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In this episode of Unlocked, we speak with Chris Maestas (0009), a Los Angeles–based artist whose practice bridges  AI, digital systems, and visual culture. He reflects on his early days in street culture, his entry into crypto and NFTs, and how these worlds naturally converged in his work. We discuss authorship, anonymity, and the evolution from illustrative to photorealistic outputs, as well as his ongoing exploration of “urban fabric” as a visual language rooted in memory and identity. Chris also shares his thoughts on community in Web3, the importance of participation, and why the future of digital art still needs its own direction.

In this episode of Unlocked, we speak with Rob McCarty about augmented reality as a new layer of artistic expression. We explore how digital works anchored in place challenge traditional ideas of display, ownership, and permanence, and what this shift means for collectors today. www.100collectors.art

In this episode of Unlocked, we speak with Elena Carbajal from Onkaos (Solo Contemporary) in Madrid, a platform working at the intersection of digital art, AI, and research. With a background in philosophy and media theory, she shares how she entered the digital art ecosystem and what it means to support artists working with code and generative systems. We discuss why digital art cannot simply replicate traditional gallery models, the challenge of exhibiting code-based works in physical spaces, and the urgency of building new protocols for production, collecting, and conservation. Elena also introduces the Solo AI Award and Onkaos’ role in connecting art, research, and digital culture.

In this episode of Unlocked, we speak with Noriaki Nakata about the development of digital art across Japan and Asia, and the ways context, public space, and infrastructure shape how artworks are experienced. Drawing on his trajectory from early exhibitions to large-scale public digital installations, Noriaki reflects on why public space matters for digital art, how Asian artistic ecosystems differ from one another, and what it means to build long-term cultural visibility beyond traditional gallery formats. We also discuss digital citizenship projects using NFTs to support local communities, the role of collectors as stewards and ambassadors of artworks, and how collecting frameworks can help shift attention from short-term market dynamics toward intention, context, and continuity.

In this episode of Unlocked, we speak with Mexican photographer and artist Alejandro Cartagena about the evolution of photography, from analog to digital and now into the age of artificial intelligence. Drawing on over two decades of practice, he reflects on the city as a force shaping identity, the role of archives and reproduction, and why AI marks a critical moment of transformation rather than the death of the medium. We also discuss Fellowship, the platform he co-founded to rethink photography, digital art, and collecting.

In this episode of Unlocked, we sit down with the two founders of Gondi, a platform helping collectors access liquidity against digital art — and helping more people participate in the market, beyond the very top end. We talk about the tension between art and finance, why loans aren’t new in the art world (but access has been limited), and how “on-chain” systems can make the process faster and more transparent. A practical conversation for collectors: how it works, what happens if you can’t repay, and what this shift means for the future of collecting.

In this episode of Unlocked, we talk with digital art pioneer and sculptor Auriea Harvey to explore her extraordinary journey from early net art and video game design to immersive installations and hybrid sculptures. Auriea opens up about her creative process, the role of interaction in her work, her evolving relationship with AI, and the making of her recent exhibitions Prophecy (arebyte, London) and C0D3X (Gazelli Art House). A deep, insightful, and inspiring conversation for anyone curious about the future of art.

Ulrich Schrauth joins Unlocked to explore how digital art becomes a lived experience. From his theatre background to curating the UBS Digital Art Museum Hamburg and Art Dubai Digital, Ulrich shares how he bridges art, technology, and emotion. We talk about new audiences, hybrid works that connect physical and digital worlds, and how collecting is shifting from ownership to collaboration.

A deep dive into the evolution of generative art with curator and entrepreneur Sofia Garcia, founder of ArtXCode. From her unexpected path into creative coding to reshaping how artists are represented, Sofia reveals how digital art is challenging the traditional market. We explore the rise of agency-model support for artists, collector dynamics, and CodeArt - the initiative empowering young girls to create with technology. An inspiring look at the present and future of digital culture.

Co-founder of The Sandbox, Sébastien Borget shares his journey from gaming to collecting, and how digital worlds are reshaping art. From the origins of The Sandbox to the creation of Artverse in Paris, he explores what connects artists and collectors today — and why digital art is becoming the new cultural frontier.

Curator Marlene Wenger shares her journey from traditional art spaces to leading the House of Electronic Arts (HEK) in Basel. In this conversation, she unpacks the challenges and possibilities of digital art, the importance of media literacy, and how institutions can embrace emerging technologies like AI. A deep dive into curating with curiosity, relevance, and imagination in a fast-evolving world.

In this episode of Unlocked, artist Cezar Mocan explores how digital art can dissect systems of control. Speaking with Delfina Sena, he unpacks the politics of game engines, the aesthetics of AI, and how emotional resonance and poetic slowness can interrupt dominant technological narratives.

From financial analyst to crypto artist and worldbuilder, Josie Bellini has helped shape the NFT space from its earliest days. In this episode, she shares how her background in finance and deep dive into the crypto world led her to create iconic projects such as CyberBrokers, one of the first fully on-chain avatar collections. Josie talks about the importance of digital permanence, building immersive lore with her community, and why ownership, accessibility, and collaboration are redefining how we experience art in the Web3 era.

At OFFICE IMPART, Anne Schwanz and Johanna Neuschäffer propose a new vision for what a gallery can be today: a flexible, hybrid model that prioritizes mediation over physical space. Drawing from deep experience in the traditional art world, they challenge outdated structures by embracing both digital and analog art on equal footing, cultivating trust across different generations of collectors. Their approach points to a future where collaboration, adaptability, and technology are essential to the art ecosystem.

Curator and advisor Marlene Corbun shares what it means to act as a true mediator in today’s art world - guiding artists in the creative process, educating collectors over time, and building bridges between traditional institutions and emerging Web3 practices. With over a decade of experience, from White Cube and Christie’s to her current role as Head Curator at laCollection, Marlene reflects on how digital and physical art are not in opposition, but in dialogue. Her practice is a rare mix of care, precision, and vision for what contemporary collecting can become.