This new form of art has become quite popular in the NFT community because of the unique nature of the artworks created. Since the output is determined by the code, every piece is different, even when the same algorithm is used. This uniqueness appeals to collectors, especially in the NFT world, where authenticity and uniqueness are paramount.

Generative art is not only unique but also highly engaging, starting with the reveal process. Artists often allow collectors to interact with the piece, changing parameters, and viewing the output in real time. This interactivity adds a whole new dimension to the art, transforming passive viewers into active participants.

There are several NFT marketplaces dedicated to generative art that have garnered significant attention in the NFT space. The earliest platform is Art Blocks, which was established in late 2020 and hosts regular curated and non-curated drops of generative art pieces and is built on the Ethereum blockchain They also power generative art projects that can be launched outside of the Art Blocks platform.

fxhash is another generative art marketplace that was launched in November 2021 on the Tezos blockchain.

From the artist's perspective, generative art provides an exciting new medium to explore. Artists can create complex, dynamic pieces that would be impossible to produce manually. Plus, the use of code opens up a whole new world of possibilities in terms of design, color, and form.

Finally it is worth mentioning Le Random, a collection with some of the most significant generative artworks assembled by thefunnyguys, which has the ambition of contextualizing on-chain generative art within art history, highlighting the medium's importance and impact.

Fanny Lakoubay’s Expert Comment:

In the current bear market, generative art seems to be doing fine with auction records (see the Goose by Dmitry Cherniak sold at Sotheby’s GRAIL sale for over $6m) and projects selling out on Art Blocks (see Operator’s Human Readable for example). But there is a risk to this current hype: over supply, a market situation where the art supply is higher than the demand. Indeed, the hype around generative art has led many new artists to embrace the practice of generative art, facilitated by the support of various platforms. Besides, established generative artists are equally flooding the market with way too many series.

While this situation can be interesting to discover new generative artists at a lower cost, it can be dangerous if one does not pay attention to the quality and level of innovation of current series being released as many reproduce existing ideas (remember, PFPs were quite the same). It is 100% certain that not all generative art NFTs will pass the test of time or achieve values like the Goose.

1. Collect art that you like aesthetically, because of the concept or story it tells, or because you relate to the artist's story or intent.
2. Make sure that the code is proprietary, meaning that the artist is the one who created the code they used in their algorithm or that they disclose the creative coders they partnered with. This is important to avoid any future risk of litigations.
3. Ask yourself if the project is truly innovative. If you have seen the project done before or if it is too similar to an existing project, it may not be worth your time and investment. Trust your guts but DYOR (do your own research).

Female artists to follow

In a generative art world led by white male artists creating works for white male collectors, it is important to branch out of the core and oftentimes boring projects, and discover female generative artists whose concepts cover new areas (poetry, dance, textile, mathematics, birds, etc.) and whose visuals push the boundaries of geometric shapes and primary forms (often used) to something more organic, deeper colors and new textural explorations.

1. Operator: https://twitter.com/operator_______
2. Iskra Velitchkova: https://twitter.com/pointline_
3. Amy Goodchild: https://twitter.com/amygoodchild
4. Aleksandra Jovanić: https://twitter.com/alexis_o_O
5. Lisa Orth: https://twitter.com/lisaorthstudio
6. LIA: https://twitter.com/liasomething
7. Anna Lucia: https://twitter.com/annaluciacodes
8. Melissa Wiederrecht: https://twitter.com/mwiederrecht
9. IX Shells: https://twitter.com/ix_shells

Image credits:

1. Operator, 'Human Unreadable'. [Accessed 07/08/2021]
2. Iskra Velitchkova [Accessed 07/08/2021]
3. Amy Goodchild [Accessed 07/08/2021]
4. Aleksandra Jovanić [Accessed 07/08/2021]
5. Lisa Orth [Accessed 07/08/2021]
6. Anna Lucia [Accessed 07/08/2021]
7. Melissa Wiederrecht [Accessed 07/08/2021]
8. IX Shells [Accessed 07/08/2021]