“Good artists copy, great artists steal.” – Pablo Picasso
Throughout history, we’ve seen artists draw inspiration from their peers. Paul Gauguin’s “Spirit of the Dead Watching” and Cézanne’s “A Modern Olympia” are both believed to be inspired by Édouard Manet’s “Olympia,” which is said to be inspired by Titian’s “Venus of Urbino.” Da Vinci is at the center of many less subtle “remixes,” including Andy Warhol’s “The Last Supper,” Marcel Duchamp’s “L.H.O.O.Q,” and many others.
Remix culture is alive and well within today’s contemporary art scene, with artworks like Banksy’s “Show Me The Monet” highlighting the appreciation and interest collectors and the community have for remixed artworks — sometimes at the same level as the art that inspired it.
The crypto-art/NFT art space has seen its own remix movement, which has sparked a great deal of controversy, debate and passionate reaction within the community.
They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery, but where is the line drawn between inspiration, interpretation, imitation, appropriation and flat out infringement? How do you differentiate one from the other, especially as it pertains to art? How are profits determined in these situations? Where do copyright and intellectual property laws fit in?
On the other side of the argument — How do remixes or reinterpretations work to uplift and compliment the original artwork? How do they alter our perceptions and perspectives? What does a “consensual remix” look like?
Pioneering cryptoart duo Hackatao, who have been at the receiving end of many “remixes” themselves, are breaking open the concept of remix art and diving straight in, exploring many of the questions mentioned above through a collective community art project.
Alongside Piselli & Partners law firm and curator Eleonora Brizi (Breezy), Hackatao is calling on the cryptoart community at large to help explore the meaning and implications of what it means to “remix” a piece of art.
Check out the REMIX ME project guidelines to learn more.
About Hackatao
Hackatao is a renowned artist duo birthed in Milan in 2007, pioneering the crypto art space since 2018. They are known across the community for their iconic contemporary creation style, which incorporates street art, graphic design, tattoo art, and more.
Although Hackatao’s artworks span mediums and artistic genres, they almost always carry vital social commentary — often centered on psychology, humanity, the environment, and crypto — and include a number of symbols, nods to pop culture, and historical references.
Their distinctive style, a combination of incredibly detailed hand-drawn artwork and colorful, vibrantly painted 2D design, makes them stand out among the growing community of crypto artists. The continuous and harmonious flow of drawings, often reminiscent of graffiti, finds its “cage” and home in the very defined pop borders and figures, resulting in a uniform visual whole.
The name, Hackatao, combines the words “Hack” for diving beyond the surface to discover meanings and understandings and “Tao” referencing the Yin and Yang of their creative dynamic balance. As early crypto art pioneers, the duo are amongst the most celebrated cryptoart OGs and have consistently remained on the list for the top 10 highest-grossing crypto. artists of all time.
Hackatao Press
- 10 Top NFT Artists Making Coin in the Latest Crypto Trend
- The Nine Most Innovative Crypto Artists of 2020
- The NFT G’s
- Wonder Woman Crypto Artwork NFTs Lasso Up $1.85 Million
Hackatao Notable Sales
- “Imago, 2k2 a.C,” Sold for $932,285.00 (Ξ 358.435 ETH)
- “Flood,” Sold for $650,247.50 (Ξ 250 ETH)
- “THE archetype,” Sold for $504,000.00 (Ξ 193.772 ETH)
About Breezy Gallery
Breezy Gallery exists at the crossroads of art and technology, investigating the spirit of our time. They promote digital art and crypto art (NFTs) by curating and creating content.
Breezy was founded in 2018 by art curator Eleonora Brizi to create bridges between the worlds of technology and contemporary art. Curation is the process by which art finds its voice and value. Breezy ensures that each project has its own unique curation, every artist has their story told, and every artwork finds its chapter in our narrative universe.
About Piselli & Partners Law Firm
As part of their reflections on the most recent outcomes of the interaction between art, technology, and finance, Piselli & Partners specializes in innovation technology law (Blockchain, Smart Contracts, AI) to accompany clients (artists, gallerists, cultural institutions, collectors, foundations, museums, etc.) towards innovative and ethical fruition of art.
REMIX ME, PART 3 (Coming 2/24!)
12 unique one of a kind remixes, dropping on MakersPlace 2/24 at 3:30 PM PST. Preview the drop here.
Including the artwork and contributions of Max Mauro, BLΛCK7EVEN, Criptovanga, Lapin Mignon, Joshua Levin, DizArt, Winbush, Mirko Credito, Luca, Giuseppe Culcasi, OUT. (duo), Badassdog26 and Hackatao.
REMIX ME, PART 2 (SOLD OUT!)
13 unique one of a kind remixes. View the full artworks and learn more here.
Including the artwork and contributions of Niro Perrone, VaBie, Vittorio Gennari, Stocci, Justa Ratio, Apocalypse Pictures, Trevor Sleeman, Adriano Tenore, undeadlu, Federico Bebber, Erich Caparas and Erickson Tahil, A. L. Crego, Mariauve and Hackatao.
REMIX ME PART 1 (SOLD OUT!)
18 unique one of a kind remixes. View the full artworks and learn more here.
Including the artwork and contributions of insighbart, Reinhard Schmid, Rinascimento.io, Combugnera, gio_roman87, MaterManto, SYVY, Renzo Nucara, Sidetrac, Dominique, Czerednikow, Lord Olu-Adegbile III, Skye Nicolas, Vittorio Bonapace, Sarah The Colorist, AbracaDora, Ducking Whimsical, Edaxer, xibot and Hackatao.
The Dynamic Token
At the center of this project is the “dynamic token” – An evolving NFT which will change to reflect the most recent Hackatao/community remix. Each drop will include the community artworks that comprise each remix, as well as a 1/1 snapshot of the Remix result – immortalizing the remixed creation as the dynamic token continues to evolve.
The owner of the dynamic token will be listed as a collaborator on, and receive a 26% royalty of all subsequent snapshot sales while they own the dynamic token (excluding the first snapshot).
*The dynamic token has been SOLD to 888 for 88.8 ETH (~$262,346).
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