The Generative Art Museum (TGAM): Hello ser! Thank you very much for joining us today. How are you?

thefunnyguys: gm! All good, and thanks for having me :)

Let’s make a proper introduction, who are thefunnyguys?

A 24-year old generative art collector from Belgium, who’s grateful to be a small part of this exciting movement.

When did you start paying attention to NFTs?

In late 2020, when I serendipitously discovered NBA TopShot. As I had some prior experience in the crypto space – I was an active participant in the ICO boom of 2017 – the concept of digital ownership clicked easily and I have been absorbed by NFTs ever since.

Do you have any previous background in art?

Not really, I studied business engineering with a specialization in data science and finance, but there’s definitely some art collecting in my genes. My grandfather used to collect a variety of different art forms, and my mother has always been passionate about art.

In what projects are you currently involved?

Exclusively generative art-related projects. fx(hash) has been one of my main focuses since November 2021, but I’m also a passionate fan of Art Blocks and innovations in the AI art space, such as Braindrops and Emprops.

What does a typical day look like for thefunnyguys?

I spend most of my time running Le Random nowadays. I set up this first-of-its-kind, digital generative art institution in 2022 with my close friend Zack Taylor. Together with Peter Bauman and Conrad House, respectively Le Random’s researcher/writer and analyst, we are aiming to build an institution that combines a world-class collection with a strong editorial branch, which we use to contextualize our collection and the generative art movement in broader art history.

Why were you specifically attracted to generative art?

It’s a section of the digital asset space that displays incredible synergies with blockchain technology, so that makes it stand out from more skeuomorphic NFT applications.

The historical significance of the movement is also quite unique. Finally, artists using generative computer systems are getting the recognition they deserve, after decades of being disregarded by the traditional art world. I also see generative art as commentary on the impact that algorithms have on our daily lives. The art movement shows that we do not have to be afraid of them, that they can be used to make our lives more interesting and beautiful, and not necessarily to steer our actions.

We’ve had the chance to meet in Valencia and we were surprised by your commitment to create the best generative art collection. What pushed you to pursue this goal?

My commitment to create world-class generative art collections, both for myself and Le Random, stems from a deep appreciation for the artists and the innovative work they produce. Generative art is a beautiful representation of the intersection between art, technology and human creativity, and I hope to play my part by preserving, contextualizing and showcasing the finest pieces of this art movement.

Some would say there is a lot of hype around generative art, but the truth is it has kept growing since day one at a very stable pace and we would even say in quite a healthy and organic way, you can still discover and collect great art at a very affordable price. What are your thoughts on this trend?

It depends how you look at this question. From a holistic perspective, generative art has been growing since the 1960s, but there has been and still is significant pushback from the traditional art world. So I would not say the pace was healthy. These pioneers deserved more attention earlier in their careers, and it’s sad that some of the most important figures passed away before NFTs were introduced.

You shared a thoughtful review of the Art Base & UBS report on the current Art Market Status, what would be the highlights and key points of that report?

An important insight is that e-commerce only plays a small part in the traditional art world and thus NFTs represent the first moment of art truly going digital. A disruption that cannot be underestimated and that will result in a vastly larger art world. But this thread was written in 2022, based on data collected in 2021. Most of these charts are now outdated, as the market has changed significantly. Maybe I should write a follow-up thread to point out these changes.

How do you see the relationship between the traditional art world and this new digital era?

I think it’s important to be respectful of the traditional art world, and it would be overconfident to state that we’re building something totally new, detached from our past. I hope we’ll arrive in a stable state in which it’s clear that the digital era is embedded in art history, and is a natural progression of humanity’s need to creatively express itself.

NFT’s are starting to focus more and more on physical events to engage with the community and build relationships. In fact we met irl in NFT Show Europe and this probably led to this interview happening. How do you see the future of physical events in the NFT ecosystem?

A truly immersive metaverse experience in which all our senses can be activated, closely mimicking a physical experience, is still at least a decade away in my opinion. In the meantime, we need physical events to share digital art experiences in a profound way with others. I think the digital art space is maturing when it comes to physical installations, and Beeple is probably leading the charge with his new Beeple Studios. I heard great stories from those that attended its grand opening.

Is there a specific style, or coding language you are drawn towards, how technical do you go when collecting a piece from a new artist, or is it simply the aesthetics of a piece?

Aesthetics play a significant role, as it determines whether I’m initially drawn to the pieces. But I’m also interested in the historical significance of the artist and the artwork, the concept behind the work, … I would say that I care least about the technical implementation. It doesn’t really matter to me what coding language an artist uses.

How do you structure your collection?

My personal collection is quite unstructured to be honest, it’s an account of three years of erratic collecting and, if anything, it’s a reflection of my personal journey in this space. For Le Random, we are more systematic and the main structure we rely on is a generational breakdown. We divided generative art history in three main generations, and are aiming for an equal representation along these lines.

Some people may think you’re a billionaire and can afford any piece of art, but we have seen you having to sell some art in order to buy more art. How do you deal with selling art?

I’m definitely not a billionaire. Almost my entire net worth is in generative art, and for me to continue collecting, I usually have to let go of some other artwork. At the moment, I’m not selling nor collecting a lot for my personal collection, as I want to limit conflicts of interest with Le Random.

When collecting, I usually try to get more than one piece from a certain artist or collection. This makes it easier to eventually let go of a piece, when the timing is right. When I need to sell, I usually look in what part of the market is the most liquid and I see if I can let go of a spare piece in this section.

It’s been really tough times for the crypto ecosystem, at this very moment one year ago Bitcoin was at ATH levels and since then we’ve seen it falling from 60k levels to the current 28k. How do you survive this?

Very simply - you check if anything fundamentally changed, whether you need to update your beliefs or not (price is not a reason to do so). If that’s not the case, your conviction has to stay as high as before and you keep moving forward. If you’re here to make a quick profit, there’s no reason to stay around during a bear market. If you want to be part of the digital art renaissance, a bear market is a unique opportunity to make a difference :)

We have seen you collecting mainly on Tezos and Ethereum, is there any chain you also collect from? Something that should be avoided?

This may sound like a cliché, but I always try to follow the artists. So far, the artists I’m interested in have only minted on Ethereum and Tezos, so that’s why I have only been collecting on Ethereum and Tezos. I see NFTs more as a social contract between artist and collector than a technical one, which makes it easier to take a chain-agnostic approach to collecting.

At TGAM we always seek to educate people about what generative art means and put a lot of effort into really understanding the nuances of each system. How would you explain generative art to a complete stranger to this genre?

I have been explaining generative art for a while to anyone showing even the slightest interest, with varying degrees of success. What usually works best is emphasizing that generative art is a systems-based approach to creating art. A traditional artist creates the thing, while a generative artist creates the thing that creates the thing, as Casey Reas likes to put it.

What piece will you never sell?

My CryptoPunk, as it has become my identity in the digital art world, and it also functions as some type of family emblem. I also hope I will never have to sell the Manolo 1/1s I managed to collect.

Are there any actions artists make that you don’t agree with or do you believe an artist should do as they please?

An artist should do as they please, and a collector should vote with their wallet.

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer these questions, but finally, what everyone is wondering… what’s the next fucking thing!?

Thanks for having me. Truly long-form AI art, where randomness plays an important role in the minting process, will be huge. It’s a better fit for figurative art than procedural generative art.

About the TGAM

The Generative Art Museum (TGAM) is a project dedicated to celebrate and promulgate art made by autonomous systems (non-human) that can independently create artwork.

TGAM is an evolving idea that will challenge our preconception of experiencing, collecting and sharing art. Our goal is to participate in this new era by supporting generative artists in every sense. We will schedule four exhibitions a year: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

Our goal is simple: to spread the word about generative art in all shapes and forms. We embrace any piece where humans interact with automated tools to create unique pieces.

Blockchain has created the perfect playground for a digital renaissance: affordable computers and easy-to-use scripting tools are the icing on the cake for a revolution in the generative art like the world has never seen before. And we are here to talk about it and share this exciting journey.

Join us. We are in this together.

Past Exhibitions

Issue #01: for the love of art featuring Marcelo Soria-Rodriguez, Ismahelio and Synesthesia

Issue #02: Computergrafik featuring Lisa Orth, Quentin Hocde and Aurora

Issue #03: Red Pill featuring Ryan Bell, Landlines Art and Thomas Lin Pedersen

Issue #04: Intersection featuring Andreas Rau, rudxane and riiis

Issue #05: World Wide Art featuring Zancan, Lars Wander and Zach Liebermann

Links

• The Generative Art Museum Website
• The Generative Art Museum Gallery
• Collect the Brochures
• Twitter: @tgamxyz
• Instagram: @tgamxyz