
Finding its origins several centuries ago, generative art has taken on an unprecedented scale since the emergence of NFTs. Creatives from all walks of life are using blockchain technology to push the boundaries of this form of artistic expression that leaves a large part to chance. This new scene mixes smart contracts and algorithms to imagine scalable or personalized works of art called generative NFTs.
What is generative art?
To understand what are generative NFTs (non-fungible generative tokens)we must begin by digging into their origins. They are part of the generative art movement, a means of artistic expression most often using algorithms to randomly generate works according to rules defined beforehand by the artist.
One of the earliest known examples of this movement is a musical game appeared at the end of the 18th century. Attributed to Mozart, it consisted of throwing a dice to randomly assemble fragments of music already written. This allowed the nobility of the time to have fun giving birth to an infinity of unreleased pieces without even knowing how to compose.
It took until the appearance of the first computers and algorithms for generative art to gain momentum. One of the pioneers of this movement is the painter Harold Cohen. In the early 1970s, he began to develop a series of computer programs called AARON, designed to create artistic works independently.
Harold Cohen discussing his drawing algorithms in 1987, and whether they’re creative pic.twitter.com/8vguWsIBJ7
—Aaron Hertzmann (@AaronHertzmann) October 6, 2022
Since its inception, this means of artistic expression has continued to evolve with technological developments. But it is only very recently that generative art has experienced a real resurgence of interest. In effect, thanks to the new possibilities offered by the blockchain, we have seen the emergence in recent years of a new artistic scene specializing in generative NFTs.
To read to start on a good basis: NFT: our explanations to understand everything in a few minutes
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Generative NFT: when generative art meets blockchain
The year 2021 marked a turning point in the adoption of NFTs, with an estimated growth of 21,350% compared to 2020. However, artists did not wait for these new tools to find themselves in the spotlight to adopt them. Beyond wearables (clothing that can be used in the metaverse) or pfps (avatars serving as profile photos), some had the idea as early as 2019 of using blockchain technology, smart contracts in mind, to create a new form of generative art.
By their nature, smart contracts are perfect for introducing the notion of chance characterizing generative art. Indeed, these computer protocols are programmed to perform specific actions autonomously when certain pre-defined conditions are met. Once his rules have been defined, the artist is therefore no longer in control of the final rendering of his creation.
Just minted a couple ‘slashes’ by @MAKIO135. Just wow. First 100% on chain generative art on ethereum using solidity smart contracts to output SVG. pic.twitter.com/lXZRH4iU2B
— Zoop (@zooptz) January 31, 2022
We can take the example of a musician who will determine that each time one of his pieces is sold, it will be randomly transformed according to an algorithm. This can be played on the rhythm of the song, the different instruments or effects used, the alternation of different voices or lyrics, etc. Thus, the buyer will benefit from a surprise effect, because no one will be able to predict the exact form their NFT will take until their payment is made.
It is also possible to use oracles to create so-called dynamic NFTs, which react according to real-world events such as weather data. One could thus imagine that a work is transformed according to the pressure of the air, the temperature, etc. The possibilities are limitless.
Refik Anadol’s dynamic NFT changes its appearance depending on the weather, real-time data, and local events. Follow us & subscribe for more: https://t.co/gKoxfn8Cqd
Source: https://t.co/4wtIiU7qrv@JeroenBartelse @EnRonconi @GlenGilmore @Fabriziobustama @sebbourguignon pic.twitter.com/2K4znVtxea
—Outform (@OutformInt) May 20, 2022
Generative NFTs have only just emerged, but they are already experiencing impressive developments. The most notable is undoubtedly to be found on the side projects directly integrating artificial intelligence models into the smart contract of tokenized assets. This innovation allows generate NFTs capable of creating new content without any human interventionand even to evolve thanks to the learning capabilities of AI.
Released in 2019, the Autoglyphs collection is considered the first major project in generative NFT. Developed by Larva Labs, to whom we also owe the essential CryptoPunks, it is made up of 512 coins generated autonomously. And obviously, their historical importance has not escaped collectors. There are only 3 Autoglyphs on the secondary market, with a minimum price of 249 ETH, which represents approximately 390,000 dollars at the beginning of March 2023.
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Major collections and artists of generative NFTs
To familiarize yourself with this new form of artistic expression, we have selected for you 5 generative NFT collections that have particularly caught your attention.
Autoglyphs
As mentioned above, the Autoglyphs collection is a pioneer in generative NFTs. This artistic experience conducted by Larva Labs in 2019 also stands out for its charitable dimension. Indeed, anyone could generate an NFT when the collection was released, as long as they donated the creation fee of 0.2 ETH to the charity 350.org. Considering the price of Autoglyphs today, these generous donors have been amply rewarded for their good deed.
Autoglyph #352 bought for 104.69 ETH ($167,344) by 0xba19ba from 0xc9ff79. https://t.co/ef33mMfWDE pic.twitter.com/8pOOxKAamw
— Autoglyphs Bot (@autoglyphs) January 28, 2023
Ringers
Created by Canadian artist Dmitri Cherniak, the Ringers collection uses an algorithm to randomly generate works based on an ultra-simple concept: winding a string around a set of pegs. Each coin is derived from a unique transaction hash and generated via JavaScript, based on criteria established in advance, such as the number of pegs, their size…
Ringers #496 by Dmitry Cherniak sold for 70.00 ETH ($115,760.47)
Platform: OpenSea
Buyer: 0x106…2ea
Seller: watsoncollectionhttps://t.co/YiVRt4iQrl pic.twitter.com/Hop3Q3C2Y7— Artblocks Sales (@artblocks_sales) March 1, 2023
fidenza
With its instantly recognizable graphic style, the Fidenza collection is also one of the most popular in terms of generative NFT. It was imagined by Tyler Hobbs, a visual artist from Austin, able to develop and program his own algorithms to create generative art.
His latest project, called QQL, is in the same vein, but leaves more room for the collector’s choice. Conducted in collaboration with Dandelion Wist, the co-founder of the generative art platform Archipelago, it allows anyone to generate a unique work according to criteria to be selected by themselves. You can try it onlinebut only mint pass holders will be able to turn their creations into NFTs.
Tyler Hobbs, Fidenza #44https://t.co/XHZ9JT1uiR pic.twitter.com/FDUDUqEkZa
—Fidenza (Bot) (@ab_fidenza_bot) March 3, 2023
Chromie Squiggles
Chromie Squiggles are randomly generated colorful squiggles in 9 different styles. We owe them to the artist Erick Calderon, aka Snowfrowho created them to serve as inaugural project for the Art Blocks platformdedicated to generative NFTs, of which he is CEO.
1/ 3⃣0⃣0⃣ Chromie Squiggles
With @ArtOnBlockChain minting 10 Squiggles to the DAO treasury today, we are now proud members of the 300 Squiggle Club! pic.twitter.com/tDqRom1u10—SquiggleDAO (@squiggleDAO) October 28, 2022
Lost Poets
In terms of generative NFT, the enigmatic Murat Pak is one of the most popular artists of the moment. He is best known for his “The Fungible” collection, which enabled the Sotheby’s auction house to raise nearly $17 million in just two days. But his most advanced generative NFT project is surely Lost Poets. Each NFT is made by an artificial intelligence developed specifically for the occasion.
Claimed my Lost Poets while being the voice of Pak on Spaces… I’ll never forget today, felt unreal! They are the most genius group in this entire space in my opinion, light years ahead!
pic.twitter.com/T3HfVuSkIY
—Farokh (@farokh) September 25, 2021
Also read: How to assess the potential of a collection of NFTs?
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The best platforms dedicated to generative NFT
The vast majority of NFT projects in the generative art movement are represented on the most popular platformssuch as OpenSea, Rarible, Nifty Gateway or SuperRare.
However, some marketplaces specializing in generative NFTs have emerged in recent years. We have compiled the most interesting for you:
- Art Blocks : created in 2020 by Erick Calderon, to whom we owe the Chromie Squiggles, Art Blocks is the most popular platform dedicated to generative NFTs;
- Async Art : also launched in 2020, the Async Art platform offers many tools to make generative art more accessible for artists and collectors alike. She devotes herself to the visual arts, but also to generative music, as you can see on its marketplace ;
- Gen.Art : this generative art platform created in 2021 has the particularity of being managed by a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). Anyone can join this initiative by buying a membership card (from 0.0649 ETH, or approximately $102 at the beginning of March 2023), and thus participate in the decisions of the platform. Members also benefit from at least one NFT drop per month;
- fxhash : also born in 2021, Fxhash is the reference platform for generative NFT collectors who prefer the Tezos blockchain to Ethereum and its sky-high gas costs.
A little reminder: How to buy an NFT? Complete 2023 Guide
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Some tools to create your own generative NFTs
If most of the projects of Generative NFTs require a certain level of proficiency in computer programmingmost often with own algorithms specifically developed, more and more tools allow the general public to create their own collections.
We have selected a few for you:
Async Art
As mentioned above, Async Art allows artists to create collections of generative NFTs intuitively, without having to write a single line of code. No wonder the platform has managed to attract some of the biggest names in this emerging scene, such as Alotta Money, Coldie, XCOPY, Micah Johnson and Josie Bellini. Among its main competitors are platforms like NFT Art Generator Or CodelessNFT.
Image generators using AI
Thanks to artificial intelligence, anyone can create works of art from a few lines of text before turning them into NFTs. The most popular are Slab And Midjourney.
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