Between Reality and Simulation with Bård Ionson

Bård Ionson is a pioneering crypto artist whose work explores the space between technology, perception, and reality. With roots in early computer art and a self-described practice of tinkering, he creates using code and AI, often questioning what is real and how we come to trust it. An early participant in the crypto art movement, Bard has helped shape its experimental and collaborative culture since 2018. He is also actively involved in preserving digital artworks, working to restore pieces from platforms like Async Art so that foundational works of cryptoart remain accessible.  Recorded on April 29, 2026.Follow the guest:https://x.com/bardionsonhttps://bardionson.com/Follow the hosts:https://x.com/Scooter0xhttps://x.com/PepaDotTimestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:13) What cryptoart means to Bard (03:33) From early computer art to creative practice (04:53) Influence of Nam June Paik and Fluxus (07:12) AI, simulation, and questioning reality (11:06) Anti-establishment roots of cryptoart (13:42) Community, ownership, and public access (15:34) Utopia vs. apocalypse in crypto (16:48) Political themes and challenging power (18:19) Double Take mint pass with Hash Gallery(20:27) Balloons in the Sky at NFC Lisbon (25:45) Interactive art and audience participation (28:08) Collector ownership and new economic models(31:50) Significance of sky in artwork (34:17) Preserving digital art and Async restoration (39:31) Foundational works or cryptoart(42:06) Bard's cat steals the show(42:59) Closing remarks

Defiant Squid is a crypto-artist and animator whose practice fuses memory, abstraction, and the pixelated spirit of early video games. With a focus on nostalgia and geometry, his works transform digital landscapes into textured forms that feel both experimental and familiar. We talk about his journey from animation to crypto art, his explorations of light and fragmentation, and the ways he navigates between digital and physical mediums. Recorded on September 29, 2025Follow the guest:https://x.com/DefiantSquidFollow the hosts:https://x.com/Scooter0xhttps://x.com/PepaDotTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction(00:52) What cryptoart means to Defiant Squid(02:18) Early influences and first encounters with art(04:08) The origin of the name Defiant Squid(07:09) Discovering Async Art and programmable layers(09:45) Balancing animation and personal practice(10:44) Nostalgia and geometry(11:49) Memory, emotion, and digital texture(13:13) Embracing imperfection in the digital medium(15:54) Why digital and physical art both matter(17:31) RYB and the colors of memory(21:10) Super Effective and cryptoart through gaming(23:39) Restart in MS-Dos Mode and 1990s nostalgia(26:16) Voxel Cliffs and exploring 3D in 2D form(28:59) Making a coffee table cryptoart book(32:19) The Cult of Cryptoart and creative community(34:28) Foundational works of cryptoart(35:48) The current state of cryptoart

Panter Xhita is an Argentinian cryptoartist whose work explores the values of revolution, community and freedom. After discovering crypto art in 2020, she left her job to dedicate herself fully to art, building a practice that now reaches audiences around the world. Now living as a digital nomad, her works have honored foundational artists in web3, and she is pioneering a decentralized patronage model that reimagines how artists can collaborate with their collectors. Recorded on August 29, 2025Video with English Subtitles:https://youtu.be/L1hqw58vcRUFollow the guest:https://x.com/PanterXhitaFollow the hosts:https://x.com/Scooter0xhttps://x.com/PepaDotTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction(01:38) What crypto art means to Panter Xhita(03:10) From a small city to a global audience(04:23) Becoming an artist in Argentina(06:26) Life as a digital nomad and evolving practice(08:01) Personal influences: strong women, animals, and everyday experience(09:24) The color green: from childhood paintings to chroma green(11:12) Significance of eyes in artwork: ambiguity, language, and observation(12:52) Creating A History of Crypto Art to honor the crypoart community(14:20) Selecting artists to commemorate(16:35) Influence of Mexican muralism(18:09) Future of A History of Crypto Art(19:27) Launching The Twelve: reinventing patronage(22:24) Trust, connection, and collaboration with patrons(23:37) Hosting open studios and sharing works-in-progress(25:31) The patrons who support Panter Xhita(28:21) Patronage and creative freedom(30:08) Striving to consistently evolve in one's practice(31:46) The importance of in-person events and community gatherings(33:50) Foundational works of crypto art (34:38) Closing remarks

Jæn is a multidisciplinary crypto artist whose work blends surrealism, symbolism, and digital experimentation to explore the mythologies of the blockchain age. In this episode, Jean shares his journey from early creative explorations to the evolving world of crypto art, and reflects on how lucid dreams, metaphysics, and digital culture shape his creative practice. We talk about the Cult of Crypto Art,  the symbolism of burn addresses and blockchain rituals, and what it means to build culture through code, community, and storytelling.Recorded on July 23, 2025Follow the guest:https://x.com/jaendotartFollow the hosts:https://x.com/Scooter0xhttps://x.com/PepaDotTimestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:47) What cryptoart means to Jæn (02:35) From photography to painting and digital expression (03:40) Discovering NFTs as a native digital medium (05:16) Emotional depth in drawing and surrealism (06:23) Studying art through Japanese contemporary culture (08:39) Concept and form: balancing meaning and aesthetics (11:29) Lucid dreaming, synesthesia, and creative rituals (14:36) The Cult of Crypto Art: origin and community (16:26) Punk energy, metalheads, and liberating chaos (18:02) Mythmaking, backlash, and the cult as creative defiance (19:18) Underground growth and cultural impact of the cult (20:28) Blockchain mythology and foundational mythmaking (21:37) Burn addresses and digital treasure chests (22:46) The Last Hammer and the price of quitting art (25:44) Power dynamics between collectors and artists (26:48) The Big Dream project and sending art into space (29:46) Global dreams, psychic predictions, and the ISS (32:09) Foundational works of cryptoart: The First Supper (35:12) The future of interactive cryptoart 

Angie Taylor is a pioneering crypto artist whose work fuses punk expressionism with immersive digital media. In this episode, Angie opens up about her journey from sculpture and activism to virtual reality and blockchain art. She shares what punk taught her, why cryptoart is a home for misfits, and how we can reclaim the movement's original spirit of rebellion, community, and autonomy. Recorded on May 29, 2015Follow the guest:https://x.com/theAngieTaylorhttps://linktr.ee/angietaylorFollow the hosts:https://x.com/Scooter0xhttps://x.com/PepaDotTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction  (01:03) What cryptoart means to Angie  (01:43) Creating instructional videos for new artists  (03:09) Punk as a personal and artistic lifeline  (05:16) Parallels between punk and cryptoart  (06:47) Championing misfits and marginalized communities  (08:24) Speaking up about social issues  (09:22) Launching SheArt, the first women’s cryptoart exhibition  (11:21) Gender bias in the art world  (14:05) Why tech dominates the cryptoart narrative  (14:51) Experimenting across blockchains  (16:29) Thoughts on ordinals and meaningful inscriptions  (17:43) The future of VR, 3D, and immersive experiences  (20:00) Creative curiosity and a childhood influence  (21:17) Discovery, algorithms, and the cryptoart timeline  (23:19) Why art school was a letdown  (25:24) Productivity, grief, and regaining creative energy  (27:44) Influential cryptoart works and artists  (31:00) Cryptoart as movement vs. market  (32:24) Rebuilding a peer-to-peer ecosystem  (34:26) The role of patrons in a healthy art scene  (36:31) Final reflections and closing thoughts 

Giannis Sourdis is a founder, investor, and prominent collector of cryptoart with an interest in both digital and physical works. He cares deeply about the values of decentralization and financial independence offered by crypto, and he is passionate about the role that education plays in appreciating art. In 2020, Giannis founded MONA, the Museum of NFT ART, to curate and showcase digital art in a virtual setting.Recorded on May 8, 2025.Follow the guest:https://x.com/Greekdxhttps://x.com/MuseumOfNFTArtFollow the hosts:https://x.com/Scooter0xhttps://x.com/PepaDotTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction(00:47) What cryptoart means to Giannis(01:36) Panter Xhita's A History of Cryptoart(02:33) Personal conviction in collecting(04:32) MONA: an art gallery in the metaverse(06:54) Curating cryptoart for MONA(09:10) How to best experience digital art(10:49) Augmented reality and cryptoart(12:10) Cryptoart vs. digital art(13:09) The importance of education (16:21) Resources for learning about art(17:24) Collecting both physical & digital art(20:54) How collectors shape the cryptoart movement(24:09) Meaningful works of cryptoart(26:46) Future of the cryptoart movement(31:25) Outro

Josie Bellini is a pioneering artist, designer, and entrepreneur who has been creating cryptoart since 2017. Her artwork is widely recognized and tells the story of the crypto ecosystem. She is the founder of Cyber Brokers, an NFT project and digital art ecosystem, as well as Drifters, a collection of customizable avatars for the metaverse. Josie is also building Paradigm Found, an immersive, browser based game that combines art, storytelling, and strategy.Recorded on April 25, 2025.Follow the guest:https://x.com/josiebellinihttps://CyberBrokers_https://tpldriftersFollow the hosts:https://x.com/Scooter0xhttps://x.com/PepaDotTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction(01:18) What cryptoart means to Josie(02:07) Making physical bitcoin art in 2017(03:57) Selling art at crypto conferences(08:13) Sharing the stories of cryptoartists(10:26) Why women are central figures in Josie's work(12:33) Featuring Bitcoin and Ethereum white papers in artwork(13:48) Commemorating Hal Finney & Ross Ulbricht through art(18:35) Creating art for a humanitarian cause(23:34) Drifters: the next evolution of CyberBrokers(31:12) Bridging gaming and cryptoart with Paradigm Found(34:19) Essential works of cryptoart(36:09) Josie's thoughts on the future of the cryptoart movement(39:39) Outro

Lucho Poletti is a prominent cryptoartist whose work highlights the transformative power of bitcoin. He shares this message through both physical and digital mediums, creating propaganda and pop-art imagery, animations about bitcoin culture, and artwork laced with crypto iconography that challenges the traditional financial system. Recorded on February 27, 2025.Follow the guest:https://x.com/LuchoPolettiFollow the hosts:https://x.com/Scooter0xhttps://x.com/PepaDotTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction(00:43) The Meanings of Cryptoart(02:00) From Finance to Cryptoart(07:35) Making Bitcoin Propaganda(10:57) Commemorating Crypto Culture(13:11) Symbolism of the Mask In Lucho's Work(14:40) Influence of the Cypherpunk Movement(15:42) Bank Runners: a Digital Rebellion(19:31) Celebrating the Core Values of Crypto(21:04) A Digital Declaration of Monetary Independence(23:00) Critiquing Tribalism in the Crypto Community(25:22) Essential Creators of Cryptoart(29:57) Outro

Omz is a passionate supporter of cryptoart. He champions the cypherpunk ideals of privacy, self-sovereignty, and the freedom to transact, uplifting artists who embody these values. He advocates for freedom of expression, and challenges collectors to seek out art that exhibits courage rather than conformity.Recorded on February 13, 2025.Follow the guest:https://x.com/omz_nftFollow the hosts:https://x.com/Scooter0xhttps://x.com/PepaDotTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction(00:47) The Meanings of Cryptoart(04:23) What Makes a Cryptoartist?(06:10) From Physical to Digital Collecting(07:23) Bored Apes, Speculators & Influencers(12:19) Cryptoart as an Expression of Resistance(15:16) Bridging the Gap between Collectors and Artists(17:39) Buying a Ticket for the Journey of an Artist(20:39) Collecting versus Speculating(23:57) Deciding when to Collect an Artwork(25:36) Essential Works of Cryptoart(30:46) Reclaiming the Values of Cryptoart(32:31) Advice to Collectors(34:25) Outro

Eleonora Brizi is a digital art curator who specializes in blockchain art. She is the co-author of The Rarest Book, a collection of works from the Rare Pepe project, and she edited the book Cryptoart Begins published by Rizzoli. As the founder of digital curation brand Breezy Art she has curated numerous exhibitions of digital and cryptoart. She is also a co-founder of 100 Collectors, a global club of art and NFT collectors.Recorded on January 20, 2025.Follow the guest:https://x.com/eleonorabrizihttps://www.breezyart.ioFollow the hosts:https://x.com/Scooter0xhttps://x.com/PepaDotTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction(00:44) The Meanings of Cryptoart(04:26) Experience with Contemporary Art World(06:52) Critique of Art World System(09:38) What Defines Works of Cryptoart?(15:30) Rare Pepes and the Ethos of Cryptoart(24:22) Curating the Story of Cryptoart (29:15) Contextualizing Cryptoart with Hackatao(30:56) The Continuum of Art(33:50) Why Web3 Art Platforms Fail(40:00) 100 Collectors: a Decentralized Art Collecting Club(44:20) Outro