Milestones: A History of Generative Breakthroughs on Art Blocks
We are pleased to share that on October 17, we will take part in the 5th annual Marfa Weekend with the pre-launch of the analog edition of Collecting Art Onchain. To mark this occasion, we're also presenting an exhibition in collaboration with Art Blocks at the AB Gallery: Milestones: A History of Generative Breakthroughs on Art Blocks, curated by Kate Vass. The book and exhibition together honor the breakthroughs of on-chain art and the visionary artists behind them, while placing special focus on the collectors who supported this ecosystem.
Since 2021, Marfa has become the annual meeting point for the Art Blocks community. Each October, artists, collectors, and enthusiasts gather in the high desert of West Texas for several days of exhibitions, talks, and shared time. Despite its small size, the town has earned international recognition as a contemporary art destination, with Art Blocks contributing to this presence since its early years. This year’s weekend is particularly special as Art Blocks is nearing its 500th flagship project. This milestone marks half a decade of experimentation on the platform. By bringing code-based works directly on-chain, Art Blocks has transformed how generative art is created, distributed, and collected. This year's event reflects on the past five years while looking toward the future.
This celebration also offers the perfect opportunity for us to honor not only the groundbreaking artworks and artists who defined this era, but also the collectors who helped shape the ecosystem alongside them. On Friday, October 17, we will pre-launch the analog Collector’s Edition of Collecting Art Onchain with the special cover by Manoloide, the first publication to place collectors at the center of the evolving world of blockchain-based art.
Tecrrain #0 by Manoloide - Cover of the analog Collector’s Edition of Collecting Art Onchain.
Milestones: A History of Generative Breakthroughs on Art Blocks
As part of the book launch, we will also present the exhibition Milestones, curated by Kate Vass at the AB Gallery. This exhibition brings together 17 landmark projects that trace five years of experimentation and evolution on the platform. From the launch-day works of Snowfro's Chromie Squiggle, DCA's Genesis, and Jeff Davis's Construction Token that defined a new cultural frontier to later explorations of text, sound, sculpture, and play, the exhibition charts how generative systems have expanded in scope and ambition. What emerges is less a linear progression than a constellation of breakthroughs: moments where code became character, environment, timekeeper, or game.
Genesis #125 by DCA - Courtesy of the Erick Calderon (Snowfro) Collection and the artist.
Chromie Squiggle #8353 by Erick Calderon (Snowfro) — Courtesy of the Curated.xyz Collection and the artist.
The works on view are drawn from leading private collections — including those of Seedphrase, Collector B, Delronde, Punk6529, Cozomo de’ Medici, Erick Calderon (Snowfro), 137, Coldie, VonMises, Kanbas, Seth Goldstein, Colborn, NiftyNaut, KarateKid, G4SP4RD, Jeff Davis, zaphodok, Justin Trimble, Eli Scheinman, Curated.xyz — whose vision and support have helped define the cultural significance of Art Blocks since its inception. The show will also feature Tecrrain by Manoloide — the generative work chosen as the cover of Collecting Art Onchain — underscoring the dialogue between the book and the exhibition.
Together, these projects testify to the collaborative energy of a community that has continually redefined the parameters of generative art, transforming it from a niche practice into a living ecosystem with lasting cultural resonance.
Construction Token #84 by Jeff Davis — Courtesy of the Seedphrase Collection and the artist.
17 Projects
Launch Day:
Chromie Squiggle, 2020
Genesis, 2020
Construction Token, 2020
3D Projects:
Ignition, 2021
Geometry Runners, 2021
Skulptuur, 2021
Time-Based Projects:
720 Minutes, 2021
Gazers, 2021
Game Project
Colorspace, 2022
Figurative Projects:
NimBuds, 2021
Audio Projects:
AlgoRhythms, 2021
Flux, 2022
montreal friend scale, 2022
Polychrome Music, 2022
Text Projects:
Asemica, 2021
Para Bellum, 2022
Choreography Project:
Human Unreadable, 2023
20 Artists
Featured artists include Alexis André, Andrew Badr, Amon Tobin, Bryan Brinkman, DCA, Danny Wolfers (Legowelt), Dina Ofman, Emily Edelman, Erick Calderon (Snowfro), ge1doot, Han x Nicolas Daniel, Jeff Davis, Matt Kane, Matty Mariansky, Operator, Owen Moore, Piter Pasma, Rafael Rozendaal, Rich Lord and Tabor Robak.
AlgoRhythms #760 by Han x Nicolas Daniel — Courtesy of the zaphodok Collection and the artist duo.
Panel
The day will also include the panel we are hosting, Systems, Signals & Souls: Why We Collect (Live) – A Marfa Experiment, with renowned speakers Erick Calderon, Jeff Davis, Natalie Stone, and Beeple, joined by surprise guests. The conversation will take place on Friday, October 17, at 3:30 pm at the Crowley Theater.
Flux #304 by Owen Moore — Courtesy of the G4SP4RD Collection and the artist.
Book Launch Weekend Program
Friday, October 17th at 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM at the Art Blocks Marfa Gallery: Exhibition - "Milestones: A History of Generative Breakthroughs"
Friday, October 17th at 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM at the Art Blocks Marfa Gallery: Launch of the Collecting Art Onchain (the book) – Collector's Limited Edition
Friday, October 17th at 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM at the Crowley Theater: Panel discussion - Systems, Signals & Souls: Why We Collect (Live) – A Marfa Experiment
We look forward to welcoming you in Marfa to celebrate the launch, the exhibition, and this shared milestone together.
Polychrome Music #195 by Rafael Rozendaal & Danny Wolfers (Legowelt)— Courtesy of the 137 Collection and the artist duo.