Verse Talks

Verse
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In this episode of Verse Talks, Leyla and Jamie speak with digital art historian and researcher Noah Bolanowski about the overlooked history of digital art. From street art and the early days of Nifty Gateway to the NFT boom, blockchain, and the pioneers of computer art, Noah takes us through his journey into uncovering the people, works and stories that helped shape the medium.00:00 — Introduction: Noah Bolanowski 01:43 — Becoming a digital art historian 03:16 — Street art, collecting & the origins of Nifty Gateway 07:22 — Keith Haring, Timothy Leary & early digital art 11:59 — Becoming a “digital Indiana Jones” 15:15 — Discovering NFTs & collecting on Nifty Gateway 18:37 — The NFT boom and sudden six-figure valuations 23:27 — Speculation, collectors & the pandemic NFT market 30:48 — The 14-year-old CryptoPunks millionaire 33:03 — What happened to the NFT market? 36:48 — What can blockchain actually do for art? 38:19 — Museums, smart contracts & exhibiting NFTs 43:49 — Rethinking how digital art is displayed 45:15 — Museums and the 70-year history of digital art 48:19 — Why blockchain changed access to digital art 50:21 — 1OF1 and the institutionalisation of digital art 51:47 — Bill Gates’ early digital art displays 55:32 — Do we actually want screens in our homes? 58:49 — Why Noah turned towards digital art history 1:02:48 — Who gets canonised in digital art history? 1:04:05 — Questioning established narratives & the importance of provenance 1:09:13 — The forgotten pioneers of computer art 1:10:43 — Charles Csuri and the unlikely computer art pioneer 1:13:40 — Making computer art in the 1960s 1:16:49 — Why digital art history still needs to be written 1:18:58 — Collecting historic computer art 1:21:15 — How early digital artworks survive and are preserved 1:23:28 — Charles Csuri, treasure hunting & Part Two 1:25:17 — Investigating the past and rediscovering lost histories 1:28:03 — Closing & Part Two You can find Noah on X @Noahbolanowski

  1. 22h ago

    Caroline Csuri on Her Father’s Life, Art and Legacy

    In this episode of Verse Talks, Leyla Fakhr speaks with Caroline Csuri, artist, entrepreneur and daughter of pioneering computer artist Charles Csuri. Caroline reflects on growing up around her father’s work, his beginnings as a painter and sculptor, his early experiments with computers in the 1960s, and the extraordinary community of artists, programmers and animators that surrounded him. The conversation traces Csuri’s practice across seven decades, from Hummingbird and Random War to his experiments with 3D animation, proprietary tools and generative systems. Caroline also discusses Ordo, a previously unreleased series created in 2017 and discovered among the files Csuri had personally archived on his computer, and why bringing this work onto the blockchain feels like a continuation of his thinking about digital art, provenance and preservation.  edit-caroline-csuri (1) Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 01:57 Meeting Caroline Csuri and carrying forward her father’s legacy 04:38 Growing up around computer graphics and early interactive technology 06:29 Caroline as an artist and understanding her father’s process 07:27 Charles Csuri: artist, scientist and multidisciplinary thinker 11:16 The New York art world, Cedar Tavern and Roy Lichtenstein 14:08 Early computer art and Hummingbird 16:19 30,000 punch cards and the making of early computer animation 18:15 Disney, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston and Chuck Jones 19:40 Csuri’s influence on a generation of computer animators 21:38 The 1980s and developing his own artistic tools 24:31 The Ribbon tool and drawing brushstrokes in 3D 26:53 Random War, chance and Csuri’s experience of WWII 29:22 Sine Curve Man and image transformation 30:11 Ordo: discovering the 2017 series on Csuri’s computer 33:31 Charles Csuri’s interest in blockchain and digital preservation 35:01 Renewed attention around Csuri’s work 39:18 Recognition, Christie’s and Caroline’s promise to her father 42:13 Cranston/Csuri Productions and the rise of computer animation 44:59 Returning to the studio and Csuri’s later artistic practice 47:01 How Charles Csuri wanted to be remembered 49:26 Collectors, institutions and renewed interest in his legacy 50:42 Caroline’s vision for Csuri’s work and archive 52:39 Making digital art accessible to a new generation 54:01 Closing thoughts @Charlescsuri  wwww.charlescsuri.com

  2. Sep 25

    Kika Nicolela: From Digital Art to Collectible Cards

    Leyla Fakhr speaks with Brazilian artist, filmmaker and curator Kika Nicolela about community, collecting and finding new audiences for digital art. Kika discusses her work with Objkt, the culture around Tezos, and why physical exhibitions remain important for digital artists. They also talk about Kika’s recent exhibition in Shiraz and the role art can play in communities beyond the usual European and US centres. The conversation then turns to Kento, a new collectible art card project connecting physical cards with digital artworks. Kika explains how the project works, why they chose Kickstarter, and how it has helped them reach collectors outside Web3. They also discuss Instagram, onboarding new audiences, the relationship between physical and digital collecting, and what comes next for Kento. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction: Leyla Fakhr and Kika Nicolela 02:46 Being an artist and curator 05:12 Community, collecting and onboarding artists 08:52 Tezos and experimentation 12:06 Curating at Objkt and Objkt One 16:47 Why physical exhibitions matter for digital art 21:46 Presenting digital art in physical spaces 24:30 Shiraz and the Iranian art scene 28:37 Introducing Kento 30:43 Connecting physical cards with digital artworks 32:01 Rarity, editions and claiming the digital work 35:01 The 40 artists in Kento’s first season 37:00 Why Kento chose Kickstarter 42:45 Building an audience and raising $160,000 44:16 Finding new collectors through Instagram 49:45 Kento’s artists and the theme of web nostalgia 53:06 What comes next for Kento 55:58 Upcoming exhibitions and projects 57:53 Closing thoughts https://kento.art/ https://www.kikanicolela.art/

  3. Sep 19

    Michael Spalter: Four Decades of Collecting Digital Art

    Leyla sat down with Michael Spalter, co-founder of the Anne and Michael Spalter Digital Art Collection - one of the world’s most important collections of computer and digital art. They discuss the collection’s history, the pioneers of the field, and the life and legacy of Charles Csuri. https://spalterdigital.com/ Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 00:46 – Michael and Anne Spalter’s journey into digital art 05:08 – Building the Spalter Digital Art Collection 09:05 – The pioneers of computer art 15:34 – The extraordinary life and work of Charles Csuri 20:40 – MoMA’s early acquisition of Hummingbird 22:55 – Discovering and collecting Csuri 31:51 – Artistic value versus market value 35:12 – Museums rediscover computer-art pioneers 39:59 – NFTs, Art Blocks and generative art 44:39 – Why Csuri remained outside the traditional art market 52:15 – Collecting as stewardship 56:17 – Csuri’s later 3D ribbon works and legacy 1:00:00 – Closing thoughts

  4. Aug 23

    From Street Art to the History of Digital Art: Noah Bolanowski

    In this episode of Verse Talks, Leyla and Jamie speak with digital art historian and researcher Noah Bolanowski about the overlooked history of digital art. From street art and the early days of Nifty Gateway to the NFT boom, blockchain, and the pioneers of computer art, Noah takes us through his journey into uncovering the people, works and stories that helped shape the medium. 00:00 — Introduction: Noah Bolanowski 01:43 — Becoming a digital art historian 03:16 — Street art, collecting & the origins of Nifty Gateway 07:22 — Keith Haring, Timothy Leary & early digital art 11:59 — Becoming a “digital Indiana Jones” 15:15 — Discovering NFTs & collecting on Nifty Gateway 18:37 — The NFT boom and sudden six-figure valuations 23:27 — Speculation, collectors & the pandemic NFT market 30:48 — The 14-year-old CryptoPunks millionaire 33:03 — What happened to the NFT market? 36:48 — What can blockchain actually do for art? 38:19 — Museums, smart contracts & exhibiting NFTs 43:49 — Rethinking how digital art is displayed 45:15 — Museums and the 70-year history of digital art 48:19 — Why blockchain changed access to digital art 50:21 — 1OF1 and the institutionalisation of digital art 51:47 — Bill Gates’ early digital art displays 55:32 — Do we actually want screens in our homes? 58:49 — Why Noah turned towards digital art history 1:02:48 — Who gets canonised in digital art history? 1:04:05 — Questioning established narratives & the importance of provenance 1:09:13 — The forgotten pioneers of computer art 1:10:43 — Charles Csuri and the unlikely computer art pioneer 1:13:40 — Making computer art in the 1960s 1:16:49 — Why digital art history still needs to be written 1:18:58 — Collecting historic computer art 1:21:15 — How early digital artworks survive and are preserved 1:23:28 — Charles Csuri, treasure hunting & Part Two 1:25:17 — Investigating the past and rediscovering lost histories 1:28:03 — Closing & Part Two You can find Noah on X @Noahbolanowski

  5. Aug 6

    Jon Washburn: AI, Consciousness & the Theory of Reality

    Jon Wubbushi is one of the most unconventional thinkers we've spoken to. After building companies, he became known for his AI-generated artworks before unexpectedly turning his attention to theoretical physics. Today he leads a research team working on what he believes is a new framework for understanding reality itself. In this conversation we discuss creativity, AI, quantum mechanics, consciousness, religion, death, morality, and why Jon believes the next decade could fundamentally change humanity. Whether you agree with his conclusions or not, it's a fascinating conversation about some of the biggest questions we can ask. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 01:20 Why Jon keeps changing careers 03:30 Becoming addicted to flow 05:00 From entrepreneur to AI artist 06:30 The trilogy of Jon's early AI artworks 09:20 The question that led him into theoretical physics 10:50 Quantum mechanics and the double slit experiment explained 13:15 "We may have discovered how reality works" 15:00 Information, consciousness and the foundations of reality 18:10 Souls, consciousness and reincarnation 22:20 Entering the world of science after becoming an artist 26:40 Could this discovery change humanity? 29:30 Spirituality, religion and why society feels more divided 34:00 AI as a reflection of humanity 35:40 Does the universe have an objective morality? 38:15 What happens after death? 41:40 Is God real? 43:20 Are all religions describing the same thing? 45:30 Why Jon stopped calling himself a Christian 48:20 Aliens, consciousness and advanced civilizations 50:15 Is Elon Musk human? 51:15 Time travel, meditation and the Monroe Institute 54:30 Are we living in a simulation? 55:15 Jon's biggest lesson about life 58:30 Why suffering gives life meaning 1:00:30 The inspiration behind Jon's newest body of work Edit This Episode Episode is Not Live Publish: Aug. 04, 2026 @ 5PM Edit Add a Transcript Add Chapter Markers Create a Visual Soundbite Mid-Roll Placements Share Link to Episode Episode Share URLCopy View in website Direct Link to Audio Copy Download MP3 Embed Audio Player What's New Platform Stats Refer a Friend About

  6. Jul 26

    Mat Dryhurst: The Future of Digital Creativity

    In this episode, Mat Dryhurst joins us to discuss how digital art has evolved over the past decade and where it's heading next. We talk about blockchain, NFTs, AI, and the idea of protocol art - works that are defined less by a single image or object than by the rules, systems, and networks that produce them. Along the way, we discuss collecting, curation, online communities, software as an artistic medium, and why some of the most important developments in contemporary art are happening outside traditional institutions. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction 01:35 – Growing up in Kuwait & finding his way into art 03:09 – Collaborating with Holly Herndon for two decades 05:26 – Music, software and creative beginnings 09:29 – Discovering Ethereum before it launched 11:07 – DAOs, crypto and building new institutions 14:00 – Why ambitious artworks take years to make 17:50 – Building a practice outside the traditional art world 20:06 – Making artworks that exist as real software 25:54 – Artist vs Creator 31:04 – Is autonomous art a productive lie? 35:04 – Why we value art we don't always understand 41:14 – Inside *The Call* and designing participatory artworks 44:45 – Why they never create work for the market 48:28 – AI, backlash and losing friends 53:46 – The biggest misconceptions about AI 58:18 – Oxford, AI policy and the future of regulation 01:01:44 – Matt Dryhurst on NFTs 01:07:25 – What NFTs got right 01:12:30 – Crypto art, digital ownership and why it still matters 01:18:05 – Building culture on the blockchain 01:23:10 – Final thoughts Connect with Matt Dryhurst: Twitterinstagram

  7. Jul 19

    Evil Biscuit on Drifella, Trading Cards & Digital Art

    00:00 – Introduction 00:45 – Dropping out of art school 02:20 – Family, comics & collecting 05:20 – Discovering NFTs 06:00 – The birth of Drifella 08:45 – Ethereum, Solana & finding a community 12:20 – Why the Solana art scene exploded 16:30 – Building the Drifella universe 20:20 – Why Drifella 3 became a breakout moment 24:00 – Why trading cards? 27:00 – How Card NFT is made 31:00 – Burning NFTs for physical artworks 33:00 – Curating 100,000+ images 37:30 – AI, intuition & making images 42:00 – NFTs, galleries & the future of art 45:40 – Collaborating with Parker Ito 49:00 – Building a community online 52:00 – What's next for Evil Biscuit? 55:10 – Multiple artistic identities 57:00 – Closing thoughts

  8. Jun 28

    Ed Fornieles on Identity in the Internet Age

    Artist Ed Fornieles joins Verse Talk to discuss Borrowed Lives: Anon 2026, a  body of work exploring how the internet shapes identity. The conversation ranges from Tumblr and 4chan to memes, online belonging, gamer culture, masculinity, AI, and what it means to grow up in a world where images never stop arriving. Along the way, Ed discusses his wider practice, why online communities matter, and how visual culture quietly changes the way we think about ourselves. 00:00 Introduction 03:45 Introducing Ed Fornieles & Borrowed Lives: Anon 05:45 How Tumblr inspired the project 08:35 4chan, anonymity and internet culture 12:00 Cell: recreating online communities in real life 20:25 "The memes meme you" 22:55 Why Borrowed Lives isn't a traditional narrative 25:10 Growing up through images 29:45 Building Anon: research, internet rabbit holes & image collecting 34:40 Inside the artworks: grids, chapters and visual storytelling 37:20 Why it's called Borrowed Lives 39:45 Are online communities inherently dangerous? 44:35 Masculinity, belonging and growing up online 49:45 How the artworks are actually made 53:00 Pepe, Wojak and the evolution of internet identity 56:10 Future characters, AI and where the project goes next 58:50 Raising teenagers in the internet age 1:02:15 Final thoughts

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Ratings & Reviews

3.9
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

In this episode of Verse Talks, Leyla and Jamie speak with digital art historian and researcher Noah Bolanowski about the overlooked history of digital art. From street art and the early days of Nifty Gateway to the NFT boom, blockchain, and the pioneers of computer art, Noah takes us through his journey into uncovering the people, works and stories that helped shape the medium.00:00 — Introduction: Noah Bolanowski 01:43 — Becoming a digital art historian 03:16 — Street art, collecting & the origins of Nifty Gateway 07:22 — Keith Haring, Timothy Leary & early digital art 11:59 — Becoming a “digital Indiana Jones” 15:15 — Discovering NFTs & collecting on Nifty Gateway 18:37 — The NFT boom and sudden six-figure valuations 23:27 — Speculation, collectors & the pandemic NFT market 30:48 — The 14-year-old CryptoPunks millionaire 33:03 — What happened to the NFT market? 36:48 — What can blockchain actually do for art? 38:19 — Museums, smart contracts & exhibiting NFTs 43:49 — Rethinking how digital art is displayed 45:15 — Museums and the 70-year history of digital art 48:19 — Why blockchain changed access to digital art 50:21 — 1OF1 and the institutionalisation of digital art 51:47 — Bill Gates’ early digital art displays 55:32 — Do we actually want screens in our homes? 58:49 — Why Noah turned towards digital art history 1:02:48 — Who gets canonised in digital art history? 1:04:05 — Questioning established narratives & the importance of provenance 1:09:13 — The forgotten pioneers of computer art 1:10:43 — Charles Csuri and the unlikely computer art pioneer 1:13:40 — Making computer art in the 1960s 1:16:49 — Why digital art history still needs to be written 1:18:58 — Collecting historic computer art 1:21:15 — How early digital artworks survive and are preserved 1:23:28 — Charles Csuri, treasure hunting & Part Two 1:25:17 — Investigating the past and rediscovering lost histories 1:28:03 — Closing & Part Two You can find Noah on X @Noahbolanowski

Information

  • Creator
    Verse
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    94
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Verse Talks
  • Show Website
    Verse Talks

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