In Ganchitecture’s Imaginary Universe: A Conversation with the Artist

For our audience who isn’t already familiar with you, can you give us a little background about yourself? How did you come to generative art?

I'm Ganchitecture, a digital artist with a focus on monochrome architectural AI. I began working with AI in 2018, delving into programming languages. In 2020 I entered the NFT space, and in August 2022, I launched the MONOLITH collection on fxhash with Orr Kislev. The collection sold out instantly and was well-received.

My interest in generative art comes from studying forms and nature as code. I was attracted by generative art from my first encounter with Flash websites. I am interested in works by pioneers in Computer Art, from the zoologist, naturalist, eugenicist, and philosopher Ernst Haeckel to media artist Vera Molnar. My interest in generative art also comes from video games I played in my childhood, as well as its possibility to build 3D simulated and virtual spaces.

What motivates you to continue exploring generative art? Is there anything you feel is entirely unique to your approach to generative art?

I am attracted to chaos, and while the code can be chaotic, we don't know what may come from it. In my work, there is an intention not to be at the service of technology and its ideology but to dominate it.

Can you elaborate on the concept behind your fxhash 2.0 release, Structures of Silence?

The collection comes from studying and researching works by German astronomer Johannes Kepler, who questioned God as the architect of the universe and challenged the whole world. He was a key figure in the scientific revolution in 1500, known primarily for his groundbreaking laws governing planetary motion around the Sun.

The query about the initial form and formula, the origin, and the first volumetric, spatial form was the first time in history. This pedantic utopia awakened my interest in this collection. Although clearly a fiction, in this collection, the collectors become the fundamental architect, the creator of the universe.

Talk us through some aspects of the technical and creative processes used for this work.

I start by researching and reading a lot. I read every day. Then, I build a constellation, a mural, by manually cutting out and putting together this analog wall of cut-outs, photos, hand drawings, and conceptual lines. It's a fun and chaotic intertwining of forms and concepts. Then I move to the computer, where I start sketching in AI or code until I come up with some visual aesthetic that resonates with me. It’s always accompanied by music.

How do you see your practice evolve? What future do you envision for yourself as a generative artist?

This changes a lot, I try to always focus on my questions and my research beyond the interest of the market. I would like to make a film and a video game.

Where do you see this medium going in the next 5, 10, or 20 years? Is institutional acceptance important to you?

Everything is digital. Everything is AI-powered, and we are in an algorithm parenthesis.

Surrounded by recommender systems and standardization, crypto-economization can also be a refuge from a future capitalist crisis. All this will surely affect the acceptance/legitimacy of these media.

Do you collect generative art from other artists as well?

Yes, I collect a lot - all kinds of art and with several accounts. I love collecting and supporting emerging, unknown artists from the fringes.

How much do you think about the chain your artwork is minted on? Does it matter to you now, and do you think this will be more or less important in the future as blockchains evolve?

Yes, I care. I think we need to understand the blockchain more as a medium and a canvas. I collect mostly in ETH and TEZ. The underlying technology behind the chain for each project can be valuable support for the collection.

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Ganchitecture is an artist and collector with an interest in monochrome architectural AI. Their notable works include MONOLITH, Tur, and UTOPIA.

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