VAULTED Art Collector Profile #16 - Nico Arbogast
Vaulted is a series where prominent collectors in the Tezos ecosystem are interviewed and highlighted.
Vaulted #16 with Nico Arbogast
Unknown Collector: Can you tell us how your Web3 collecting journey began?
Nico: In 2020, I felt every day more in need of being able to express myself through art. I developed an interest in creative coding and generative art and started following more and more artists on social media. This was disconnected from blockchain and NFTs. In 2021, many artists I was following started minting works on hicetnunc and communicating about it on Twitter. Tezos was not only solving the energy-efficiency problem that was a blocker for many of us on other chains (e.g., Ethereum) at that time, it was also allowing for a much more open, inclusive, and diverse art scene, thanks to its low transaction fees and scalability.
Hicetnunc quickly became first citizen in my social feed, and the scene around it became an uninterrupted source of inspiration and a home. I minted my first work in May 2021 as an experiment and used the few Tezos I made to collect my first pieces. I started only later to collect regularly, in September of 2021, after having passively witnessed the scene grow over four months. Supporting artists daily appeared as a meaningful way to be part of this inspiring adventure, to build a space collectively where art and people were at the core. In 2022, when the various markets started falling apart, I was deeply attached to what had been built and I doubled down on my collecting to keep it going. I thought it was a responsibility as an early believer to go as far as I could to sustain the momentum.
Can you share a story about acquiring one of your favorite pieces or any interesting moment in your collecting journey?
Nico: Web3 is built around core community dynamics. And Tezos has always appeared to me globally as an authentic and positive community. Collecting art through online transactions could appear impersonal from a distance, but being involved in collecting art as NFTs is quite the opposite, and this has been the case since the early days. Every “transaction” is a moment of connection, never just bilateral but rather collective, carrying its own story, and being part of the value collectively attributed to artworks.
One example I have in mind is when I was trying to win two auctions from the SPATIAL exhibition on objkt.one, curated by Bay Backner in April 2024. The two works were Thorns by Micah Alhadeff and Sony Bravia with Sand Mound (After Fontana) by Dev Harlan. I started bidding on both artworks and got outbid on both by the same person: Chris Coleman (digitalcoleman), an artist and collector I knew well and admired. Chris and I ended up pushing each other on both artworks until the point where we both had to stop. Luckily, we managed to get one artwork each. I remember Chris and I having a nice conversation just at the end of the auctions and celebrating the fact that we knew each artwork had ended in the collection of a collector and friend we respected, and that by pushing each other on the auctions we had shown respect to the artists by valuing their works. This happened in 2024 and Chris and I both had been part of the same community since 2021; the sincere joy and sense of belonging shared in those moments is authentic and is to be remembered.
Sony Bravia with Sand Mound (After Fontana) (Still) by Dev Harlan
What sets Art on Tezos apart in your eyes compared to other NFT ecosystems?
Nico: Tezos has been home to an open and diverse art scene since 2021. Lower energy consumption, lower fees, and high transaction speed have allowed minting and collecting art in any quantity, at any price, by anyone. Every artist could mint their work; it was always possible to make large numbers of editions of a piece and offer them at a very low price or even for free. As a result, there has always been something to collect for everyone. By consequence, since the beginning, artists have been able to be primary collectors as well. As all this was possible, Tezos has hosted community events since early 2021 where the idea was for everyone to be able to collect from everyone, inciting minting large editions at very affordable prices and using the Tezos you would earn as an artist to collect pieces from other artists. All of this results in a vibrant scene where everyone can participate every day. I also believe that a certain humility and respect emanates from that, as it creates spaces where everyone can feel a certain sense of equality. When you love art, you want to be where artists live, share, breathe. Tezos is such a vibrant place.
Agnosic (11a) RGB by A. L. Crego
On top of that vibrant base, Tezos has also seen over time the long-term engagement of platforms and institutions who commit to making the scene resonate in the larger art world, progressively creating paths for artists, curators, and art as NFT in general to emerge outside of the initial realm of the blockchain transaction and the typical crypto-collector. Prestigious exhibitions in emblematic museums, impactful presence in institutional art events, development of Tezos-based smart contracts in physical galleries, investment in curated platforms and collector relationships… All these efforts converge towards making Tezos a hub for digital artists to belong, from inception up to emergence and growth, from finding the first followers for their art to growing their career. The existence of that open career pipe for artists, curators, collectors, galleries, etc., is a strength of Tezos; it resonates with the roots of the scene while giving it a durable path for growth.
I am pretty sure that any collector or any member of the art community interested in digital art can easily join me in acknowledging how rich such an environment can be, in terms of discovery, authentic connections, and how being part of it can easily become significant in a meaningful art life.
Who are your three favorite artists on Tezos from your collection, and what makes their work stand out to you?
Nico:
I really appreciate diversity and always have a hard time with rankings. To be honest, I don’t have 3 favorite artists. So I’ll mention a few artists I think you should check out, in no particular order, and I’ll stop when that’s too many for this interview :)
drain has always struck me by the tension of their glitch composition. I love how they play at the edge of figuration, with the instability of form and color.
Sky Goodman, another glitch artist, has a very diverse body of work with a very personal universe exposed through the subtle, rich, and playful exploration of their inner emotional body and imaginary landscapes.
Micah Alhadeff glitches the human figure mostly in 3D. You have to get lost in the luminescent scenes of their fractures, in the impossible fashion designs of their glitch dolls, in their vibrant virtual worlds, or in the sharp edges of their anagrams.
Matheus Leston touches art in many forms (musician, gif artist, creator of physical installations, etc.). Among his creations you will find some very intentional and beautiful work with pixels he has minted on Tezos under the alias 256x256x256x256. This work makes me want to mention the following artists as references: Kerim Serfa, Nicolas Sassoon, Kristen Roos, loackme.
Somfay mixes digital and analog processes to create gif loops where color and motion blend in hypnotizing ways. In a related world, also do check the wonderful work of Ex Mortal.
Sean Luke is another master of movement and color, building intricate animations frame by frame with a genius of hue rotation and amazing attention to detail, where 3D motion blends with flat textures in mind-melting effects.
Sabato manipulates glitch techniques in various media, from stunning 2D pixel paintings which always carry fun and meaningful messages, to playful manipulations of 3D captures.
Letsglitchit is another glitch polymath with diverse workflows and a high level of technicality. Her breathtaking artworks must be seen.
I realize I have cited numerous glitch artists, but there are artists working in completely different movements who have struck me recently:
With strong expertise in 3D and music, Hoxid creates audiovisual animations based on imaginary and realistic worlds. His work is stunning and I wish I had more opportunities to see it in big settings (large or immersive screens and sound systems).
Erythric is another gem of the Tezos community in that domain, also working with 3D rendering, sound design, and film directing. Like me, I guess you will wish to see his work in a movie theater and in longer forms.
Mentioning these two artists and their universes makes me think of the creative world of a master and early adopter of web3 who is always on the top of my mind: A. L. Crego. His gifs and animations are a source of inspiration for numerous artists, and his art should be the first stop for any person interested in digital art involving motion.
There are numerous other artists who come to mind and who would deserve to be mentioned in that list. I am truly unable to make any ranking and recommend to any person interested in digital art to dive into the Tezos community and follow their intuition. The beauty of the many worlds to be discovered is worth the journey.
Which three emerging artists on Tezos do you think are worth keeping an eye on, and why?
Nico:
Same answer here, I really don’t want to reduce the scene to shortlists. Many artists I’ve mentioned above are still emerging in many ways or evolving their practice in fascinating directions. Tezos is full of talent at all levels.
Instead of offering a rigid list, I’ll just say: explore. Tezos rewards curiosity. If you spend time in the community—on marketplaces, during events, or by following artists—you’ll naturally find voices that resonate with you. Some are animators, some are experimental glitchers, others create meditative soundscapes or minimal compositions. The diversity is the point.
So my recommendation is: dive in. Trust your intuition. That’s how I’ve found the most meaningful art—and the most meaningful connections.
CYBERPSYHOSIS (Still) by Erythric
Never Swept Easily into New Dayz by Sky Goodman
