and Basel, Proof of People in London and NFT Show Europe in Valencia featuring artists such as 0x7E3fC267Da74c..., 0x7E3fC267Da74c..., 0x7E3fC267Da74c..., 0x7E3fC267Da74c... and many more. NFT Show Europe also featured works from 0x7E3fC267Da74c...personal collection, including 0x7E3fC267Da74c...'s el inefable momento series.
created bymsoriaro
owned bythefunnyguys
el inefable momento #514
What's striking about the community fxhash grew to be is the depth of knowledge its participants have and are willing to share. Whether it's a workshop about starting your collection by 0x7E3fC267Da74c... or hands-on coding session with 0x7E3fC267Da74c...- both online and IRL there are many opportunities to dive deeper down the gen art rabbit hole.
As fxhash audience is looking forward to the next opportunity to connect in person, the team will be making its first US event: 'Bright Moments Presents fx(hash)', taking place this October 6-7 in Los Angeles. The event will host an exhibition curated by 0x7E3fC267Da74c..., generative art talks, new work by 0x7E3fC267Da74c... and a workshop by 0x7E3fC267Da74c.... Having physical presence aids in the education and onboarding of newcomers in the space, while also giving the opportunity for artists to exhibit their work, providing a platform of discovery to new collectors.
While the Bright Moments pop up in Los Angeles is anticipated, it definitely isn't the last fxhash event of the year. Plans for Paris and Miami are well underway, with exciting experiences in the works.
A view of both galleries @fx_hash_ x @tezos x @ArtBasel HK #ArtBaselHongKong2022
This panel, was honestly life changing 🌞 I mean just hearing @zancan @ciphrd @annaluciacodes @pointline_ @msoriaro and @aljaparis all speak in the same room together was like witnessing a supernova ⚡️
What does Generative Art mean to You?Community quotes.
To celebrate fxtext release, I asked the community to answer the question of "What does Generative Art mean to You?"
Explore the responses below:
A way to express myself with a little bit of noise
The beauty of numbers and randomness
- Sutan
Nature expressing itself
While generative art has been around for decades, combining it with blockchain technology has exploded open a new era of art creation, curation, community and collection
Expressive functions and functional expressions
For me, NFT gen art is the perfect confluence of blockchain technology and art
- L.A.U.
It's about inhabiting the space between Serendipity and Consequence
Thank you for sharing your answers. Everyone is welcome to contribute here.