Electric Artefacts’ November Picks: fxhash, Generative Art is Still Hot and Other Tezos Gems

As we’re approaching the end of the month, it is customary for Electric Artefacts to present to you a fine selection of artworks that caught our eye. However, this time around something has changed. With heavy hearts we finally have to accept the truth and drop the ‘HEN’ from the title of our monthly feature. Hic et Nunc went offline last week, though the NFT community still thrives. While some artists and collectors preferred to stick to what they know and switched to marketplaces like Objkt.com or other HEN forks, others are experimenting with platforms that are just gaining traction. Among them, generative Tezos-based platform fxhash is worth the mention, as some of the artists featured in this article have already launched their projects with them or announced to do so in the near future.

Now, we hope that you enjoy browsing through our monthly selection of these outstanding works below!

1. Molecular Travel #2 by Chris Ried

“In an utopian age where technology is easy, and generative art is hot…” - Chris Ried

Molecular Travel is the latest amongst other remarkable series of generative artworks created by Chris Ried, a data scientist based in Nashville, USA. Known to the NFT community as Generate Collective, the artist translates his extensive technical knowledge and masterful coding skills into a distinct, stand-out aesthetic. Whether it is an experiment with objects, textures or an explorative visual study of abstract concepts, from divine completeness to surrealism, it results in a unique set of extraordinary works.

While it cleverly mimics the bird’s eye-view of a night town, Molecular Travel #2 tries to express the uneasy feeling that could be brought on by artificial urban lighting. Like any other, this piece by Ried is an excellent example of how he manage to achieve a brilliant balance between the technical and artistic aspects of generative art creation. Ried further elaborates on his process and experience with generative art in a number of essays published on his website, which  proves to be an excellent read for artists and collectors alike.
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2. Art Cardz by Landlines Art

While it may be yet another generative NFT collectible, Art Cardz is all the rage among the collectors and for  good reason at that. There are a few special elements that set it apart from similar projects, such as the level of interactivity it offers. The collection consists of 56 different cards, divided by 3 types - shape, algorithm and colour. Collectors get to mix and match the cards and then use them to mint a 1/1 artwork. This way Art Cardz holders can customise their own generative algorithm to produce a unique token.

Although the minting of 5000 base cards has concluded, a number of them are up for grabs on the secondary market. As a collector, one could visit Art Cardz official website to check out the preview of different card combinations before the purchase, which makes the Art Cardz experience that much more enjoyable and fun. In addition, the Art Cardz holders who minted prior to 15th November have received a 3D version of their 1/1 artwork, that brilliantly compliments and elevates the style of the original works by adding richer detail.

Finally, here’s a game-changer. The creators of 1/1 pieces get 2.5% royalties from every future resell, making this a first project with split royalties on XTZ blockchain.

Landlines, the creative mind behind Art Cardz, have also launched their new project - achromat - on fxhash.
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3. MMZ 189 C by Kazumasa Teshigawara

Kazumasa Teshigawara is an artist, web designer and a lecturer at Tama Art University. Born in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, he is now a prominent figure in the Japanese art scene, whose award-winning immersive and generative artworks and installations have been featured in numerous exhibitions since 2007.

A self-taught programmer, Teshigawara initially entered the digital art space as Qubibi in 2006 and managed to take the cyber world by storm with his creations. Mimizu is the latest label created by the artist to publish his new series of generative artworks. The central subject of the MMZ collection is an earthworm, as is implied by the name. An image that spans from his earlier work called ‘Music Worm’.

Looking at the mesmerising puzzle of ‘digital stitches’ that is the MMZ series, one can’t help but wonder if they really are the scattered pieces of a bigger creation or whether each of them offers a glimpse into the unique little universe of a dancing worm. Between their sophisticated colour palette and the most talented execution, Teshigawara’s art is comforting and stimulating at the same time. Furthermore, the series turned out to be such a great success that it’s set to make an appearance at Art Basel Miami later this year.

The MMZ series ends at 222 works. Recently, the artist has hinted a new project on Twitter that is likely to be minted on the fxhash platform.
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4.  Rex by Laurence Fuller (Visuals & Music by Kopfgestaltung)

Rex is an outstanding collaborative piece by Laurence Fuller, a British actor, producer and writer, and Kopfgestaltung, a German multidisciplinary artist, working with 3D Computer Graphics and Sound Design. Spanning from the idea of the Tablets drop based on Michelangelo’s Moses emerged the Dig X, an even larger and more ambitious project.

Rex was conceived as one of the 10 Fragments of Dig X that were produced in collaboration with numerous artists, whose work fit the classic theme. Each fragment is supposed to represent one of the Ten Commandments. Created by Kopfgestaltung, the visuals and music for this NFT encrypted masterpiece mentally sends the audience back to a time when it seemed like the powerful and benevolent presence of ancient gods could still be felt. Laurence Fuller’s performance of his original poetry is beyond expectations. Intense and emotive, it brings to life the cryptic dialogue between the man and the mysterious deity.

Though NFT videos and animations are quite common, Fuller’s Rex takes the medium to a whole new level and we’re very excited to see what happens next in this space.
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5.  Rave by Ebrahel Lurci

Silent and mysterious, Rave by Ebrahel Lurci, gazes upon us from the screen. Her pale, calm face seems to be radiating a warm glow that softly melts into the faded background. The woman’s appearance is otherworldly, like she belongs in a dark fantasy universe. Unreachable to us, it almost seems as if she’s stored behind frost-bitten glass.

Lurci, based in Istanbul, Turkey, is a sculptor and digital creator. The strange and ghostly beauty of Lurci’s art is in part inspired by the writer  H.P. Lovecraft’s works. However, it is the artist's talent that allows him to reach into the depths of the unknown and emerge back with something magnificent and curious, that only he can make visible to us.

Lurci is a man of many talents - his sombre ambient tracks are the perfect background music for browsing his works.
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6. ESCARIFICAÇÃO by Thais Silva

Thais Silva is a Brazilian designer and visual artist, whose expertise is in collage. Through her distinct and widely appreciated practice, Thais represents and supports not only the African-Latin community but the black community as a whole.The most showcased and well respected themes in Thais’ works are driven back to strong representations of ancestral culture, indigenous tribes and rituals. The entirety of her collage series features striking and beautiful figures at the centre of the composition, often embraced by floral elements and backdropped by luminous and vibrant hues. Even the least attentive viewer can notice that some of the elements, such as round shapes and obscure faces, persistently appear throughout her works, connecting them to a thread.

ESCARIFICAÇÃO (meaning scarification) is one the artist’s more subtle, but no less stunning works. The woman’s confident posture, the intricate pattern of scars on her back, echoed by the florals in the background result in an image that reflects a sense of confidence and strength.
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7. 10 31 21 TARGET HOUSE BLDG. T828, EMBERS NFT- 006 by Gary Edward Blum

This artwork is part of the ongoing project by Gary Edward Blum, multidisciplinary artist based in San Francisco, USA. The piece is a beautiful culmination of his stylistic expression, bringing the two of the author’s preferred mediums together. Extended over many years, Blum’s practice as a fine artist and photographer has been dedicated to achieving harmony of the divergent elements within the confines of a single space. In his paintings the minimalist compositions of thoughtfully arranged linework and opaque fields of colour are disrupted by trompe l’oeil - painted bits of paper taped to the centre of a canvas, that often mimic the piece. The effect of trompe l’oeil shifts the perception and invites the audience to contemplate the duality and phenomena of coexistence.

In contrast to his previous works, in TARGET HOUSE BLDG. T828 NFT - 006 the artist employed his technique in a manner that achieves quite the opposite effect. The central position of the piece is occupied by bold, translucent colour blocks that overpower the photograph of a burnt down Target House Building. While this element is supposed to bring to light the distinction between the realms of reality and artistic representation, such juxtaposition compliments the real-life context of a piece and elevates the sense of loss and emptiness.
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8. Young and Beautiful by Liffi Wongso

Liffi Wongso, an Indonesian artist, brings us the gift of her mysterious and rare flowers, and we can’t take our eyes off of these wonderful blooms. Young and Beautiful is the first work in a collectible series of her stunning flower girls.

Inspired by contemporary illustration and manga, Wongso channels her creative vision in many ways, including illustration, painting and paper craft. The artist is a skilful storyteller - her elegant and lively illustrations of charming maidens, going about their business, combined with the vibrant palette of pink and purple hues, that dominate her works. It leaves the viewer longing to learn more about this dreamy and mystical world.
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9. Tempura Shibe by Michelle Sherrina

To catch a criminal, one must think like a criminal, or rather ”to catch a shrimp tempura, you must first be a shrimp tempura”.

Michelle Sherrina is an illustrator based in Jakarta, who presents her works both offline and online. While it might not be easy to get your hands on Sherrina’s merch, we promise that browsing sherchle’s NFT creations is nothing less than a great pastime, as one can really see the artist’s sweet and funny personality shine through. Between indulging the viewers with her signature comic-like art style and her humorous takes on different subjects, from mundane situations to pop-culture tropes, the artist accompanies every artwork with smart and funny little captions. Tempura Shibe is Sherrina’s submission for #LetsRaiseTheWoof art competition by SuperShiba club!
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10.  Creatures of the Exoplanet 047 by Anna Natter

Anna Natter, based in Germany, is a multidisciplinary artist and a leader of Adobe Dimension Enthusiasts community. Throughout her career she has worked on projects ranging from producing graphics for commercial television, building virtual worlds for corporate clientele and creating 3D models for AR events. As a self-taught digital creator, Natter makes sure to continuously develop her skills and stay up to date with the latest software and technology. Recently, the artist has put her brilliant mind to exploring GAN art as a new creative outlet and we are here for it.

Using a set of word prompts, Natter managed to create a whole universe of Exoplanet, futuristic and mysterious, inhabited with the beguiling insect-like creatures.

Some works from the Creatures of the Exoplanet collection are exhibited during the Manchester's Finest & Known Origin’s physical event in Manchester this month.