When we experience a work of art, particularly that of a well-known artist from history, it seems like a fixed thing. There it is, standing in a museum, its context presented by learned curators. An artist’s life and work can be summarised, and the observer might wander through an exhibit as if they were on a journey to the past. That is how we are taught to think about art.
The act of homage—of creation, in conversation with the work of another artist—reminds us that art is a living thing. Even Pleistocene cave art and the megaliths of Stonehenge still inspire; it is only natural that some of the world’s most innovative digital artists have joined together to celebrate the work of Constantin Brancusi with their own original creations.
Organised by Art Bees in partnership with Accelerate Art and hosted by the Constantin Brancusi Center of the Craiova Museum, HOMAGE will feature works from forty-eight digital artists, taking inspiration from Brancusi’s work and life.
Thirty of these artists —all of whom entered their work by replying to an Accelerate Art open call thread on Twitter—were curated by A2 co-founder and AI art pioneer Claire Silver.
The ways these artists have chosen to interpret the assignment are dazzling in their variety; if you have some time, leaf through this magazine of entrants’ work created by Elizabeth Kilroy (@Callande). To see the pieces in their full glory, check out the hashtag #A2Homage on Twitter or visit Joyn—and, of course, you can see them in Craiova when the exhibit opens this June.
This group is the fourth set of artists curated by A2 for an exhibition. “We are very excited about A2’s Cohort 4. They are a wonderful group of talented artists that have shown to be very supportive and kind to one another,” says A2 Executive Director Spumma.
“It’s rare for an art center or museum to have such a diverse group of artists represented in one exhibit. This is one of the wonders of Web3. Artists have the opportunity to become global overnight and museums and art centers are instantly enriched by their talent,” she says.
From shifting forms in three-dimensional gold honouring Brancusi’s The Kiss to intriguing imagined landscapes, the selected artists innovate with form, motion, and even sound in their dialogues with the revered sculptor. Without further ado, we are honoured to present the artists chosen in the #A2Homage open call. We hope you enjoy exploring their work, and that many of you can join us in person for the Craiova exhibition, 1-5 June.
Multimedia artist 8bit_titty lives and works in the Rocky Mountain area, and obtained her BFA in sculpture, digital media, and experimental film from CU Boulder. She earned her MFA in film and studio art in San Francisco.
Currently she explores experimental film and photography through Artificial Intelligence, working with themes of identity and sexuality. Her NFTs have been curated into group shows by curators Anne Spalter, PLAYBOY magazine, Kenny Schachter, and Claire Silver.
Ada Crow’s images show the relationship between something casual and an internal concept that represents, in a rational and at the same time random way, an inner world that responds to the questions that as a human being she is capable of generating. From the local to the universal she tries to find what as a person she is able to understand.
Inspired by movements such as surrealism, Dadaism, Flemish painting and baroque, she works the image in a way in which the aesthetic is no less important than the concept itself with which she plays.
Her past exhibitions include NYC, Paris, Madrid, Liverpool, Barcelona and Rome.
▲Ⱡ▲ = Andrey Lev-Ari is Israeli with Russian, Ukrainian, Jewish, and Gipsy origins. Andrey explores mythology, consciousness, art, and science through the lens of AI as a visual artist and motion designer, and graduated from Bezalel Academy for Arts and Design, Jerusalem, Israel.
Apocalypse Art began in a blacksmith’s shed when the internet was young. From there, he went on to travel the world as a misfit consultant, working to establish cultural centers, end the drug war, prevent civil wars, and in general, make the world a better place. He made art the whole time, but very few people ever saw it.
That changed when he became a cryptoartist in 2021. These days, Apoc is a full time artist, making work for collectors all over the world. Using paint, code, AI, apps, & industrial machines, He uses a distinctive visual language and a vision of the human spirit in an uncertain age. For him, cryptoart transcends the confines of specific styles and blockchains; it embodies a revolutionary movement in search of a feasible path.
Christy is a Brazilian-Canadian artist based in Northern Ontario. She has been doing art since 1996, when she went to Art University in Brazil. She also did a post-graduation course in Art History, through which she had the opportunity to learn all wonders about her beloved craft. About a year ago she started creating art as NFTs—during this period she learned how to use Procreate and AI and she mixes both techniques along with her own style acquired over the years.
Her inspiration comes from within (feelings and emotions) as well as day to day simple events. In her art there are bits and pieces that she uses to express her struggles with mental health and it’s important to her to let people know that through art she re-signifies the pain, and that they can do the same, finding something they’re truly passionate about.
Suzana Phialas is an artist who blurs the lines between digital and physical worlds through her cross-media Art, and Digital Performance NFTs.
Her latest projects delve into hot-button issues of our times, including contemporary society, digital culture, emerging technologies, open source protocols, and the exciting new realms of Artificial Intelligence, NFTs and the metaverse.
Suzana is constantly pushing the boundaries of performance in the digital art space, and her work has been showcased internationally at physical and digital art exhibitions, dance and performance events, screendance events and virtual metaverse shows. Her projects have been supported by the Cyprus Ministry of Culture, and her art has been collected by the Cyprus State Gallery and by avid digital art collectors.
In her arsenal of skills and experiences, Suzana has a versatile educational background, with BA, BFA, and MFA degrees in dance and fine arts earned in the vibrant city of New York, and a course in Blockchain Technology and digital currencies from UNIC in Cyprus.
Daria Antypenko is an independent 3D artist from Ukraine. Her style can be described as organic abstraction, that has recently been drifting more towards a digital floristry direction.
She is known for her captivating abstract digital sculptures and her remarkable work with shape. Drawing inspiration from natural forms, Daria creates mesmerizing artworks that challenge conventional perceptions of reality.
Through her artistic journey, Daria has mastered the art of manipulating digital mediums to give life to her imagination. Her creations often blur the boundaries between the organic and the synthetic, inviting viewers into a world where shapes and textures coalesce in harmonious chaos. Her ability to seamlessly blend intricate details with fluid lines results in captivating compositions that evoke a sense of awe and wonder.
DocT is an AI collaborative artist and a dedicated pediatrician with years of experience working in the humanitarian and development sectors in various conflict zones. Throughout his professional life, he has constantly sought to delve into the depths of the human condition, fascinated by its intricate relationship with traditional belief systems, dogmas, and the emergence of new ideologies. From an early age, he discovered his creative voice through street art, writing, and, as time unfolded, photography.
He became acquainted with NFTs in mid-2021 before starting to work with AI in early 2022. DocT firmly believes that AI art represents an unparalleled democratization of access to more complex visual forms of expression, a revolution that stands as a testament to the boundless creativity of humanity. This novel realm of artistic exploration is not confined to a select few; rather, it beckons anyone who harbors a creative impulse and possesses a willingness to embark on a transformative voyage of discovery.
Ellii is a multidisciplinary artist who had to transition from traditional to digital art due to a joint disease. As an avid explorer, his creativity leads him to use a variety of tools and mediums, combining painting, drawing, photography and artificial intelligence. Using these tools to constantly expand the boundaries of his work, he produces intriguing and original art.
His work primarily revolves around the body, architecture, and abstraction. Despite a predilection for darker themes, he uses a rich and colorful palette, creating a striking contrast in his creations.
His art has crossed borders, with exhibitions in major cities such as Ghent, Miami, New York, Paris, Liverpool, Milan, and Tokyo. Ellii is recognized for the complexity of his creative process, the intensity of the themes he explores, and his meticulous attention to detail.
Georgina Hooper is an Australian artist living in Gubbi Gubbi Country working in a fusion of traditional art media and processes as well as traversing the cutting edge of technology with AI.
To Hooper, art is a form of philosophy and science in which she seeks to better understand the seen and unseen energies around and within us.
Georgina majored in painting in her Bachelor of Fine Art with Griffith University in 1999. She was the recipient of a research scholarship from the University of Queensland in which she studied traditional Chinese painting at the University of Tianjin, China (2010). Hooper has been an artist in residence at Toa-Bou studio in Nakaoyama (2013), Japan; Kouraku Gama, Arita Japan (2013); Sanboa Ceramic Institute (2013) and The Pottery Workshop in Jingdezhen, China (2013). Her work is in private collections across the world and also part of a 100 year ceiling installation in a Buddhist temple in Hasami, Japan (2014). Georgina was awarded First Class Honours in Art and Design from the University of Canberra (2017) and is now in her final year of her PhD in Art and Neuroscience with the University of Queensland.
Hooper has had a rich exhibition history and has artwork in private collections in Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and Asia. Her NFTs have been exhibited internationally for NFT LIVERPOOL (2021), MONOLITH x QUANTUM NFT (2022) NFT NYC (2023), OBSCURA NFT BALI (2023), BLOOM x MakersPlace NFC LISBON (2023).
Ibuki Kuramochi, a Japanese interdisciplinary artist, translates the ethereal beauty of Butoh dance and the human body's anatomy into mesmerizing two-dimensional and video works. Her artistic practice spans Butoh dance, performance, video, installation, and painting, delving into the profound connection between the body, thought resonance, metamorphosis, and feminist ideologies. Kuramochi's art captivates with its poetic choreography, inviting contemplation on the interplay of movement, self-expression, and the evolving boundaries of cyborg and post-human feminism.
Infiniteyay is an artist, creative director, and curator that is exploring AI and building new realities. As a lifelong traditional artist that found a career in design he was thrilled to discover AI tools and immediately set out to experiment with how they could be woven into his processes. Very soon he discovered a deep connection to the tools and became enthralled with their ability to translate his imagination into visuals.
In his first year in the NFT space he has exhibited in Tokyo, Miami for Art Basel, NFT Paris, NFT NYC, and NFT Korea. After several sold out collections he is continuing to push the boundaries of how AI tools can bring his wildest dreams into reality.
Jennifer Panepinto aka QuantumSpirit is a visual artist combining analog and digital processes, using a range of mediums from Polaroid to AI Art. Her artworks are inspired by her own journey with mental health, exploring both positive and dark concepts, frequently using rainbows. For the better part of the past two decades, Jennifer has been a professional graphic designer and illustrator. She has worked for Fortune 500 companies and has also been an entrepreneur. Jennifer received her MFA in Design from The School of Visual Arts in 2003 and a BFA in Photography from Pratt Institute in 1998.
Johanna has been a digital artist for over 20 years. During this time she has explored a variety of creative mediums, including 3D modelling, animation, photography, web and user interface design, graphic design and branding. Today she works primarily as a graphic artist, utilizing 3D rendering tools and other graphics software to produce digital assets for her team.
Over the past six months, she has been exploring her own creative vision through the use of AI, further enhanced by her digital painting experience and knack for embracing new tools and technology. As a lifelong creative, Johanna is passionate about appreciating and cultivating beautiful art. Her intention is to produce work that will delight, inspire and intrigue its audience. She is based out of British Columbia, Canada.
KEZIA is a multidisciplinary artist, photographer, and award-winning film director from New Zealand with over two decades of experience creating unique cinematic worlds. She travelled the world directing international commercials, filming for brands like HSBC, Mastercard, Cadbury Ponds etc., since 2004. Also directing short films, music videos, and with a penchant for filming dance her work has won numerous awards, accolades and been selected for festivals, exhibitions.
Now, with chronic illness, unable to be onset, she is exploring the world of AI, as KEZIAI. AI gives her a voice again offering relief, revelation and liberation. Passionate about concept, visual storytelling, and technology, KEZIAI is fascinated by the possibilities of AI in photography, art, filmmaking, animation, 3D, and interactive art. Forever inquisitive and learning, with a rich imagination and a wealth of experience, KEZIAI experiments from bed.
KEZIA’S art has been exhibited in galleries including Mecenate Fine Art Gallery during Rome Art Week ‘22 and Real Thoughts ‘23, as well as at The Black Box NFT art festival at the Lower Drawn Gallery during NFT NYC ‘23. She’s been featured in articles and spoken about her work and AI at “Future Slam” at The Auckland Museum.
KEZIAI holds a BFA in Intermedia (Time-Based Media) from Elam School of Fine Art, and has been documenting her daily life through a “Daily Photo” since 1997.
Noortje Stortelder lives and works in Rotterdam (NL).
Like the earlier Surrealists, her work rises from recurring dreams. She realized during her studies in advertising, communication and design that she was drawn to the elements of photography. This led her to the visual arts world where she in the end graduated (Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam) as a sculptor.
In line with technological developments and due to a lack of resources and studio space, she started experimenting with manipulation of images from home, using photography, film and other software.
Since 2021 her two loves are coming together. She works as a digital sculptor where the physical works merge with the digital world. For the past 15 years her art practice has been growing. She has collaborated with dancers and musicians so her work becomes a total experience to be exhibited at home and abroad.
#1 crush is an anonymous digital artist known for their raw, surreal works created using AI outputs, with little to no editing or postproduction.
They believe in the power of the "well tempered prompt" and their art is often left open to interpretation. Despite the lack of description, #1 crush's art is full of simple, iconic images that speak to the artist's own feelings of alienation and the search for belonging.
#1 crush's art is a unique blend of the otherworldly and the relatable, a poignant reminder of the struggles and challenges that we all face, and the importance of finding our own way and staying true to ourselves.
Nuclear Samurai, a Melbourne-based cryptoartist, combines his background in commercial photography and a Bachelor's degree in fine art to infuse his AI-based creations with semiotics and symbolism, drawing inspiration from the rich tapestry of art history and his deep understanding of visual language.
His artworks embody a fusion of surrealism and ambiguity, inviting viewers to embark on a journey of multiple interpretations. Through intricate compositions, Nuclear Samurai delves into meta commentaries on contemporary themes, weaving together layers of meaning that evoke thought-provoking engagement. Nuclear Samurai has exhibited works in Paris, NY, LA, Korea and Rome.
Olga Fedorova lives and works in Brussels, Belgium. She received her M.A. in painting from ENSAV, Brussels.
Her works and projects have been the subject of solo and group exhibitions in galleries and museums across Europe. Most recently, her work has been included in the group exhibition Future Love. Desire and Kinship in Hypernatureat Haus der Elektronischen Künste in Basel, Switzerland; Escaping the Digital Unease (curated by Domenico Quaranta) at Kunsthaus Langenthal, Switzerland.
In 2018, the artist presented a solo show, Short Term Memories, at Annka Kultys Gallery, London, UK (2018); She Lives in You, Charlot Gallery, Paris, France (2018), Generic Jungle at Annka Kultys Gallery, London, UK (2016); The Inevitability of a Strange World, at Liebaert Projects in Kortrijk, Belgium (2016), Road to Know Where, Tatjana Pieters, Ghent (2020), as well as a virtual solo exhibition at http://offspace.xyz. Fedorova’s video works have been also included in virtual exhibitions for The Wrong Biennale, DaDa Club Online, Felt Zine.
PapaBearded is primarily a bird photographer who has expanded to film and AI since getting involved in NFTs in February 2021. PB helps lead the @photezNFTs community of photographers on Tezos. His recent Objkt profile has been completely taken over by the May 2023 "#contractart" hashtag, of AI artwork generated solely from wallet addresses. Fun fact: Claire & Papa were each other's first collectors in the NFT space.
Pegasus is a 21-year-old artist who uses 3D and AI to create art that reflects the emotions and realities of the world.
Their work captures the sad and wrong things happening while also embracing love and happiness. By combining these techniques, they express their deepest feelings in each artwork, creating a personal treasure of self-expression.
Gordey Prostov is a 31 year old artist. With the help of Artificial Intelligence he creates worlds that do not exist, and the characters in them, which were created only in his imagination. He works in the style of post-photography and tries to make his work as realistic as possible. He is a photographer of images in his head.
Renowned for their striking figurative compositions and expressive style, Rocketgirl sees her art as the apex of past, present and future and seeks to draw out the mysteries of the inner world through her work.
Drawing inspiration from the rich history of figurative art, Rocketgirl channels the emotive power of the human form to delve into the depths of lived experience. Their paintings possess a raw energy, capturing the essence of their subjects with remarkable sensitivity. Each piece carries a profound emotional weight, inviting viewers to engage in a profound dialogue with the artwork.
Rocketgirl’s artistic practice involves blending the traditional with the heady possibilities offered by artificial intelligence and digital painting, they have harnessed the transformative potential of technology to create results in a captivating aesthetic that is both timeless and futuristic.
Rocketgirl holds two Bachelor degrees from Edinburgh University (1999 & 2005) plus a Masters in PR with Art & Culture as the main focus of research. She has worked in blockchain for 7 years.
Rocketgirl won second place in the Claire Silver Ai Art Contest and her work is part of some of the most prestigious collections worldwide. Her NFTs have been exhibited as part of ART BASEL MIAMI (2021 & 2023), NFTNYC (2021, 2022 & 2023), ARTCRUSH GHENT, PARIS & LONDON (2022 & 2023), CLAIRE SILVER X IMNOTART CHICAGO (2023), NEAL GALLERY BEIJING (2022), CREO GALLERY LA & MUNICH (2022 & 2023), VERTICAL CRYPTOART LONDON & NYC (2023), MECANATE GALLERY ROME (2022), and CRYPT GALLERY LA & NYC (2022 & 2023).
Rosque (Leonardo Cescon) is an artist from Italy, currently living near Venice and studying painting at the Accademia Delle Belle Arti. Joining the Accademia changed Leonardo’s perspective on his works, slowly abstracting more and more.
He eventually became interested with the interactions between digital and physical: studying Glitch Art and morphing brushstrokes into Pixel Sorted images. That brought Rosque into creating purely digital images by disrupting photos he takes (related to the meaning or composition of the piece).
Research on a topic is something necessary for his works, granting a deeper meaning, yet allowing the spectator to read the piece through his experience.
Shany Gin, a 53-year-old residing in Israel, is a mother of two.
She is a graduate of the Visual Communications Department of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, class of 1996. With over 27 years of experience as an art director in the advertising and branding field, she now stands as a co-founder of a branding and graphic design agency. Her passion lies in the captivating realm of art's communicative power.
While born and raised in Tel Aviv, an urban jungle bathed in Mediterranean sunshine, she holds a profound yearning for the ancient dark forests and the uninterrupted beauty of nature. Passionately drawn to the history of art and everything that carries a rich historical legacy.
For Shany, creativity serves as a raw expression of inner chaos, and she firmly believes that art possesses the remarkable ability to connect and unite us as human beings, reflecting the profound interconnections within our souls. Her fascination lies in exploring the ways our individual feelings merge to create unique emotional landscapes.
Over the last decade she has dedicated herself to the art of collage, and more recently, she started using her own AI-generated images in her digital collages.
Shany loves the magical process of assembling image fragments to create something greater than their individual parts and infusing them with a new and profound meaning.
Siri is a 53 year old man of French nationality, married and father of 4 children.
After having lived in Bulgaria, a country dear to his heart, he is now living in Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.
He can handle the trowel as well as the keyboard, and can work on asphalt, stone, concrete as well as creating and managing a Debian server.
A self taught artist, Siri loves the wilderness, and has a passion for mushrooms.
In his creations, he gets a lot of inspiration from nature, his environment and people. A lot of his work is based on videos that he makes with a GoPro.
He had the honour to be exhibited at the NFT Paris 2023 event, appearing on advertising panels in the stations "Gare du Nord" and "Gare de Lyon" and on large projections in "La Defense" and "Beaming”.
Stefan Matioc (1991) is an artist based in Madison, Wisconsin. He is the first person in his family born in the United States - the rest being immigrants from Timisoara, Romania. He grew up admiring Brancusi and how seemingly simple shapes and lines can deliver profound impact. His signature flowing line style has taken many forms ranging from murals and neon lights to drawings and paintings. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in 2d animation in 2014 and a master's degree in marriage and family therapy in 2023. He believes creating art can be a path towards healing and self discovery.
Tammy Lovin is an internationally acclaimed digital artist that specialises in creating art experiences using a variety of emerging tech tools such as AR, XR , programmable art or A.I.
Her work thrives on the blockchain or in the Metaverse, and it can range from whimsical colourful art compositions, digital fashion , VR performances or VR sculptures that can also be experimented as AR filters.
The themes of her eye-candy artworks often address complex human experiences and deep inner thoughts.
Her artworks have been displayed IRL in consecutive years at the Miami Bitcoin Conference, Beijing and Los Angeles Art and Tech events, and in Times Square NYC during NFT NYC, as well as in art galleries and private collections, being an iconic presence among connoisseurs or on social media where she continues her ascension while educating her audience on web3 related content.
UNKTUKNO is an emerging self-taught visual artist based in Porto, Portugal, who sculpts darkness with digital light. Originally from Brașov, Romania, UNKTUKNO discovered her enthusiasm for the arts at a young age and studied contemporary dance. With a deep interest in both art and technology, she specialised in conceiving, choreographing and producing interactive multimedia dance performances.
UNKTUKNO is also a performer and a teacher of contemporary dance— nurturing a profound connection with movement.
Around 2019, her artistic practice reached a turning point as she developed a fascination for digital art. She approaches digital media like the body in motion, exploring the possibilities that arise from the process of creation.
In the here and now, she describes herself as a digital weaver who experiments within the realm of abstraction, drawing inspiration from the powerful symbols and geometric shapes stitched on Romanian traditional textiles. Her creative process is grounded in deconstructing these patterns and using them as a means to uncover a new digital aesthetic while revealing a new vision.
vjFred is a 3d digital artist, Motion Designer, and VFX based in Bogotá, Colombia. He is the creator of many projects from video art to the metaverse and also is the owner of awards in video and electronic arts. As an NFT artist, vjFred is the creator of the "Munai" project. This project is about baroque and powerful compositions that show nature's strength and beauty in perfect harmony with 3D abstract design—an artistic expression that mixes traditional pre hispanic art with digital design. His art has been displayed in IRL galleries and exhibits in Chicago, in Times Square for NFT NYC 2022, and in the main Gallery of NFT NYC 2023, at the Dubai World Expo 2020, in Trento, Italy, in Latincon Buenos Aires 2022, and at Devcon 2022 among others.