Hackatao

Minted by the artist

Acquired from above

OG Crypto Artist Duo known for their unique flat pop style that captures streams of consciousness in striking B/W drawings. Their work is characterized by a bold and experimental approach to cryptoart.

Hackatao was born in 2007. The OG artists are among the absolute pioneers of the international Crypto Art movement, having minted their first artwork on the blockchain back in 2018. In these early years, the duo actively participated in the construction of the cryptoverse and the NFT space. They contributed significantly to the discussion, together with other pioneer crypto artists, curators and collectors, regarding the implementation of royalties for artists on the secondary market. In 2018, Hackatao also introduced augmented reality into their practice for the first time, an umbilical cord between the physical works and the digital tokens. Before having entered the crypto sphere, the artists would also experiment with physical medium such as ceramics, drawing and painting on canvas as well as three-dimensional surfaces. Hackatao investigates historical and pop-cultural phenomena in their signature combination of colorful, flawless flat style and the black and white flux of consciousness drawings. Shedding light on contemporary social, political, and environmental issues and debates. In October 2021, Hackatao collaborated with NFT Studios to develop the "Queens + Kings avatar series". This was an artistic project supported by Sotheby’s. Q+K explores and aspires to subvert the hierarchies of the PFP (profile picture) scene. The ongoing work focuses on visualising the immense potential of Web3 and the wider Metaverse, aiming to constantly involve the community in the process of creation. Q+K allows for collectors to become co-creators and dynamically transform their sovereign avatars.

As leaders in the rapidly developing NFT space, Hackatao’s art has been featured in countless shows across the globe. Notably, in June 2021 their work was included in the seminal exhibition, PROOF OF ART, held at the Francisco Carloinum in Linz, Austria. Curated by Jessie Damiani and Fabian Müller, the exhibition charted the history of Digital Art, placing the NFT movement, and Hackatao’s art, in an art historical context.