
Verse Talks
Discussing the latest news in digital art. With Leyla Fakhr, Artie Handz,
Ivan Zhyzhkevych, and Jamie Gourlay.
Episodes
48 episodes
Eli Scheinman: building context, courting the traditional collector and working with Art Basel
This week we sat down with seasoned advisor Eli Scheinman to discuss his new role at Art Basel, what’s driving the market’s fresh momentum, how today’s collectors are maturing and how to frame emerging work for a more traditional crowd.0...
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Episode 48
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1:05:07

Nikita Diakur: The strangely beautiful world of Ugly, balancing parallel creative paths and his upcoming SOLOS exhibition
This week Leyla sits down with artist and filmmaker Nikita Diakur to explore his journey in the art and film worlds, spotlighting his acclaimed short film 'Ugly'. They dive into the film's themes and the creative process behind it, as well as h...
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Episode 47
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40:08

Natalie Stone and Shane Lavalette: The next chapter of CryptoPunks, collecting against the trend and curation as the new PFP
This week we sat down with former General Manager of CryptoPunks and founder of StoneWork Natalie Stone, and artist, gallerist and broker Shane Lavalette. We unpack Stone's journey into NFTs, Node’s Punks acquisition, and the enduring passion o...
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Episode 46
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1:10:19

Tyler Hobbs: navigating the traditional and digital worlds, prioritising the art, and dealing with the effect of a legacy
We sat down this week with long-form generative pioneer Tyler Hobbs to explore Day Gardens, his new body of work released with La Collection at Art Basel this week. They dive into the balance between personal life and artistic career, and the f...
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Episode 45
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1:18:20

Erik Swahn: inside Soma
Jamie and Leyla sit down with artist Erik Swahn in advance of his upcoming series Soma. They discuss his artistic evolution, the impact of attention on creativity, and the relationship between colour and music. The conversation delves ...
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Episode 44
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41:22

Sofia Garcia: the birth of ARTXCODE, building relationships and the future of art
Jamie and Leyla sit down with Sofia Garcia to explore her journey through digital art, from the early days of ARTXCODE and building lasting relationships, to navigating the 2021 hype and envisioning the future of art in the age of the internet....
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Episode 43
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1:39:57

Making markets, creating value and building for the long-term
Jay, Jamie, Ivan and Leyla sit down together and examine the markets growing optimism, gallery models, transparency and creating value and confidence for both artists and collectors. 01:00 - Jay's summer break
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Episode 42
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1:35:28

Ciphrd & Cosimo from fx(hash): open-form, $FXH, art coins and the importance of an open platform
Jamie, Ivan and Leyla sit down with Ciphrd and Cosimo from fxhash to explore their new Open-form protocol, the launch of the $FXH token and how the two platforms differ in their approaches.00:50 - Welcome Ciphrd and Cosimo&nbs...
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Episode 41
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2:07:05

Snowfro: democratising art, navigating success and the realities of gatekeeping
Welcoming Erick Calderon aka Snowfro, to discuss all things generative, Art Blocks, Generative Goods, the difficulty of wearing multiple hats, the weight of people's expectations and dealing with competition in the space. &nb...
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Episode 40
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1:55:56

Beeple: 69 problems but p*nises ain't one
Jay, Ivan, Leyla and Jamie sit down with Beeple to discuss the importance of authenticity, virality, the role of galleries in web3 and the responsibility of curatorial uplift in an attention economy. 00:50 - Welcome Beepl...
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Episode 39
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1:10:58

Phantom Scribbler: are aesthetics dead, the social stickiness of NFTs, memetic value and an impulsive approach to art
A conversation with legendary collector and timeline provocateur Phantom Scribbler. We dive into memes, the social impact of NFTs, the importance of concept & narrative in artworks and the death of aesthetics.01:30 - The s...
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Episode 38
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1:34:56

Adam Berninger: Heft, physical spaces for the digital community, institutional vs influencer gatekeeping and the culture casino
Jay, Ivan, Jamie and Leyla sit down with Adam Berninger of Tender and Heft Gallery to dive into Heft's opening, the realities of opening a physical space, artist-gallery relationships, the culture casino and institutional vs influencer gatekeep...
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Episode 37
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2:02:45

A conversation with Kenny Schachter, plus Sketchbook B, Zora's content coins and Rodeo's USD pivot
Kenny Schachter joins Leyla, Jay, Jamie & Ivan to discuss NFT-ism, technology, criticism and all things art before diving into Sketchbook B, content coins and Rodeo's pivot to USD.01:00 - Welcome Kenny Schachter03:2...
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2:01:50

Jack Butcher: this episode may or may not be notable
This week Jack Butcher joins Jamie, Leyla and Jay to discuss, the power of a network, Systems art, the internet's huge creative unlock, the value of independence and whether 'Artist' is a dead word.00:50 - Welcome Jack Butcher <...
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Episode 35
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1:39:33

Toxic positivity within the space, are panel discussions boring? Leyla's wallet boycott, Jack Kaido and SuperRare
01:20 - Recap on William Mapan's SOLOS exhibition in London05:00 - Mapan's holistic artistic approach 07:40 - Are discussion panels boring14:20 - Embracing browser discrepancies 22:00 - The artist's i...
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Episode 34
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1:25:19

The Deviates secret revealed (SPOILERS), Chat GPT's Ghibli moment and life with personalised slop machines
00:58 - The Deviates aftermath 02:15 - Unpacking the process 03:45 - The secret 06:40 - Driving variety and collaboration 10:50 - Battling platform censorship 13:50 - The reveal&...
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Episode 33
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58:24

Opening the sketchbook: A conversation with William Mapan
01:22 - A complex practice 05:30 - Reflecting on Sketchbook A 09:50 - Parenthood on creativity 12:15 - Slowing down and escaping a framework 16:00 - Building bridges and the importance o...
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Episode 32
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1:04:30

Blue chip art in a red chip world, Jeff Magid and traditional perspectives, converging towards consensus
01:30 - Jeff Magid 08:50 - Discovering another world 16:25 - Becoming a collector 19:15 - Risks and rewards 24:35 - Breaking convention 28:40 - The future of the art world and digital ...
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Episode 31
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2:02:17

Hot deals or falling knives, the pullback and its cultural impact, thinking about historical context
01:03 - Hunting for deals 02:47 - A market slump's effect on cultural enthusiasm 06:40 - Reassessing pricing and expanding the collector base 10:10 - Buying the top and catching falling knives 14:...
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Episode 30
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55:50

The Giraffe, pretension vs fun, building in the space and the team's 2 ETH picks
03:00 - The Giraffe, debate, drama and narrative 07:37 - Understanding and the value of participation 11:19 - Pretension vs fun16:15 - Freedom of expression and new value systems 22:43 - The Funny Guys...
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Episode 29
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1:26:33

A conversation with Alejandro Cartagena, competition and collaboration, curating AI Agents and the power of machine artists
01:40 - Embracing Web3's rollercoaster 03:20 - Navigating the intensity and finding a balance 07:57 - Living parallel lives 10:20 - Understanding new value systems and cultural shifts 14:14 ...
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Episode 28
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1:39:52

Unpacking Geometric Fluidity, concept vs aesthetics, SuperRare's Discord closure
01:45 - Unpacking Geometric Fluidity 04:28 - First steps and markers06:52 - Community, creation and curation 09:58 - Proof of participation 12:00 - Tensions and criticism 16:25 - Building c...
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Episode 27
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1:22:41

Botto post-performance, the Christie's letter, art vs slop
01:02 - Big sales and moving beyond the bubble 02:27 - Considered acquisitions 04:15 - Botto evolution and the afterlife of the work 07:09 - Thoughts on the performance and the final 22 13:41 - Co...
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Episode 26
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44:52
