There are certain people who's feeds I encounter that forever alter my perceptions on the powerful implications of what's happening right now for artists in digital spaces. The right blend of a keen eye and a deeply philosophical approach to these technology layers is a winning combination. Today I'm happy to bring you this conversation with someone I admire- Bharat Krymo, AKA @krybharat on Twitter. Let's dive right in.

So- Bharat, it is so nice to be speaking with you today. I am a great admirer of all the artwork you’ve collected, as well as the thoughts and ideas you generously share with us all online.

Hey Dave, thanks a ton for chatting with me. It's great to be able to spend some time waxing poetic on a space that I'm super passionate about.

Excited to chat and hear more about your experience so far. To begin- I’m wondering what your first exposure to the concept of NFTs and cryptoart was. How did you discover this technology and was there a distinct moment where things “clicked” for you?

Oh wow, so I think my first on-chain purchases were back in 2018. However, I really got into NFTs and the digital art scene in Q4 2019. It started with the triumvirate of XCOPY, Hackatao and Coldie. I was lucky enough to pick up some amazing pieces under an ETH if you can believe it. Also, fortunate to be able to add some Miss Al, Yura Miron, Artplusbrad etc around the same period.

I got into crypto in late 2015 with my first BTC purchase and then into ETH. From there I went down the DeFi rabbit hole in 2018/2019 which coincided with my first taste of the promise of digital art and NFTs. It felt very natural diversifying into a nascent digital art scene TBH.

I was blown away by the idea of provenance and a frictionless buying experience. SuperRare made it super easy and so did KnownOrigin as well.

Below, You're wasting your life. Literally. by XCOPY

You say “the promise” of digital art and NFTs. I think that’s a beautiful way to phrase the current state of things right now- a ton of potential energy, far along already but with so far to go still. What is the “promise” or potential that you reference here?

My first forays into art were all on the traditional side, so lots of physical art with a painful process of discovery, dealing with broker fees, framing, space challenges et al. The promise of provenance, with no middleman fees direct to consumer all served digitally with a friction less experience just plain hit home. That's the promise I allude to. Mind you there are still several challenges for the tech to overcome including better aggregation, storage of assets, holistic discovery etc.

Below, His Name Is Victor by FEWOCiOUS

Above: Kiss on The Bridge, by Dangiuz

Well said, I feel that even the most bullish amongst us still understate the significance of this moment- we are entering an artistic renaissance on a scale that hasn’t happened in human history- fueled by the exponential nature of network technologies. It’s a beautiful thing.

Coming from those first forays into traditional art- do you often encounter resistance to these new ideas when explaining them to those who haven’t taken the time to understand the implications of these new technology layers? If so, how do you try to explain the forces at play here when it comes to making a case for art on blockchain?

I think it's natural actually. When the status quo gets disrupted there is always denial followed by angst and later acceptance. The future of art to me will be hybrid (0-10 years) headed to a purely digital future (10+ years out). What do I mean by that? Well, it's the notion of a digital art piece with a potential physical pair. Hybrid is the duality of formats. If you think about the zoomer generation many of them do not consider 'ownership culture' as the boomers would as an example. This will likely drive more rental with digital asset ownership. Ultra high end art will still likely continue to be in a physical form factor.

However, think about the fact that you as a collector could display your art to anyone in the world at anytime with zero gatekeeping vs. physical art that you would have to enter someone's private residence, a gallery or a museum to view. That inertia will drive down attendance and drive a hard shift to digital, you could argue that it's already happened with attendance/Covid.

When they understand the viewership is truly global, I think the light bulb kinda goes off. You will encounter the fringe negative nabobs who focus on the fact that it's a jpeg that you can right/click save therefore the value doesn't exist. Spend enough time explaining the power of tech and network effects and it's an aha moment.

So well said. Usually when I explain these things I tell people to check their screen time, and when they see how much time they spend socializing in digital spaces, they begin to understand the implications.

I’d love to hear more about your efforts with Musee d’art. What are your goals with this ambitious project?

First off I really and truly love what oncyber is doing. They're providing a platform for collectors to self curate and display art. Having over a thousand NFTs that just sit across wallets is super lame. The idea that there could be a catalyzing force to curate and share the amazing work from some of the best digital native artists just kinda blew my mind. It was VVD's gallery that was the spark for me to get the Musee d'art going. The biggest challenge was curating the list down to 50 or so pieces. So I quickly followed it up with another gallery of 50. Still have a 3rd in the works and expect another 10 or so to be complete by the end of the year.

Primary goal is to share the art and artists with the world. It's super low friction for people to be able to click on the link and peruse the individual pieces. It's actually quite liberating setting them up. It's like bottled up energy from all the collecting finally released in a format that can be appreciated.

Below, Cthulhu Awakens by @andreewallin

A wonderful phrasing and a beautiful aim. Look forward to all these collections. How has this scene rewritten your relationships? I imagine your support of such incredible artists has led you to some pretty amazing places and into some moments of discovery.

It's truly symbiotic. I often find that following these amazing artists and fellow collectors leads you to some amazing artistic discoveries. Twitter and the network effects of following other individuals with similar and also diverse tastes truly allow you to expand beyond your comfort zone. As an example, my early collection was mostly 1:1 art (non generative), but the more exposure I had to art blocks and many of the amazing procedurally generated pieces out there the bigger a fan I became. I had a similar experience with NFT photography as well. It's like you have to rewire your brain's programming at times, to see and think more broadly...it takes time, but having an open mind does help.

Below, AI Metropolis by raphaellacoste

I agree about this symbiosis unfolding… the more I learn about blockchain and networks, the more it seems to be a biological system, interconnected, decentralized consciousness emerging. And the art is perhaps the visual cortex of this emergent system.

Love that!

So many artists (and collectors) are flooding into the space. “We are early” is a common statement, and the best in my opinion is yet to come. What advice would you offer to artists that are waking up to the potential of this technology? And then, as an incredibly savvy collector of these works- what advice would you have for a newer collector who is eager to begin their own journey?

Great Q. Really pay attention to the history of the space as it's only been about 4 years or so. Learn from those that have been successful before you. What about their work appealed to the market, how long did it take them to make a sale, how much DNA/uniqueness is in each piece, how do they go about building their brand, how do they think about launching a new series, how do they handle scarcity and build demand through community engagement, how are they taking advantage of what a digital medium affords them.

Key are the 4 P's of success, passion, practice, patience and perseverance.

Any advice for the collector side?

New collectors. Some of the same principles apply, 1) I would study the history of the space, 2) have a strategy for how and what you'll invest in whether 1:1, generative, photography, collectibles. Have a plan and stick to it, try to avoid FOMO or copy trading as it could get you wrecked. Fade the herd at times and chart your own path. Most importantly have fun and be active in the community.

Below, The Crossover by xsullo and Σ 𝓕=0 by frenetikvoid

It seems that we may be living through the greatest transfer of wealth to the creative class in history. How do you think enabling artists with these resources will impact society and the world at large?

I find creatives to be very open minded. Ensuring we root out some of the ills of the real world as we embrace the metaverse is crucial. Open access, open minds, borderless societies operating with the principles and ideals of decentralization is a powerful force for good. Hopefully this transfer becomes a catalyst to end war and eliminate poverty in our lifetimes.

Awesome. So nice to connect and chat with you here today. Thank you so much for being so generous with your time and for sharing your thoughts with our community- I found this to be incredibly insightful and I'm sure the readers feel the same way. Wishing you all the success on your own journey here and looking forward to pushing the space forward together!

Thanks Dave, it was my pleasure!

To the reader, I hope you enjoyed this deep dive with Bharat Krymo. I highly recommend you follow on Twitter to keep up with new developments and ideas around cryptoart and NFTs.