The Essence of HEN: In Conversation with the Artists and Collectors
Building upon our exploration of Hic et Nunc’s (HEN) visionary contributors, we now cast the spotlight on the artists and collectors who infused the platform with vibrancy and life, revealing its daily life and cultural fabric.
In this piece, we feature the reflective analysis of Djangobits, the eclectic digital artistry of Haydiroket, and the cultural storytelling of Poppel — each bringing a unique perspective that is essential to grasp the full spectrum of HEN’s community. Their stories, rich with detail and personal experience, provide a deeper appreciation of the platform’s distinct culture and the collective force that propelled its community forward.
Djangobits: Reflecting on Growth and Challenges
Djangobits brings to the fore an analytical yet passionate perspective on HEN’s journey from its experimental beginnings to its emergence as a beacon for the digital art community. His critical insights into the platform’s ethos, its experimental nature, and the collective efforts that defined its culture, provide a nuanced understanding of the dynamics that shaped HEN. Ultimately, his reflections reveal a platform that was much more than a marketplace; it was a living laboratory for art, community, and the very essence of a decentralized creative movement.
Fakewhale: When you think back to the early days of HEN and the NFT landscape, what stands out the most to you? Can you share any stories or experiences that epitomize the unique culture and community spirit of HEN?
Djangobits: In January 2021, NFTs and art NFTs were nothing new. But Rafael Lima’s HEN was so brutally reduced to the art itself that it somehow attracted people not because of sale prospects, like all the other shiny platforms. After its launch on January 29, 2021, only a handful of Tezos users minted some NFTs for fun and testing on this platform, which did not clearly define its purpose (see “The Lost HicEtNuncs”, made by Mike Tyka).
The first bigger buzz happened in February 2021, when artists, some seeking for a more sustainable platform than Ethereum, started to mint and talk about it, like Qartsi (Token #14), Rodrigo Koshino / Kosha (Token #33 and #66) and Mario Klingemann / Quasimondo (Token #111). These very early mints of art on HEN suddenly made the platform shine and revealed its subliminal potential as an exhibition place.
Within a few days, more individuals with a passion for art and substantial experience joined the platform. Presented on this minimalist, completely gatekeeper-free platform, the spotlight was solely on their artworks. The stream on the main page quickly became a wonderland of deep art and random trash (also depending on the eye of the beholder). It felt a bit like a flea market, but stuffed with hidden gems.
More and more artists were attracted by Hicetnunc and the previous minters and decided to give it a try. In less than 60 days from its inception, 10,000 tokens had been minted, and by the end of March, nearly 1,000 tokens were being added daily, revealing an overwhelming and never ending flow of amazing artworks.
Sales and prices were not at the core of the interaction; they didn’t even exist in the initial version of HEN. To this day on TEIA, sales information remains minimal and tucked to the side, with the artwork occupying the central focus of the viewer’s attention. And this is exactly what created that unique experience.
I am convinced that Rafael Lima’s intention was not to create yet another Superrare knock off which aimed for profits. The early about page of HEN said “such experiment was designed intending to imagine alternative crypto economies”.
This made it very clear that HEN was an experiment. An undertaking with an unknown outcome.
One notable aspect was that many artists promptly spent their earned XTZ on other artworks they genuinely admired. If you examine the wallets of these individuals, you will observe numerous pieces from various artists continuously being added to their personal collections. This was the clearest indicator that people participated in HEN not (only) to earn money, but because they celebrated art itself. This was a unique collective art frenzy. That was the HEN.
Fakewhale: How did the ethos of HEN resonate with your personal vision of what an NFT platform should represent?
Djangobits: I greatly appreciated that Hicetnunc, to a significant extent, remained undefined in its nature, which allowed people to experiment with all facets of NFTs, their art, technology, and the potential economics surrounding them. It served as an open laboratory that enabled individuals to explore and acquire knowledge. This was its distinctive quality, and potentially quite challenging to replicate.
I personally think that all types of platforms have their right to exist and with every new platform we learn collectively. But if your NFT platform is only about profits, optimized for sales and trading data, you shouldn’t be surprised to attract profiteers and traders only. If your platform is a laboratory, you will attract experimentators. It will be a lot more interesting to watch and engage.
Fakewhale: With the emergence of platforms inspired by HEN, such as http://objkt.com and TEIA to name a few, what lessons from HEN do you think should be carried forward and which should be avoided or approached differently?
TEIA is the direct successor of HEN, cloned from its code and carried on by the many people who took part in the HEN frenzy and who wanted to continue even after Rafael decided to close the laboratory. TEIA still has that unique feeling as the HEN had, if you browse its frontpage. But as the TEIA collective had to organize itself and to find consensus on what to do next, the room for experimentation also narrowed down in some way and some of the mystery that HEN had vanished a bit. I still think TEIA is unique and I hope it will keep its open and art centered groove.
Objkt.com was born to facilitate some of the economic needs some people had when interacting with the HEN. In my view it made a lot of sense to have that as a separate platform for those people who wanted those features. Today objkt.com is THE nft platform on Tezos. I really love the platform as well as the great curation work they do. You can’t compare it to HEN or TEIA – it’s two different things.
I personally think one of the reasons why HEN found a sudden end, was that many people had huge expectations on what the platform should be or what it should become, overwhelming its creator. The wish to develop HEN further was understandable, but also contradictory to the idea of being an undefined place for experimentation.
Fakewhale: In retrospect, what do you believe was HEN’s most significant contribution to the digital art community as a whole?
Djangobits: Maybe the experience that things can be taken in your own hands. On how you engage with your audience and how you sell your art or how you organize as a global collective. The platforms you interact on, can be influenced and shaped to some extent. Or new platforms can be built, like fxhash for example, which also had its origins in the generative and code based artworks that appeared on the HEN.
Fakewhale: How do you see the current digital art ecosystem in contrast to the early days of HEN? What fundamental shifts have you noticed? What legacy has been brought forward?
djangobits: Generative art is definitely something which has seen a huge boost because of HEN and fxhash. Suddenly generative art platforms popped up on various chains. My impression is that most platforms are more sales centric again. This is also understandable to some extent, but has its drawbacks.
I also noticed that many people experimented on other chains, with some artists having their works spread over a couple of ecosystems. I personally won’t collect on more than 1-3 platforms, so sometimes I lose track of what some artists do. But this as well, is completely understandable from an economic and attention seeking perspective.
Fakewhale: In the aftermath of HEN’s closure, what were your key takeaways from its journey? What would you have wished was done differently?
Djangobits: I wished people were more patient and maybe more hesitant about wanting to move the platform to what for them was important. Most of what led to its closure happened with good intentions, but many did not take the time to really understand the original intentions of the HEN.
Some of this might be the fate of any revolutionary project, where an initial idea attracts many, but then the ideas of many will sand down the edges of the initial intention.
Long live the HEN!
Haydiroket: The GIF Maestro of HEN’s Community Canvas
Haydiroket’s unique GIF artistry became a symbol of HEN’s vibrant culture, a digital space where creativity wasn’t just displayed but collectively experienced. His recollections paint HEN as an underground movement, where artists and collectors from diverse backgrounds contributed to a dynamic, community-driven art scene. Through his lens, we see HEN as a platform that transcended traditional hierarchies, fostering a spirit of inclusivity and support—a place where every artwork and every artist played a crucial role in shaping a new, decentralized era of digital art.
Fakewhale: When you think back to the early days of HEN and the NFT landscape, what stands out the most to you? Can you share any stories or experiences that epitomize the unique culture and community spirit of HEN?
Haydiroket: Oh, thinking back to the early days of HEN, it’s like recalling a digital renaissance, you know? It was a time when the NFT landscape was just beginning to bloom, and HEN was like this vibrant, underground scene bursting with creativity and community spirit.
One thing that really sticks out is how HEN was a melting pot of artists and collectors from all walks of life. It wasn’t about who had the biggest name or the dopest portfolio. It was about the art, the ideas, the pixels. There was this raw energy, like everyone was part of a digital revolution, reprogramming the art world.
I remember this one time when an artist, completely new to the scene, dropped their first NFT on HEN. It was this rad, glitchy pixel animation, nothing fancy by mainstream standards. But the community, man, they rallied around it. People were sharing it, talking about it, bidding on it. It wasn’t just about buying the art; it was about supporting the artist, celebrating their creativity. That’s what HEN was all about – lifting each other up, creating a space where everyone had a voice.
It was like a 24/7 online gallery, always buzzing with activity. You’d see everything from generative abstract animations to digital collages, still images and GIFs .. Artists exchanging tips, sharing stories, connecting over their shared passion. It was a community in the real form.
HEN’s culture was this unique blend of art, technology, and human connection. It felt like we were all part of something groundbreaking, like pioneers in a new digital frontier. The spirit of experimentation, collaboration, and community – that’s the essence of HEN that still resonates with me.
The joy of discovering incredible new artists every day, and it’s all so free from ridiculous egos. Pure art sharing without any hierarchy, it’s both impressive and so genuine.
HEN wasn’t just an NFT platform; it was a statement, a digital declaration of independence. And every pixel, every GIF, every artist was a part of that revolution.
Fakewhale: How did the ethos of HEN resonate with your personal vision of what an NFT platform should represent?
Haydiroket: Oh man, HEN, you know, it wasn’t just a platform; it was a statement. A digital manifesto that said, ‘Hey, this is about art, about community, about making a mark in the digital universe, not just about flipping tokens for profit.’
For me, that’s what the soul of an NFT platform should be. It’s like creating a vast, open galaxy where artists and collectors aren’t just visitors, but they’re inhabitants, they’re the life force. HEN had this incredible way of making everyone feel like they were part of something bigger, something meaningful. It wasn’t just about the blockchain, the tech, or the economics. It was about the art, the connection, the shared experience of creating and appreciating digital art.
In essence, HEN captured that magic, that spirit I believe an NFT platform should have. It should be a space that ignites creativity, fosters community, and respects our planet. A place where art isn’t just a commodity, but a heartbeat, a shared digital dream. That’s the ethos that resonates with me, and that’s the legacy I think we should all carry forward in the digital art world.
Fakewhale: With the emergence of platforms inspired by HEN, such as http://objkt.com and TEIA to name a few, what lessons from HEN do you think should be carried forward and which should be avoided or approached differently?
Haydiroket: Alright, the biggest thing that stands out from HEN, the core lesson, is all about the community. It’s like when you’re in an old-school arcade, and everyone’s cheering each other on, sharing tips. That’s what HEN nailed perfectly. It created this space where artists and collectors weren’t just transactions on a blockchain; they were part of a digital family. Any platform coming up now, that’s the gold they should mine – building a solid, engaged community.
But hey, it wasn’t all pixel-perfect in HEN-land, right? One thing that could’ve been better was the stability of the platform. It’s like having a killer game but on a console that keeps glitching out. The new platforms need to ensure they’ve got the tech backbone to support their artists and collectors, make sure that everything runs smooth, no crashes or bugs messing up the experience.
And then there’s the whole curation aspect. HEN was super open, which was great for accessibility but sometimes led to a bit of a digital jungle. New platforms could find this sweet spot between being open and having some level of curation, just to keep the quality high and the vibes right.
So, what we’re talking about here is taking that community spirit, the energy, the creativity and mixing it with stronger tech and a bit of curation.
Fakewhale: In retrospect, what do you believe was HEN’s most significant contribution to the digital art community as a whole?
HEN wasn’t just another platform; it was a beacon in the digital night, a place that redefined the NFT world in ways that still resonate.
First off, it was all about breaking down barriers. Before HEN, the NFT scene felt kind of like an exclusive club, right? But HEN changed the rules. It was like a digital art festival where everyone was invited, no matter where you came from or how much you knew about NFTs. This openness made the digital art world much more vibrant and diverse. It wasn’t just about selling art; it was about sharing it, experiencing it, living it.
But you know, the heart of HEN’s magic was its community. The platform created a space where artists, collectors, and digital art enthusiasts could connect in a way that was real and meaningful. It was like this cool, digital neighborhood where everyone knew each other and supported each other’s work. This sense of community, this feeling of being part of something bigger – that’s the soul of HEN.
In the end, HEN’s legacy is about more than just the art that was created and sold. It’s about how it transformed the digital art world. It showed us a new way to create, to connect, to care. HEN was a pioneer, a trailblazer, a digital dream made real. And that spirit, that drive to innovate and bring people together, that’s what continues to inspire and shape the digital art world today.
Fakewhale: How do you see the current digital art ecosystem in contrast to the early days of HEN? What fundamental shifts have you noticed? What legacy has been brought forward?
Haydiroket: In the early HEN era, everything felt more underground, raw, and experimental. It was about artists and collectors just figuring out this new space. Fast forward to today, and wow, it’s like the digital art world has just exploded into the mainstream. It’s not just for the tech-savvy anymore; everyone’s talking about NFTs, from celebs to big brands.
But you know, despite all these changes and the scene getting more polished and sophisticated, I think what’s really cool is how some of HEN’s original spirit has stuck around. That focus on community, being mindful about our planet while creating art, and making sure everyone can access and create art – those values are still really important in the scene today. It’s like, even though the game has changed, the heart of what made HEN special is still beating strong in the digital art world. And that’s pretty awesome, if you ask me.
Fakewhale: In the aftermath of HEN’s closure, what were your key takeaways from its journey? What would you have wished was done differently?
Haydiroket: Well, you know, looking back at HEN, it was like witnessing a vibrant flash in the digital art universe. HEN really shook things up. It showed that NFTs weren’t just about big money and high-end art; they were about community, about making digital art accessible and sustainable. That was huge. HEN democratized the NFT world, brought it down to a more personal level where anyone could join in, and that’s something really special.
But if I could wish for something different? I guess it’s about longevity, stability. HEN was like this incredible shooting star, but it burned out too fast. Maybe with a stronger foundation, a bit more planning for the future, it could’ve lasted longer, kept that momentum going.
I think it’s about balance. HEN was super open, which was amazing for fostering creativity and inclusivity. But maybe a touch of curation, a bit of guidance would have helped to keep things more focused, maintain a certain standard. Not gatekeeping, but just ensuring that the platform stayed true to its vision while evolving. Also, tech stability is crucial, especially as a platform grows. You want to ensure that artists and collectors have a smooth, seamless experience.
Poppel: Chronicler of HEN’s Cultural Mosaic
Poppel stands as an insightful observer and participant in the HEN landscape, with a storyteller’s eye for the platform’s cultural zeitgeist. His experiences, from navigating the early, unrefined interface to engaging in the community’s collective art exchanges, highlight a culture of inclusivity and creativity. His narrative captures the essence of HEN’s community spirit — a digital space where anonymity fostered freedom, and the value of art transcended the traditional metrics of success.
Fakewhale: When you think back to the early days of HEN and the NFT landscape, what stands out the most to you? Can you share any stories or experiences that epitomize the unique culture and community spirit of HEN?
Poppel: HEN was a lot of things and it’s hard to describe with a few words. The website was clunky, the marketplace was unorganised. No rankings, no highest sales, no hottest collections, everyone came from all over the globe and, on average, no one knew anyone in the beginning. But oh dear it was bustling! The entropy level of HEN was over 9000, where the experimental spirit shone like a supernova, yet everything about it screamed of introvert. HEN was a digitally serene playground for crazy minds who travel the space with unchained strides.
In the mid 2010s, I wasn’t actively making my own art but more of an art/pop culture writer.
Upon discovering HEN back in April 2021, I was overjoyed to see artists I communicated with before all in the same playground: Fornax Void, Anna Malina, Jan Hakon Erichsen… all the wonderful people with various talents. It was a serendipitous moment to see those familiar names. It felt coincidental, but it also made perfect sense, as HEN was the place for independent souls with curious minds, no matter which type of art they create. And artists were collecting works from each other, which was so different from other platforms.
Fakewhale: How did the ethos of HEN resonate with your personal vision of what an NFT platform should represent?
Poppel: An NFT platform should be like a modern and inclusive city, whatever you do, there’s always a corner for you. That means equal opportunities for everyone. Before the discovery of HEN, I got an impression of NFT from all those 5 minute reports produced by mainstream mass media, and thought the NFT land was an irredeemable vice city and another ninth hell of our digital life. Those reports were misleading, and there’s good and genuineness about NFT for sure, but it was HEN that showed me everyone could afford to bring their works to the (still ongoing) revolution of digital art distribution, which was fundamentally different from other popular NFT platforms around that time.
Fakewhale: With the emergence of platforms inspired by HEN, such as http://objkt.com and TEIA to name a few, what lessons from HEN do you think should be carried forward and which should be avoided or approached differently?
Poppel: There have always been many optimistic visions and hopes for the development of everything in Web3. As much as we enjoy and cheer for “burn down the old world”, a commercial platform needs careful planning and management to survive and strive, which HEN did not have. It’s very interesting to see how TEIA is going as we have a great group of talented and altruistic people building and managing it, in a manner that is fundamentally different from most other platforms. Alternatives are always fun. I believe they are carrying the best part of HEN with them, and will definitely pass it on further into the future.
Fakewhale: In retrospect, what do you believe was HEN’s most significant contribution to the digital art community as a whole?
Poppel: I love Web1 and I love anonymity so much. I love the time before Facebook and later Google+ which all promoted the use of real life names and photos for different online services. The NFT space reminds me of the old days so much, and one can behave like one was living those days: You can be a 12 year old vampire or an anthropomorphic Triceratops, and your art is loved and collected by people with furry avatars and funny IDs. I don’t know the identities of most of the artists I interacted with and collected from, and it doesn’t matter. And what’s better? Suddenly you don’t need to pitch your works to galleries and museums and beg them to take 70% of the profit from you anymore. HEN showed me that anonymous artists can sell their art just with a few clicks. I’ve always been an “outsider artist”, I choose Tumblr over physical galleries filled with works that no one understands nor can relate to. Tumblr and similar platforms have cultivated the aesthetic taste of a whole generation, and that’s a whole new type of art lovers and art consumers. And HEN was the “Tumblr with a collect button”. It was not the only platform to ensure that, but it was the one that didn’t bar you outside of it with high gas fees.
Besides being a permissionless platform for everyone to participate in the revolution of digital art distribution, I also want to talk about the financial part of it. HEN made me realise that no matter where you come from, you can be rewarded with the same currency for your works, which to me is one of the most positive things about the application of cryptocurrency. I take it as ensuring equal opportunity for art/content creators on the most grounded level – the currency level. We know how it is outside Web3: video game companies from NA outsources art content production to less developed regions. Workers need to crunch like hell, and in the end they were paid in their native currency which is not that much. Talking about the dark side of globalisation. I’m grateful that we are able to sell our artwork directly to collectors for cryptocurrencies, and I believe we are still far away from touching the true potential of crypto, as well as the true potential of distribution of digital art with blockchain technology.
Fakewhale: How do you see the current digital art ecosystem in contrast to the early days of HEN? What fundamental shifts have you noticed? What legacy has been brought forward?
Digital art ecosystem is too big a thing to discuss, but if we limit it to Blockchain Registered Art (BRA, a.k.a. NFT), I’d say the atmosphere in this space has become less optimistic and more stale. Collectors are spending less, and artists are less adventurous at highlighting experimental works. It’s not purely because of the bear coin market, but also the novelty of this model has faded. But the show must go on, and things are going as it was 2021, just at a different pace.
Poppel: As for collector-artist relationships, people still largely collect for what they like (either for aesthetic pleasure or for potential financial gains), but I feel there are more cliques formed and they are more closed up now than in the early days. I think many artists who are still in this space have become more “professional” than in the early days. Back then many didn’t take minting and selling art as a serious thing, but as days went on one could see that one could actually make a living (or at least partially) selling art digitally, and this has changed a lot of things on how digital art is regarded and created: We see more work series with similar pieces with steady quality, fewer wild roaming one-hit wonders; More gaming the market for higher profit, fewer genuine giveaways or exchanging works for fun… From having a hobby to running a business, things change. Honestly, the “HEN days” were so short that it ended before the platform went offline.
Fakewhale: In the aftermath of HEN’s closure, what were your key takeaways from its journey? What would you have wished was done differently?
Poppel: It was a wonderful journey. People laughed and cried, people joined and went away, all for HEN. The important thing is after HEN, whenever they see the term hicetnunc elsewhere in life, they would stay idle for an extra second, and something is triggered, a gush of excitement in the arteries, a wave of nostalgia in the veins, then they move on in their life. HEN was a party, and all parties end. I don’t think anything should be done differently. It died, and that is what makes it a once-in-a-lifetime experience eternally.
As we conclude this exploration of HEN through the eyes of its artists and early adopters, the shared sentiments form a vivid mosaic of its legacy.
These detailed accounts underscore a unifying theme: the power of a community-driven approach to art in the digital realm. As such, the reflections gathered here not only memorialize HEN’s transformative impact but also serve as guiding indicators for the evolving landscape of digital creativity, emphasizing the lasting value of connection and co-creation in the digital art scene.
fakewhale
Founded in 2021, Fakewhale advocates the digital art market's evolution. Viewing NFT technology as a container for art, and leveraging the expansive scope of digital culture, Fakewhale strives to shape a new ecosystem in which art and technology become the starting point, rather than the final destination.
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