How can blockchain help artists? Insights with Aleksandra Artamonovskaja

Great interview by Selva Ozelli Esq, CPA, who is an international digital asset legal  expert  and author of Sustainably Investing in Digital Assets Globally.  Her  writings are translated into 45 languages and republished in over 200 global publications.  She is recognized as an expert media/TV commentator on global  tax and technology matters. 

This interview is with Aleksandra Artamonovskaja https://www.aleksandra.art/amonovskaja, Head of Art at Trilitech of sustainable blockchain Tezos which is a R&D Hub in London.   Aleksandra is a leader in the intersection of art and technology, with extensive experience in Web3 art projects. She is a prominent speaker, writer and educator on the role of decentralized technologies in the creative sector. Aleksandra holds an MA in Art Business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art and co-founded Electric Artefacts in 2020, a curatorial advisory focused on digital art and blockchain projects. As the Ambassador and former Director of Partnerships at .ART, Aleksandra played a crucial role in launching the digital address for the arts in 2016, overseeing strategic partnerships to foster the embrace of technology in the art world, including collaborations with Rhizome and Ars Electronica, and spearheading the Digital Innovation in Art Award.

Tell us about the blockchain Tezos and why it is the favored blockchain for artists

Tezos has been favoured by artists since the launch of the first NFT platform in 2021, witnessing the influx of pioneering artists working with code, AI and other digital tools. Simultaneously artists from the global south found Tezos blockchain accessible thanks to its low minting fees and lack of gatekeeping across existing marketplaces. Thanks to Tezos Foundation supporting the arts direction – via educational programming for Museum professionals, platforms, residencies and artist programming, many artists were able to launch their careers and connect with like-minded peers to strengthen the community ties.

The Tezos Foundation has been spearheading wider adoption, including being the first to present blockchain-based art at Art Basel in both Miami and Hong Kong. Through partnerships with prestigious institutions such as the Musée d’Orsay, the Serpentine Gallery, or the ArtScience Museum, internationally acclaimed cultural institutions have begun to embrace Web3 art. Notable collaborations include the Van Gogh Digital Collectibles at d’Orsay, MoMA’s Postcard Project, and community programs like RGBMTL in Montreal or the Proof Of People festival in London. This institutional presence, combined with educational initiatives like the Vertical Crypto Residency and Academy by Blind Gallery, has made Tezos not just a marketplace but a cultural movement that prioritizes artists and genuine artistic innovation.

Even Marina Abramovik chose Tezos for her “The Hero 25FPS” project in 2022, minting 6,500 unique frames from her 2001 film on the energy-efficient blockchain, and more recently for her 2025 “Marina Abramovik Element” project. Other high-profile initiatives include “Paintboxed – Tezos World Tour,” a recent series of interactive events by ArtMeta that offered visitors the chance to experience the original Quantel Paintbox—the legendary digital art tool that created the MTV logo and David Hockney’s first digital paintings.

Why does Tezos Ecosystem support exhibits at Festivals, Conferences such as London Climate Action Week, Climate Week New York, United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30)?

Tezos Foundation and Trilitech Arts team focus on initiatives that can help spotlight the creators in the Tezos Ecosystem via dozens of in-real-life events throughout the year that often also coincide with Art World and Web3 events. Some examples include Ribela Festival in Spain curated by Sutan, NFC Lisbon pop-up gallery curated by Xcollabz, Second Guess exhibition during Berlin Gallery Weekend curated by Anika Meier, Museum of the Moving Image year-long artist exhibitions in New York curated by Regina Harsanyi to name a few.

How is the art NFT market performing this year?

The market for art on the blockchain is steadily expanding. Art curators and journalists are also moving past writing about the clickbait gamified trading NFTs that fetched speculative numbers, towards spotlighting the talented artists who have decades of experience working with digital tooling. The largest Tezos marketplace objkt.com has seen its record sales in the last year in June, including the sales of works from both bitforms gallery Zancan’s Tree_Line show and the Second Guess exhibition at Digital Art Mile during Art Basel in Switzerland with works from pioneering artists such as Tamiko Thiel and Mario Klingemann (the first AI artist to be sold at Sotheby’s). Among other works, Klingemann’s piece Triggernometry, an early Generative Music Video piece from 2020, sold for 43,000tez ($22,854).

I’ve noticed that some NFT galleries are opening physical spaces. Is this a new trend? And which cities currently have a strong presence of physical NFT galleries?

This has been an evolving phenomenon with Superchief and The NFT Gallery previously having locations but now others replacing them. It has definitely accelerated in the recent year, while others selectively launch pop-up shows. If anything, this trend points towards a strengthening market and demand for digital art.

Is there anything else you would like to add

For new artists looking to explore the blockchain, Tezos Foundation supports a monthly community initiative ACTZ – which features open calls, rewards and a dedicated team to help with onboarding. It can be followed on X at @artcommissiontz

How can people reach you?

People can follow Aleksandra Art on X at @aljaparis or LinkedIn Aleksandra Artamonovskaja.

More about Aleksandra Artamonovskaja

Aleksandra is the head of Arts at Trilitech, the entrepreneurship team supporting Tezos blockchain.

In 2020 Aleksandra co-founded Electric Artefacts, a curatorial advisory that focused on Digital art and Blockchain projects. Aleksandra is also the Ambassador and former Director of Partnerships at .ART, the digital address for the arts community. She was part of the core team that launched .ART in 2016 and oversaw its strategic partnerships. As part of .ART’s launch, Aleksandra produced a series of video interviews with key players in the arts industry that explore their online strategy initiatives.

In February 2022, Aleksandra, together with a team of Web3 founders, launched RELI3F, a humanitarian aid initiative that has since raised over $1.5 million for Ukrainian charities. The project united over 60 artists across the globe.

Aleksandra holds a Master’s degree in Art Business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art. Prior to joining the art world, Aleksandra worked at Brio Partners, a leadership development consultancy with clients such as Pfizer, University of North Carolina and Nielsen.

Both online and offline, Aleksandra continuously facilitates discussions and programmes to onboard and unite like-minded individuals in the Blockchain x art space.

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