essay
Anna Ridler – What's it worth?
Conceptual artist Anna Ridler has been using artificial intelligence and machine learning for over a decade. Her work with tulips explores value, speculation and desire.
Avant Essays
Avant Essays are short(ish) opinions on art, written by anyone with an opinion on art.
6 min read
essay
Iskra Velitchkova – Can machines make us more human?
We rely on computers in nearly every area of our lives, including creativity. Iskra Velitchkova explores the relationship between humans and technology. With generative artworks, she uncovers the ‘second self’ that emerges when we interact with machines.
essay
Hank Willis Thomas & Jesse Owens – Running into history
Conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas explores success, power and oppression, specifically, how these ideas play out in the legacy of African American Olympian, Jesse Owens.
essay
Linda Dounia – Amplifying the self
Linda Dounia is a Senegalese artist working with generative systems to create art that challenges the tech status quo. Her abstract artworks are based on extensive research into various ecologies.
essay
Emily Xie – Plastic code
Chinese-American artist Emily Xie’s coded creations replicate old world fabrics in new world media. Combining AI and generative methods, she asks what it means to be material in a digital world.
essay
Meet the artists shaping the future of tarot
The humble yet powerful tarot card has inspired artists for centuries. Today, tarot is more popular than ever, so we take a look at its long history and the creatives celebrating it now. Along the way, we speak to two of our favourite artists and tarot creators, Claire Yurika Davis and Marcella Kroll.
essay
How CryptoPunks NFTs changed the face of digital art
Created in 2017 by Matt Hall and John Watkinson, CryptoPunks were one of the first NFTs minted on the Ethereum blockchain. CryptoPunks quickly penetrated the mainstream, captivating not only crypto enthusiasts but also artists, celebrities and the general public. Today the 24x24 avatars are a divisive status symbol living up to their Punk name.
essay
The art movement that redefined Britain
What does it mean to be a British artist? The British Black Arts Movement introduced the world to a side of Britain that had been previously kept out of museums and galleries.
essay
X Marks the Spot – A history of collaboration in art and fashion
From Dali x Schiaparelli to Kusama x Louis Vuitton, fashion and art collaborations go way back. As Fashion Week begins, discover the history behind some of the most iconic cultural collaborations.
essay
Bridging the gap: how 50 years of hip-hop has changed the artworld
This is the story all about how hip-hop and art have propelled each other to global domination. From graffiti on the streets of the Bronx to record breaking auction results, hip-hop giants continue to make waves in the artworld.
essay
Barbie Pink
Barbie is everywhere, but what's pink got to do with it?
essay
Are graffiti tags the purest art form?
Tagging offers no reward beyond the rush of its creation, and the chance to be part of something bigger.
essay
Art in the Age of Femme Pleasure
As Janelle Monáe’s new album heralds the age of pleasure, femme visual artists are also imagining sexualities liberated from the male gaze.
essay
Is racism the price we pay for representation?
Tschabalala Self’s sculpture was vandalised by racists who painted her skin white – symbolically erasing exactly what it was intended to represent.
essay
Are NFTs queerer than we think?
When it comes to diversity, NFTs don’t have the best rep. But the good news is that countless underground and established queer artists are embracing this relatively young art history.
essay
I feel like Pablo
Kanye West named Pablo Picasso as one of his role models, but the two of them have more than art in common. What do we do about our problematic faves? Can you separate the art from the artist?
Insightful?
Subscribe to the Avant Arte newsletter for the art world in your inbox.