Hic Et Nunc Art - A Look At Digital Creation
There's a fascinating shift happening in the art world, where digital creations are finding their own unique spaces. It's a bit like watching a new kind of garden grow, with different plants and flowers popping up where you might not expect them. This change is bringing about new ways for artists to share what they make and for people to gather and appreciate it.
One particular movement, often called "hic et nunc art," has played a pretty big part in this evolving scene. It points to something immediate and present, a kind of art that feels very much alive in the moment it's created or seen. This way of making and collecting things has certainly opened up lots of interesting conversations about what art can be, and how it can connect us, you know?
It's all about how technology and creative expression come together, forming a new kind of place for artists and those who enjoy their work. This idea of "here and now" art really captures the spirit of quick connections and fresh ideas that seem to flourish in these digital environments, too it's almost a reflection of how we live our lives these days.
Table of Contents
- The Start of Hic et Nunc Art
- Why Did This Happen, Actually?
- A Community Comes Together for Hic et Nunc Art
- How Did the Community Thrive with Hic et Nunc Art?
- Important Happenings for Hic et Nunc Art
- What Happened with the Whitworth and Hic et Nunc Art?
- Keeping Your Hic et Nunc Art Safe
- Are There Ways to Avoid Fakes in Hic et Nunc Art?
- The Thinking Behind Hic et Nunc Art
- The Art of Making - A Personal Touch
The Start of Hic et Nunc Art
The whole idea of hic et nunc art really began with a simple, human connection. It was born out of a shared curiosity between two people, mīlěs and nemo, who were interested in each other's creative efforts. They met, and that meeting sparked a desire to create a setting where their budding friendship and artistic connections could just happen, without a lot of fuss or planning. It was about letting something genuine show up in its own good time, in a very natural way, which is kind of beautiful, you know?
This desire to let things unfold freely led to the birth of hic et nunc. It wasn't some grand business plan or a corporate venture; it was a way to make space for tentative human and artistic bonds to form. They wanted a place where creativity could just manifest itself, in moments and manners that felt truly spontaneous. That, in some respects, is the very heart of this art movement.
Why Did This Happen, Actually?
Part of the reason this particular art movement took root was a strong belief in what certain new technologies could do. Mīlěs, for one, showed a keen interest in the potential of blockchain, especially its ability to be uncensorable and open for anyone to see. This means that once something is put on it, it's very hard for anyone to take it down or change it, and everyone can look at its history. This idea of something being truly free from control and completely transparent was a very appealing thought for art, isn't that something?
Beyond just art, there was also an interest in how these qualities of blockchain could be used in bigger ways, like trying out new ways to run groups or communities. Imagine if the rules for how a community worked were clear for everyone to see and couldn't be secretly changed. That was a big part of the thinking behind it all, so it's not just about pictures, but about how people can organize themselves, too.
Mīlěs, with his background as someone who studies how people interact in society, saw these possibilities clearly. He's worn many hats, actually, being an artist, someone who collects art, a person who puts together shows, and even someone who builds the tools for these things. He even wrote a short history of hic et nunc and Teia, called "hen timeline," which gives you a pretty good idea of his deep involvement, you know.
A Community Comes Together for Hic et Nunc Art
The community that gathered around Tezos, a particular kind of digital platform, grew in a completely natural way, really. It all started when hic et nunc, the very first place to buy and sell digital art on Tezos, showed up in March of 2021. It was like a seed planted, and it just started to grow on its own, without a lot of pushing from above, you could say.
Through places like Twitter and other online spots where people chat, artists who made things and people who liked to collect them found each other. They grew and did well all over the world, which is pretty amazing when you think about it. It wasn't a planned global expansion; it was just people connecting over shared interests, that's what happened.
When hic et nunc eventually closed, the community didn't just disappear. Instead, a new platform called Teia.art came into being. It's like a new branch growing from the old tree, and it's kept going by the very people who use it – artists, collectors, and those who like to tinker with technology. This shows how strong the connections were that had formed, too, it's almost like a family.
How Did the Community Thrive with Hic et Nunc Art?
Interestingly, the platform's look and feel, its user interface, wasn't exactly polished or super easy to use at first. It was far from what you might call "slick." But in a way, this actually helped the community grow even stronger. Because it wasn't perfect, people had to work together, figure things out, and help each other. This need for cooperation made everyone feel more involved and connected, you know, which is kind of a surprising outcome.
This shared experience of figuring things out together really built a sense of togetherness. It showed that sometimes, a few rough edges can actually bring people closer, rather than pushing them away. The focus was on the art and the connections, not just on how pretty the website looked, which is pretty cool, actually.
Important Happenings for Hic et Nunc Art
There was a notable event that showed just how quickly things could change in this new digital art space. A place called the Whitworth, which had some digital art pieces, decided to remove its 44 digital art items from hic et nunc on November 12th. This was a very quick move, and just two minutes later, they put those same pieces up for sale on another platform called objkt.com. This swift change was tracked by a special tool made just for this project, showing how closely these movements were watched, too, it's almost like a public record.
This event, and others like it, highlighted the fluid nature of digital art platforms. It showed that artists and institutions might move their work around based on different factors, and that the landscape of where art lives online could shift quite rapidly. The story of Tezos art continued to unfold after hic et nunc, with new places and ways for art to be shared, naturally.
What Happened with the Whitworth and Hic et Nunc Art?
The Whitworth's decision to move their digital art was a moment that many people in the community noticed. It brought up questions about how art is managed and transferred in these new digital formats. It also showed how quickly other platforms could become important players in the art scene. This kind of event makes you think about how digital ownership works, and what it means for art to exist in these spaces, you know?
It's a pretty good example of how dynamic this area is. Things are always moving, always changing, and what might be the main place for art one day could see pieces moving to another spot the next. This constant movement is just part of what makes this field so interesting, and a little bit unpredictable, in some respects.
Keeping Your Hic et Nunc Art Safe
When you're looking at digital art, especially something like hic et nunc art, it's a good idea to be careful about what you're buying. There are some people who might try to pretend to be existing artists, making fake versions of their work. So, it's really important to check things out carefully before you make a purchase. This is just a good habit to get into, basically.
One of the best ways to avoid getting something that isn't real is to look at the description of the artwork. See if it mentions the artist's name or a link to their social media page. Then, you can go to that social media page and see if they have shared a link to their official hic et nunc page. If they haven't, or if something feels off, it's a good sign to be extra cautious, you know?
These digital art pieces live on the Tezos blockchain, which means they are decentralized. This means they don't sit on one company's server; they are spread out across many computers, making them quite secure in a way. But even with that security, you still need to be smart about who you're buying from, naturally.
Are There Ways to Avoid Fakes in Hic et Nunc Art?
- Look closely at the description of the artwork for the artist's name.
- Find the artist's social media profiles.
- Check if the artist has shared their official hic et nunc page on their social media.
- If something feels wrong, it probably is.
The Thinking Behind Hic et Nunc Art
To really get a sense of the ideas that shaped hic et nunc art, there's another important conversation where mīlěs talks more deeply about his thoughts. This was for a conference in Brazil called Homeostasis Lab. In that discussion, his background as someone who studies society and human behavior becomes much clearer. They went into more academic concepts, like Walter Benjamin's idea of how art changes when it can be easily copied, and what that means for the original piece. There's an interesting connection between the name hic et nunc, which means "here and now," and Benjamin's writings on these very topics, too, it's almost like a direct reference.
Benjamin's work explored how making many copies of art changes its special "aura" or unique presence. The idea of "hic et nunc" for a digital art platform, where copies are inherently part of the system, seems to play directly into these older philosophical questions. It brings a very old idea into a very new setting, showing that some questions about art are timeless, regardless of the medium, that's what happened.
This kind of deep thinking shows that hic et nunc wasn't just about putting art on a computer; it was about exploring big ideas about art, ownership, and community in a digital age. It had a thoughtful foundation, not just a technical one, which is pretty cool, actually.
The Art of Making - A Personal Touch
When we talk about art, it's good to remember the people who make it. Take Sharlotte Novoa Guandique and Lydia Fortin, for example. They are both ceramists, with Lydia also working with wood. They describe themselves as two artists who are truly passionate about what they do. This passion is something you can really feel in their approach to their work, you know.
They see their work as a collection of art pieces, where every single one deserves the same careful attention and the same deep passion. This isn't just about making things; it's about pouring themselves into each creation, ensuring that every piece gets the love and care it needs to be its best. That, in some respects, is the true mark of a dedicated artist.
Their approach connects back to the idea of "hic et nunc" in a very real way. It's about the immediate, physical act of creation, the "here and now" of their hands shaping materials. And when you think about materials like bronze and copper, which develop a natural coating or "patina" over time, it links to the idea of age and presence, too. This natural change that forms on objects with time is part of their story, just like the story of digital art evolves, naturally.
This piece has looked at the beginnings of hic et nunc art, a movement that grew from a desire for genuine human and artistic connections. We explored how the transparency and uncensorable nature of blockchain technology played a part in its formation, and how the community around it grew organically, even with a less-than-perfect user interface. We also touched upon significant events, like the Whitworth's movement of art, and discussed ways to ensure the authenticity of digital art pieces. Finally, we considered the deeper philosophical ideas, including Walter Benjamin's work, that informed the very concept of hic et nunc, and heard from artists who embody the passion for creation in the "here and now."
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