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3 Reasons to Experiment with Hybrid Art with Krista Kim

Since we published articles on the emerging trend of hybrid art and phygital NFTs, we have continued to watch how this form is disrupting the traditional art world.

This week on the Crypto Cafe with Randi Zuckerberg podcast, we caught up with Krista Kim, leading digital artist, to get her unique insights on the future of hybrid art and what artists can learn from it.

What is hybrid art?

Hybrid art is a dynamic creative genre that seamlessly merges traditional artistic mediums, techniques, or materials with digital technology. This results in innovative and multidimensional artworks that transcend the boundaries of both traditional and digital art forms.

Artists like Krista Kim and ThankYouX both believe that hybrid art will be a defining art movement in years to come.

Wondering if you should experiment with your own definition of hybrid art? Here are 3 compelling reasons why.

Reason #1: Hybrid art expands your creative practice.

The integration of traditional and digital art forms in hybrid art opens up a world of boundless creativity. By combining the tactile qualities of traditional media with the endless possibilities of digital tools, artists can push the boundaries of their imagination and expand their creative practice.

Here are a few examples for you to spark some ideas:

CuddlySalmon merges the physical and digital in new ways by using AI to reimagine functioning QR codes. The embedded QR code acts as a scannable key to immerse yourself in an interactive, virtual world.

ThankYouX on the other hand reimagines the use of blockchain technology as a medium rather than a tool for distribution for his collection, STATE OF THE ART. This collection consists of four large scale paintings broken up into 400 tiles each— creating 1600 total unique digital artworks that come paired with their physical counterpart.

By purchasing an NFT from the collection, participants will randomly receive a singular digital tile corresponding with a section of one of the four paintings, which can then be used to claim the identical physical artwork. Before the physical claim, collectors can opt to purchase additional, adjacent, and connecting tiles in order to merge, and claim a larger section of the canvas.

Reason #2: Hybrid art forges a deeper connection with your audience.

Hybrid art allows artists to connect with a broader and more engaged audience. Beyond the obvious scaleability of your work through digital art platforms and social media, interactive exhibitions have recently become some of the most popular ways that artists are gaining greater attention in the art world.

This past weekend, digital artist Sam Spratt had an incredible insight when viewing Beeple’s HUMAN ONE, which embraces both digital video and a three-dimensional sculptural form to present an explorer walking through endlessly transforming landscapes.

This artwork is also linked to a digital counterpart in the form of an NFT.

Much in the same way individuals experienced Refik Anadol’s Unsupervised at MOMA, audiences “were now seeing not just a moving piece of art, but a living one.” as Sam so beautifully stated.

Similarly, in CONTINUUM, Krista Kim encouraged audiences to create a space of wellness, well being, togetherness, and vulnerability by taking over 96 screens in Times Square. This immersive light and sound installation has since traveled to several other locations all around the world, including Miami and Milan.

Reason #3: Hybrid art helps you to embrace new avenues of monetization.

The future of hybrid art also presents exciting opportunities for artists to monetize their work in innovative ways. Beyond traditional sales, this allows for more dynamic ways for artists to not just diversify their income, but also the types of audiences that can engage with their work.

For instance, Theater Mitu, a company of permanent artists known for expanding the definition of theater through methodical experimentation with its form, chose to explore hybrid art with its most recent piece Utopian Hotline. By creating a telephone hotline for audiences to continually interact with the piece, this artwork was portrayed both as a live show and a vinyl record that could be sold after the performance.

This allowed for different types of engagement with the material beyond a traditional theater performance - there was even a video game to allow audiences to listen to the voice mails left by individuals from around the world.

At HUG, we recently held our first Open Call for submissions to our Print Shop to help artists diversify their income by selling their digital artwork both as NFTs on the blockchain and physical fine art prints.

Understandably, selling prints may be new for some digital artists which is why we have compiled some helpful FAQs and put together an infographic to help individuals navigate the complexities and fear on what it means to expand one’s work. Learn more here.

Closing thoughts

The future of hybrid art is a thrilling frontier, offering artists limitless creative potential, enhanced audience engagement, and innovative monetization opportunities.

By embracing this fusion of traditional and digital art, you are not just riding the wave of change; you're shaping it. So, don't wait—start experimenting with hybrid art today and don’t be afraid to see where it takes you.

In the News

Industry News

• A Rolling Stone magazine article recently proclaimed NFTs to be worthless, resulting in a variety of nuanced reactions and industry commentary.

• Web3 infrastructure provider MoonPay announced the acquisition of ethpass, allowing it to introduce digital assets into Apple and Google Wallets, thereby facilitating a range of real-world applications from event ticketing to loyalty programs and membership cards.

• AI-generated spiral art took the Internet by storm, as Reddit user Ugleh introduced a captivating image of a medieval spiral-shaped village using Stable Diffusion, resulting in reactions from various AI art enthusiasts and skeptics.

Tools and Resources

• YouTube announced several new AI-powered tools at its annual Made on YouTube event for creators, including AI-generated photo and video backgrounds, AI video topic suggestions, and music search.

• AI artist Claire Silver breaks down the viral AI-generated spiral art trend through one of her trademark tutorials shared over an X thread.

Notable Creators

• Photographers Stephen Wilkes and Reuben Wu took the new iPhone 15 Pro Max for a spin and demonstrated its capabilities and their stunning body of work to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

• Artist and designer Vinnie Hager is the latest artist to design a stamp for Starbucks’ Odyssey Program in time for National Coffee Day.

• The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is teaming up with 15 artists like Grant Yun, Sasha Stiles, and Linda Dounia to launch the MoMA Postcard project, which invites members of the public to collaborate in the creation of limited-edition postcards.

Artist Grants and Opportunities

HUG-exclusive

• 🇳🇱 Show your best work in Amsterdam! We are looking for 10 artists to showcase at MET AMS, a 3-day event showcasing the cutting-edge potential of AI, AR, VR, XR, 3D, and Web3 in Amsterdam. Learn more and submit here.

• 🏃‍♀️ Do you run like a mother…? Founder and CEO of HUG Randi Zuckerberg is running her first marathon at the NYC Marathon in November, and she is offering cash prizes and looking for someone to design a jersey she can run 26 miles in! Learn more and submit here.

• ☕️ Enter the Crypto Cafe with 3 incredible artists - POST WOOK, ALIENQUEEN, and Refik Anadol! Join Randi on her SiriusXM podcast where she interviews the leading thinkers in arts and technology. Learn more and submit your interest to join our conversations with the following artists:

  • Psychedelic artist ALIENQUEEN

  • Digital and AI artist Refik Anadol (who is taking over the Sphere in Las Vegas!)

• 💰 HUG is offering $500 USD grants to two artists each month in exchange for unminted artwork to raffle off to our community. Learn more and meet all our HUG Visionaries here.

Other Open Calls

• Money is out there if you know where to look! Check out this list of Open Calls curated by HUG Artist Rebecca Rose. Learn more here.

• NFT NYC is returning in 2024, and they are looking for artists to be a part of their Community Artist Showcase, which saw over 4,000 artists apply last year. Learn more and submit early here.

• Show your art in Montreal with Suburbs Gallery by submitting to their open call here.

• NFT UK is looking for 10 artists to showcase at an event in London in October. Learn more and submit here.

This Week’s Art Drops

Did you know that these are just 8 of 400+ art drops on HUG? Get a full list of this week’s art drops from HUG here.