xxnft
Hackatao
Hackatao was born in 2007. The OG artists are among the pioneers of the international Crypto Art movement, having minted their first artwork on the blockchain back in 2018. In these early years, the duo actively participated in the construction of the cryptoverse and the NFT space. They contribute significantly to the discussion, together with other pioneer crypto artists, curators and collectors, regarding the implementation of royalties for artists on the secondary market. In 2018 Hackatao also introduced augmented reality into their practice for the first time, an umbilical cord between the physical works and the digital tokens. Before having entered the crypto sphere, the artists would also experiment with physical medium such as ceramics, drawing and painting on canvas as well as three-dimensional surfaces.
Hackatao investigate historical and pop cultural phenomena in their signature flat style, shedding light onto contemporary social, political and environmental issues and debates. Towards the end of 2021, Hackatao collaborate with NFT Studios to develop the Queens+Kings avatar series, an artistic project supported by Sotheby’s. Q+K explores and aspires to subvert the hierarchies of the PFP (profile picture) scene. The ongoing project focuses on visualizing the immense potential of web3 and the wider Metaverse, aiming to constantly involve the community in the process of creation. Q+K allows for collectors to become co-creators and dynamically transform their sovereign avatars.
Hackatao’s most recent work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions, both physically and virtually at; ARTE MUSEUM VALLEY (Gangneung, Korea), FC Francisco Carolinum (Linz, Austria), Celestial Hermitage (State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia), NFT.NYC (New York, USA), NFT Berlin (Berlin, Germany), Non-Fungible Conference (Lisbon, Portugal), Ca’ la Ghironda Modern Art Museum (Bologna, Italy), Sotheby’s (London, UK), Christie's (London, UK), Dreamverse (New York, USA) Museo Spazio Tadini (Milan, Italy), Musei di San Salvatore (Rome, Italy).
Which was your first NFT ever?
Our first NFT ever minted was Girl Next door, an animated GIF tokenized on SuperRare.
Which is the last one?
Our most recent works are an artistic project, exploring the PFP scene: Queens+Kings and [SPIRIT FOREST] INCANTO, a user-generative digital piece, where the physical and the virtual as well as the artwork and the spectator interact. Queens+Kings was created in collaboration with NFT Studios and Sotheby’s and it is an ongoing project whereas INCANTO was the central piece in our first-ever offline exhibition in South Korea at ARTE MUSEUM VALLEY aka ARTE MUSEUM GANGNEUNG.
How did you start your career in crypto art?
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It was 2018, when we first read about the blockchain in The Sciences magazine and we immediately saw great potential for art implementation in this new, transparent crypto world. We would then come across curator’s Jason Bailey’s blog on cryptoart and we greatly identified with the values and ideas mentioned, as geographically-agnostic artists who cherish freedom of expression more than anything.
How can we increase the involvement of women in crypto?
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The crypto art scene and the industry still have a long way to go but, we do see that the web3 space does not make gender distinctions and that it encourages and supports projects of those underrepresented. Great platforms are being constructed by women, by people of color and by initiatives of the LGBTQIA+ community. It is essential to always provide all with the right platforms to showcase their works and to support causes and organizations that advocate for equal rights in the crypto world.
Last project?
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Our latest, ongoing project is Queens+Kings as mentioned above. 6,900 Queens+Kings are composed of single NFT traits that are interchangeable, randomly allocated and algorithmically generated. The Hack the Traits feature allows collectors to customize, disassemble and assemble their avatars on the dedicated builder of our Q+K website. Q+K is an exploration of the concept of identity, of how we as individuals choose to show ourselves to others in virtual space. PFP works are becoming an alter ego, another self for the users behind these works. We wished for Q+K to have the ability to vary and evolve as we humans evolve and shapeshift over time.
What are the main guiding principles behind your work? Can you step outside yourself for a moment and let us know what you see?
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We want to speak of the social sphere that surrounds us and thus there are multiple references to the crypto sphere and to decentralization values inside our works. What really makes the Metaverse so attractive to us artists, is the opportunity to reclaim our rights, to be able to make our own decisions within the contemporary art system, to have absolute freedom of expression. We also greatly value transparency in the space as well as the collective, continuous discussion and brainstorming with the community on social channels, which very much affects our work, or better yet, we allow for this valuable interaction to do so.
Do you get any particular source of inspiration for the visual styles of your works e.g. do they arrive in relation to the place (physical, psychological, or situational) you were located at the time?
We are inspired by nature, the cosmos, the community, art history and science. Even before discovering the crypto world and its decentralized character, we had moved away from the busy city where we lived to rediscover a way of living closer to nature. We ended up moving to a small town that is indeed, very decentralized. Thanks to the advancing blockchain technology and the rapid development of the NFT world, it is much more sustainable for artists and creatives to be able to live and work outside of the cosmopolitan, centralized art circuits.
There are some things that are priceless. Like being able to walk in the woods, to breathe good air and to have a garden with your own vegetables, smelling of freedom.
Can you dive a bit into the technical aspects of the work? Software or hardware used (in the wide sense; it could be thoughts and bodies), as well as the editing process? What are some of the particular challenges you and your team have faced in realizing the works?
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We mostly use Adobe Photoshop and Adobe After Effects. We often collaborate with teams of creatives and 3D design experts, generative art enthusiasts and researchers when it comes to experimenting with the development of very challenging drop dynamics and drop mechanisms. Moreover, ever since we’ve entered the cryptospace, we have had multiple opportunities to merge disciplines and work with professionals in other various fields/sectors. For instance, we have collaborated with the members and team of legendary rock band Blondie on the Hack the Borders project, bringing together digital drawing, animation, music by Chris Stein and also poetry.
Can you tell us about the relationship you want or aim to have with the viewer? What is the underlying approach to this relationship?
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We are constantly in contact with our community, interacting and generating ideas. The community is composed of creative, dynamic and enthusiastic members and moderators, who are always providing us with precious feedback on our projects.
Also, to take a recent project of ours as an example, where the relationship of the work and the audience is vital, [SPIRIT FOREST] INCANTO is a user-generative piece, exhibited in in South Korea at ARTE MUSEUM VALLEY aka ARTE MUSEUM GANGNEUNG this past April. INCANTO is an opening to a world where one can encounter a spirit physically within the museum space, created in collaboration with ARTE META, d’strict and Numomo. The digital installation is deeply rooted within the physical, natural environment surrounding the museum, the interactive work senses the touch and approach of the viewer to which it reacts, flourishing.
Our graphite patterns and designs on the deer’s skin make reference to mystical ancient myths, traditional painting as well as Western and Eastern pop culture relating to the the ten Korean symbols of longevity and to collective dreams and desires of a healthy, long life.
