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Weekly Recap

79Au | 3.15-21

Hello from ETHDenver Pt 3! 

This post was written by one of our long standing staff members who volunteered with ETHDenver, and offers an insider’s view of the recent event. Enjoy!

In February, I was one of the more than 15,000 participants and contributors of ETHDenver 2023, a Community and Innovation Festival that spans over a week at one of the largest gathering spaces in Denver, Colorado. 

Compared with other crypto-centric events like NFT.NYC, ETHDenver has a larger technical focus, with #BUIDLers coming from around the world to build their projects on the Ethereum blockchain.

Unlike most attendees, however, I had the unique experience of contributing to the event as a Volunteer Steward and experienced the festival from a slightly different angle.

Working diligently with other Stewards, and with the help of 200+ volunteer Crew members, The Year of the Spork quickly became one for the record books. 

The 6th annual event was host to fireside chats, solo presentations, a marathon #BUIDLathon, workshops and panels, and of course a slew of side events hosted by ETHDenver sponsors.

ETH Denver Stewards 2023
ETHDenver Crew volunteer, Henry!

While we (sometimes not so) quietly moved around the event to assist attendees, Spork Whales, and speakers, it became apparent how dedicated this unique community is, making the festival outshine its previous iteration year over year. Having volunteered for last year’s Year of the Buffigwei, I was lucky enough to see many friendly faces I’d previously met in the space. 

These same volunteers who stood outside in the surprise blizzard while greeting each and every registrant, and the same staff who’d flit from venue to venue up the block ensuring that each stage and event space could seamlessly pull off their panels and presentations, came back ready to bring it for 2023.

To better fit the growing community, the venue was moved to the sprawling National Western Complex and split into five main tracks: DAOs + Community, Decentralized Finance, Public Goods, Infrastructure, NFTs + Metaverse + Gaming.

The 3 story venue map that doesn't come close to conveying its vastness!

The frenetic energy surrounding the wide breadth of topics kept the community buzzing for the 10-day span of the festival, but two of them caught my attention, NEAR Day and the Privacy and Security Takeover. 

NEAR Protocol, a bit player at ETHDenver 2022, was front and center this year with an entire day dedicated to talks, keynotes, and workshops encompassing the ecosystem. 

A handful of the biggest names in NEAR could be caught on the smaller stages hosting chats, like Illia Polosukhin, Marieke Flament, Matt Lockyer, and Alex Chiocchi

Having learned about NEAR last year and interacting with most of these individuals on social media, it was an incredible feeling to be able to step back and listen to them speak about the protocol and the forward-thinking BOS positioning.

Marieke Flament CEO of the NEAR Foundation

Participants in NEAR Day heard about the importance of creating a seamless user experience to drive mass adoption and sustainability in blockchain by focusing on real engagement, strategic long-term planning, and overall impact of development. We were enlightened by a breakdown (and a breakup) with the way newcomers are onboarded into Web3, and of course, the value in a fully decentralized identity. 

The concepts delivered by NEAR span the entirety of the Web3 Space and reiterate what it is we’re moving toward.

Notably, we can’t move closer to mass adoption without a strong sense of security and privacy in the space, and the takeover of the Genesis Stage gave speakers an opportunity to impress this importance to the community at large. On March 4th, a series of Privacy Highlights held the stage to cover a wide span of topics from plausible deniability, attempts to encroach on privacy by outside entities, and the role Cypherpunks played in preventing users from being backdoored.

Closing with a keynote from security badass Sherri Davidoff, the founder and CEO of LMG Security, attendees (myself included) were left with a stark visual reminder that privacy is deeply interconnected with unity and security via her interpretation of the Fugio cent.

Sherri Davidoff LMG Security
An uncirculated Fugio Cent. Courtesy PCGS TrueView

The beauty of ETHDenver is the ability of like-minded individuals to gather and learn about new technologies while pushing the boundaries of what we think we know and most of the panels and conversations delivered on that. The dynamic pace created by different types of Ethereum developers and community #BUIDLers gathering in one location sparked a sense of renewed optimism and excitement for the future of Ethereum, despite current market dynamics. It reinforced its reputation for being an Innovation Festival for the Community.

  • Giraffe Cupcakes is the Community Manager at Mint Gold Dust and has been working with ETH Denver community and events in 2022 and 2023.

Denver, Colorado.

Take a look at our 79Au zine’s ETH Denver pt 1 and ETH Denver pt 2!

Learn about the Illust <> Mint Gold Dust ETH Denver culture walk showcasing amazing NFT curations at venues around Denver! Check out the Illust ETHDenver event maps here: Click to view maps

Ready to get started as an artist or collector on Mint Gold Dust? Check out our Metamask start up guide to get started. Ready to start minting? Apply to talk with our curatorial team today.

Weekly Recap

79Au | 3.1-6

Hello from ETHDenver Pt 2!

ETHDenver ZenZone

There was a record-breaking 30,000+ registrations for the sixth year of ETH Denver! It was incredible to see all the new ideas and organizations entering the Web3 space alongside the stalwarts who have been here since the beginning! Welcome to the Bufficorn noobies!!

The crowds became overwhelming while waiting (forever) in line for food, or coffee and pastries in the mornings. Before we jump into the details, a final shout out to Reunion Bread that fed us (and many more people!) every morning. Their Golfeado, see below, is to die for.

Amazing Reunion Sticky Buns
IRLart - At the intersection of digital and physical
Kelly LeValley Hunt and Naji Elmogtba

Back to the event itself…. We went wandering dreamily through the ETH Denver ZenZone then visiting the IRL Gallery,  meeting inspiring artists. Once such artist was the creative, inspiring, punk rocker Naji, who displayed his wares through his beautiful, one-of-a-kind Art NFts. Their clothing line can be found at youmustsurvive.store.

The program started with the opening ceremony with hundreds of Bufficorns singing on stage. To some it might sound cringy (think a mixture of glitter and Bufficorns), but founder Kelly LeValley Hunt claimed “this is just another day in Ethereum paradise!”

On Friday Kelly spoke on a panel on the Genesis Stage called “Investing in Web3’s Future”, discussing what she looks for when investing in new businesses. Hint: She puts an emphasis on  the development team, the founders, product, and the business model.

Our Founder, Kelly LeValley Hunt

Other amazing speakers we listened to on the same stage included Joe Lubin, Caitlin Long, and a call-in from Vitalik Buterin.

Joe Lubin CEO of ConsenSys
Vitalik Buterin calling in
Caitlin Long
Caitlin Long

There were moving and enlightening presentations, including @ameensol talking about @UncahinIran, a DAO which provides legally compliant aid to Iran. He shone a light on a corner of the world that many of us do not think about; emphasizing the importance of paying attention to, and recognizing, human injustices and reminding us that so many people around the world are still fighting for basic freedoms. Something that we at Mint Gold Dust are very grateful for.

Ameen Soleimani presenting on IranUnchained

The second part of ETHDenver was filled with new connections, amazing speakers, and energizing after parties.

Our love for electric scooters deepened as we sped around the Mile High city; venue jumping during the day, and rolling up to dinners and parties in the evenings. We want public scooters in NYC!

As ETH Denver 2023 closed out, two highlights stand out. We headed over to the Galactic Garden Party at the Beacon in RiNo on Friday evening. The venue was magical, with sacred geometrical groove rooms and amazing dance vibes throughout.

Soothing., liquid ceiling at the Beacon
Sacred Geometry Chill Room at the Beacon

And on Saturday night we got down with our partners at Illust, viewing art and dancing the night away to DJs while sipping on ice cold keg beer! So refreshing – an amazing end to an amazing experience!!

Some of the Illust crew w us at the Main Stage
Illust Vibe Check Party

Take a look at last week’s 79Au zine, ETH Denver Pt 1!
We experienced the geo-located art from our platform IRL in Denver!
You can check out the Illust ETHDenver event maps here: Click to view maps.

Ready to get started as an artist or collector on Mint Gold Dust? Check out our Metamask start up guide to get started. Ready to start minting? Apply to talk with our curatorial team today.

Weekly Recap

79Au | 2.22-28

Hello from ETHDenver!

This year, there’s a lot of pressure on the ETHDenver crew to make this community gathering the biggest and best event in ETHDenver history.


The Mint Gold Dust team checked into the
VĪB Hotel. A short walk from the hackers  at the #BUIDLHub building on Brighton Blvd in the RiNo Arts district.

Photo: Henry Turner

Many of the local hotels in @RiNo are new and efficient. The Source Hotel is a 4 star hotel with a delicious restaurant and a hot tub on the top floor! At the base of the hotel you can find a marketplace and food hall, be sure to check out the amazing Reunion Bread! Small batch beautiful baked goods. Mmmmm.

The VĪB is a Best Western and does what it says in the name (~vibe~). There is a gym on the ground floor and a cute cafe with friendly staff. Brent and Preston at the VĪB have been exceptionally accommodating and helpful! 

We quickly dropped our suitcases and went out for a ride on electric scooters to explore the venues and to discover new cafes and restaurants in the area. 

Our first impressions were that there are plenty of construction sites and new buildings, a large number of cranes in the sky, and lots of art murals in the area where we are staying. Any city I’ve visited with this many cranes was going through a major growth phase. The economy here in Denver is growing quickly, it’s very obvious. 

@tasteburns on Instagram
@theobanoth on Instagram
Photo: Henry Turner

We screwed around on our electric scooters and rode over to check out the National Western Complex, the giant structure that has housed some of the largest event gatherings in Denver. This venue is a strong symbol of community here in Colorado, and it’s now the new site of the ETH Denver community.

We then scooted over to the Hacker Hall.

Greek food and taco trucks were waiting outside, prepared for the hungry developers inside the building. We entered, went through a secure checkpoint, and made our way to registration. We easily picked up our badges and visited all the tables that were displaying swag and information about the different teams BUIDLING. 

There was certainly a buzz about the venue! People hugging each other, greeting one another from all over the world, excited to get started and happy to see familiar faces! Opening speeches were made, and the excitement began.

The space is similar to the Sports Castle from last year, but the devs are all on one main floor. It’s larger, with two stages set up specifically for project owners to present their work and their bounties.

We visited teams with bounties on offer. One that drew our attention was the Liquality team. 

Thessey Mehrain, Co-Founder @Liquality_io

Liquality’s multi-chain NFT minting feature, and STK made it an even more interesting bounty to try to capture. 

We spent time at the River House where Liquality has taken over a club / living room / bar space where hackers meet for breakfast and to begin coding for the bounties. 

Some of the early arriving teams here are @ConsenSys, @Discoxyz, @Opolis, @metawebvc, @satori_nft @Valts and so many more, and we’re just getting started!

 

As we rode around to explore further, we noticed all of the murals, collecting names of artists and taking pictures of their creations. Many of the muralists in this industrial area have something special. Wide open spaces and new walls to tag! 

The team visited the Blue Sparrow coffee shops and ate delicious salad and pizza at Cart Driver. We also enjoyed an amazing dinner at Uchi with friends.

In our downtime, we shopped at SteadBrook, as well as an outdoor vintage clothing marketplace in the side yard at The Denver Central Market. We found an amazing foosball table, friendly people, and strong, elegant jewelry at OXB. While eating french fries in the sun, we also shopped online at locally-owned Idiot Cult, for a refreshingly cheeky sample of the fashion flavor in Denver. 

We enjoyed a magical evening at Nocturne Jazz Club, listening to live jazz while sipping champagne. 

Our team is looking forward to a scheduled guided meditation and relaxation session at Pravana Massage.

One of the things that Mint Gold Dust is doing while we’re here is meeting with developers and artists from the Denver community to see how we can support them as well as collectors in Colorado.

In partnership with Illust, we’ve geo-dropped several NFTs around Denver. 
We have a handful of pieces near Improper City, which is a great watering hole with an outdoor area for those who can brave the cold.

We went out on a scavenger hunt for these beautiful NFT assets, and they look fantastic placed in the real world. The amazing talent of the artists is showcased while the surrounding environment brings each work to life. Installations of this type make our reality even more layered and exciting, creating compelling images for us to interact with. 

We still have 6 days of ETHDenver and multiple side events to attend with over 25,000 people! The State of Colorado / Denver has been put on the map by the Decentralized and Web3 Community! 

Take a look at last week’s 79Au zine featuring the Illust <> Mint Gold Dust culture walk which showcases amazing NFT curations at venues around Denver!
Check out the Illust ETHDenver event maps here: Click to view maps.

Ready to get started as an artist or collector on Mint Gold Dust? Check out our Metamask start up guide to get started. Ready to start minting? Apply to talk with our curatorial team today.

Weekly Recap

79Au | 2.15-21

Featured Artworks of the Week

4everKurious "The Book of Wings::Deconstructed Wings and Bones" from our Machine Dialogues curation
BoogieREZ "Take it to the TOP"
Hypnomancer "TWOGLO"
Mint Gold Dust Culture Walk at ETH Denver

This year at ETH Denver, we will be working with our longtime partner, Illust, to bring you an Augmented Reality culture walk around Denver. 

Illust is building the definitive platform for engaging online communities in the physical world through maps, blockchain, and augmented reality. Partnering with major music and web3 properties such as MF DOOM, Mesh Records, Parallel, and ETH Denver, projects use Illust’s tools to launch location-specific and token-gated games, maps, entertainment, merchandise, and points of interest for their communities.

“Mint Gold Dust’s Culture Walk map is an embodiment of the ETH Denver experience, pairing innovation with diversity across a broad spectrum of digital media. We can’t wait to share these experiences with first-time visitors and Denver residents alike, using the power of AR and blockchain tech.”  – Rob McCarty | CEO, Illust. 

For the drop, we have curated 3 collections at key locations around the city that can be viewable via your mobile device and the Illust Space web browser. 

CELEBRATION OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH:

Focusing on the current social inequities in the greater Web3 space, Mint Gold Dust aims to empower Black artists during Black History Month using our site as a platform to host and bring forth productive dialogue inspired by the works minted on our marketplace. Artists included in the drop are ChrisRogersArt, GoldiGold, and QueenEarth.

drlemny "Mama heard voices"
QueenEarth "Grief + Black Maternal Mortality + Racial Tension"

These works will be dropped outside of Jazz and Supper Club Nocturne in the RiNo Arts District of Denver.

MACHINE DIALOGUES

Machine Dialogues is taking a look at how artists in web3 are utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to inform their creative process. So many tools have become available to creatives, and we’re seeing a massive period of curiosity and experimentation across the artist community. 

The selections for the culture walk are a part of a larger curation originally curated by JenJoy Roybal in October on Mint Gold Dust. Artists include Quantum Spirit, Rakkaus Art, Chazz Gold, 4everKurious.

Quantum Spirit "Locomotive"
Rakkaus Art "Coming to the Surface"

Machine Dialogues curation will be located outside of the main ETH Denver venue at The National Western Complex at 4655 Humboldt St.

STREET ART

Street Art has a long history of community and self expression. It’s a way for artists to make their mark on their city and document grassroots history. Too often, these works are painted over and forgotten about, but by minting them on-chian, artists are able to track their work’s provenance and history in a very permanent way. For the third curation of our Culture Walk, we are excited to highlight some of the artists on our platform tracking and preserving their own history through NFTs. Artists include Everydayreasearch, Helena Martin, and BoogieREZ.

IRL Everydayresearch "Here We Go"
Everydayresearch "Here We Go"

This street art curation can be found at RiNo’s Improper City, a local favorite for coffee, beer, and of course, street art.

Beginning February 24th you will be able to see all these works come alive in AR for yourself. To access the meta layer, you will need to navigate to the location, open up the MGD page link on Illust, and navigate to the pin points on the map. Once you find the work, your phone will become a gateway to another layer of reality, filled with artwork from the Mint Gold Dust platform. 

Be on the lookout for the Illust Passport, which is dropping 5PM PT on Weds, Feb 22nd. https://twitter.com/illustspace

Can’t make it to Denver? We will be talking with Illust Space and some of the participating artists on Twitter Spaces on February 28th. This will be a great opportunity to learn more about some of the amazing artworks being dropped and Illust Space’s geo-spatial technology. 

Check out these interviews with some of our featured culture walk artists: Chazz Gold, Rakkaus Art.

Ready to get started as an artist or collector on Mint Gold Dust? Check out our Metamask start up guide to get started. Ready to start minting? Apply to talk with our curatorial team today.

Weekly Recap

79Au | 2.7-14

Masha Ermeeva, "Embrace"
Brooke Ganster, "The Bold Hold"
VEL, "Urban Landscape 01"
Love Letter from Mint Gold Dust | Valentine’s Day Curation

Love takes many forms, so this Valentine’s Day, we wanted to explore the different ways in which love is depicted and represented through the eyes of various artists on Mint Gold Dust

From the romantic to the platonic, the familial to the self-love, this collection showcases the diversity and complexity of love in all its forms. We hope that these artworks will evoke emotions and provoke thoughtful introspection, inviting you to reflect on your own experiences and perceptions of love in your own life.

Romantic

TWOGLO” and “The Butterfly Lovers” show two different sides of romantic love. One focuses on passion while the other focuses on hardship.

Hypnomancer, "TWOGLO"

For Hynomancer’s “TWOGLO,” we see two lovers expressing their love through physical affection. This piece is a part of a larger series that explores how AI expresses love and sexuality.

Lily Honglei, "The Butterfly Lovers" (Video Still)

In “The Butterfly Lovers” by Lily Honglei, the artist duo showcases the side of love that isn’t typically portrayed in a Valentines Day card. These two lovers have just moved to America in search of the idealized American Dream and have found that the dream they’ve imagined isn’t the reality. So now, they as a team must help pull each other back up and find a new dream together.

Self

I Carnival” and “Inner Space of Touch” depict the magic and creativity that happens when you become at peace with yourself and ignore all other distractions.

kilsypix, "I Carnival"

Kilsypix’s “I Carnival” is a celebration of the artist undergoing an artistic evolution in the web3 space. The piece is a result of experimentation, exploration, and joy.

GISELXFLOREZ, "Inner Space of Touch" (Interactive Video Still)

Inner Space of Touch” by Giselxflorex seeks to understand the language of creation by looking inward. The work highlights the human ideals and symbolism that occurs with the touch of the creator.

Family

Arguably the most selfless kind of love is familial. Both of these next works were created to honor members of their family and the legacies that they may leave behind.

Dr. Lemny, "MAMA"

Dr. Lemny’s work “Mama” is a portrait of her grandmother who struggled with mental illness her whole life. With this work, Dr. Lemny hopes to shed light on those dealing with silent mental battles every day while honoring the legacy she left behind.

Dia al-Azzawi, "Freddie 1.0 #7"

Dia al-Azzawi’s Freddie collection was created to honor his grandson. Dia has been creating art for over 50 years, and with the dawn of web3, he created this collection as a token his grandson can play with in the metaverse for years to come.

Nature 

In both HyperAesthetics’s “Spring” and “Mother Earth” by TrishgaArt, the artists are celebrating the reverence and responsibility of the union between humans and the natural world. 

Hyper Aesthetics, "Spring"

Hyper Aesthetics’ Four Seasons collection highlights the beauty found in each season with his own unique style. The artist writes about his piece, Spring,

“I breathe in the Spring from my window. 

See Mother Nature winking.

Flowers yawn at dawn.

And I smell them.”

TrishgiaAr, "Mother Earth"

Mother Earth” by TrishgiaArt’s is a tribute to the beauty and biodiversity of our planet and is a call for us to take better care of the place we call home. “She has always taken care of us. Now it’s time we take care of her” – TrishgiaArt

Friendship

These final works by Lucia Diaz and Arabella are a celebration of friendship and community. They remind us to lift each other up and not to forget to have fun along the way. 

Lucia Diaz, "Wildy"

Lucia Diaz’s “Wildy” is a portrait of fellow artist and creator Wildy Martinez. The portrait shows the muse’s joy, power, and creativity bursting at the seams. This work supports a friend’s dreams, power, and success.

Arabella, "Smoking Section"

Arabella’s “Smoking Section” makes the viewer feel as if they have interrupted two friends having a conversation and sharing stories. The power of community is not one to be underestimated.

Miss our latest artist interview series? Catch up on our conversations with Chazz GoldRakkaus ArtArabella, Goldi Gold, and VanDi exclusively on 79Au.

Ready to get started as an artist or collector on Mint Gold Dust? Check out our Metamask start up guide to get started. Ready to start minting? Apply to talk with our curatorial team today.

Weekly Recap

79Au | 1.31-2.7

Featured Artworks of the Week

Joyce Korotkin, "As soon as it was We, with our Guises"
Chris Nacht, "Shadow Creature #9"
QuantumSpirit, "Locomotive"
Interview with VanDi

This week, we conclude our winter artist interview series with Marc VanDermeer, also known as VanDi. Marc is a multidisciplinary artist with an art career spanning over 40 years working in both digital and analog formats. He is best known for his multidimensional layered collages, which draw inspiration from nature, light, and color. For Mint Gold Dust’s 79Au, Marc discusses his journey from photography and film to collage work and shares more about his new AI project.

VanDi, "VanDi, "Abstract in A Minor"

You originally studied Film. Can you share your trajectory from Film to your collage works today? 

Some of the first work I did was anti war Vietnam cut-and-paste collages. I grew up the only son of an artist and a single mother. Art was served up daily, and even though we lived in a New York apartment, we rented a basement studio on Perry Street in the west Village. I painted and made collages up to my first year of art school. Along with my art, I wrote long prose and short content. In 1971 I went to the Philadelphia College of Art (PCA), wanting to be a painter. I was really into Abstract Expressionism. I loved the work of Mark Rothko, Helen Frankenthaler, Ashville Gorky, Robert Motherwell, and Robert Rauschenberg. Rauschenberg heavily influenced my work, especially his work with mixed media and collages; I used his technique for lifting ink off a magazine’s photo with Acetone in my collages. 

Robert Rauschenberg, "Estate", 1963. Photograph: © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, New York

I still like incorporating mixed media with photography into my work. Most of these artists worked, lived, or exhibited in New York. Many would summer in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and my mother rented a small house and studio in Provincetown in the summer. I was enrolled in a summer workshop and lived on my own during the week. I was a precocious sixteen-year-old, so it was a blast. Many of my friends were the sons and daughters of the artists I admired. I got friendly with a guy named John Waters, who was working in a bookstore in town and starting to make 16mm films in his spare time. We all used to hang out at a dance bar called “Piggies,” so I suppose the first film seeds might have been planted then. My mother and stepfather exposed me to Film at a very early age by often taking me to foreign films with subtitles. I grew up very fast. Art Schools will let you pick your major in your second year. Instead, all students are enrolled in what is known as a “foundation year”. The idea is to expose the students to drawing, painting, and sculpture before they decide what they want to major in. Before starting my first year in late August, I remember wandering around the old part of Philly and running into a crew of guys shooting a film. Serendipity struck when one of the crew asked if I could hold up a reflector to light the shot. It turned out that these guys were seniors at PCA and were making a film. Long story short, we clicked, and they took a liking to me. I did some acting in their movies and crewed in my spare time. When it came time to announce my major, I chose Film. 

VanDi, Keynote
VanDi, "Key Note"

My painting professor Harry Soviak was very disappointed when I told him I would major in Film. He thought I was very talented and told me I would eventually return to painting. He was right. The Film department was chaired by the late and highly gifted photographer Ray K. Metzker. Photography was a required study for anyone majoring in Film. So I studied photography under Metzker, who would later be my most influential teacher. Ironically I had very little interest in photography and would do the bare minimum. Metzker took no prisoners, and in those days, there were no social norms about humiliating a student in front of the entire class, and I was known as the “Prince” because I acted like a Primadonna and didn’t do the work to back it up. That class of twenty students became superstar commercial photographers. Ray K Metzker is recognized as one of the great masters of American photography, best known for his black-and-white semi-abstract photography. 

How did you first get into the NFT space from there? 

I’ve always had a strong interest in tech, naturally looking to create something original. NFT Art is a relatively new art form, although it’s been around for some time. Technology and Art have been joined at the hip going back 17,000 years; early prehistoric cave dwellers discovered that charcoal, iron oxide, and Ochre could be used to paint on cave walls in southwestern France.

VanDi, "Abstract in Pink"

In March of 2021, I came across the work of two digital artists, Pak and Beeple. Beeple has been posting new pieces of Art daily since 2007, but what vaulted Beeple into NFT history was his piece  “The first 5000 Days,”  made up of individual art pieces spliced together like a mosaic tapestry. At the same time, it’s quite a marvel but not his best. It will be remembered for making the acronym “NFT” a part of Digital Art history after selling in a Christie’s auction. For me and many others, it piqued my interest in NFTs.

Since 2001 I began thinking of myself as a Digital Artist. One of my first shows at the Agora Gallery in New York was titled “Pixel Perfect.” Back then, I made collages out of my photographs by mixing painted elements and individual splices from my photography. My work was unique, and most people didn’t understand Digital Art. Digital photography was early in its technical cycle to be what it is today. I knew of only one other artist doing the type of work I was. Two of my earliest are titled “Metropolis” and “42nd Street.” Both comprise photo elements of textures, graffiti-rusted metal spliced together into recurring themes and color schemes to create an aesthetic whole.

VanDi, "42nd Street"

Since my work is digital, NFTs are just another way to authenticate and tokenize to present my work.  

NFT Art is just another extension of tech’s relationship with Art to create something new. The space is most exciting because it’s a level playing field. It brings well-deserved recognition to a new group of programmers and digital artists who the art world had yet to recognize in the past.

Can you tell us more about your upcoming project, “Love in the Time of the Robot” and your experience working with AI? 

I’m currently working on a project titled “Love in the Time of the Robot,” which is an all AI prompt art project. There is much controversy around AI art, and I’m figuring out where I line up. On the one hand, AI art derives its style from the style of many great illustrators and digital artists. Then again, as in the music industry, “sampling” is now an accepted norm in hip-hop. But there are degrees as to when it stops being a “sample,” and it becomes plagiarism. I am what some artists refer to as a multidisciplinary artist in that I paint, photograph, sculpt, and film. I am currently experimenting with AI art and, therefore, have decided not to profit from any art that is created by an AI.

"Love in the Time of a Robot" Series | Courtesy of VanDi

I’ve always been a fan of science fiction, literature, and art. I am also obsessed with Robots and how these machines will affect the future landscape. As I mentioned earlier, I used to write and thought I would be a writer despite poor grammar and spelling. Many of the art-oriented schools I attended in my youth did not focus on spelling and grammar; instead, they stressed ‘stream of consciousness.’ My writing played a big part in why I chose to major in Film over painting in college, figuring I would someday direct the movies I wrote.  

When I first started experimenting with AI prompt art, I went through hundreds of pure junk images. I wanted a particular look, and my Robot had to be part metallic with lifelike features. Still, after several months of trial and error, my Robot images began to work. I wrote a short story around my concept. This was before ‘ChatGPT’ became the topic of discussion at every Thanksgiving day dinner. The open-source online program called  ‘ChatGPT’ has an artificial intelligence bot that can answer questions, write essays, and program computers. The bot remembers the thread of your dialogue; it has since been changed for expediency’s sake as it kept crashing by overwhelming demand.

"Love in the Time of a Robot" Series | Courtesy of VanDi

Still, in the early days, you could ask the bot to use your essay or story and do a rewrite, repeatedly enhancing it. I entered my story into the program and asked the AI to rewrite and improve it. I did this six times, each time editing the story and evolving it. No, there is no robot apocalypse. In my story, the Robot evolves over the years, gains sentience, and becomes more human, including our human desires. 

So I now have an illustrated short story. The images revolve around the story and stages of robot development. While my views are altruistic, I gave them away in batches of one hundred which sold out on Showtime within days. Minting is free, costing fractions of a cent to mint on the Polygon MATIC platform.

Enjoy our discussion with VanDi? Check out the rest of our interviews in this series from Chazz GoldRakkaus Art, Arabella, and Goldi Gold exclusively on 79Au.

Ready to get started as an artist or collector on Mint Gold Dust? Check out our Metamask start up guide to get started. Ready to start minting? Apply to talk with our curatorial team today.