‘Making a Stronger Impact Artistically’ — An In-Depth Discussion About NFTs With System of a Down’s Serj Tankian

Last month, the lead vocalist of System of a Down, Serj Tankian, hosted an artwork exhibition with the non-fungible token (NFT) platform and market Curio NFT. The bodily and virtual-melded artwork present was referred to as “Not for Touching” and this week Tankian advised Bitcoin.com News that he believes NFT expertise has opened new doorways for his creative expression.

This week Bitcoin.com News chatted with System of a Down’s (SoaD) lead vocalist, Serj Tankian, about non-fungible token (NFT) tech and the way it has given him the power to specific his artwork in a brand new method. In December, Tankian and Curio NFT hosted an artwork exhibition that includes the artist’s NFT paintings referred to as “Not for Touching.”

Tankian has been an artist for years, however NFTs has given the SoaD singer a brand new method “to have an effect on a number of senses concurrently” and he confused that he’s at all times eager about having “a stronger influence artistically.” The following is an in-depth dialogue with SoaD’s Serj Tankian that Bitcoin.com News recorded on January 5.

Bitcoin.com News (BCN): You’ve lately stepped into the world of NFTs. Can you inform our readers the way you found NFT expertise?

Serj Tankian: I found it by studying the information. Seeing how totally different artists have been releasing NFTs. We have been transforming the home and I had a number of studying time, and I used to be like ‘wow that is actually attention-grabbing.’ Since I’ve been doing artwork for plenty of years, musically related artwork, I assumed ‘wow this could possibly be a brand new platform for what I’m doing.’ So that’s the place the connection of the thought got here into play.

BCN: Recently, you hosted an artwork present referred to as “Not for Touching” with Curio NFT. Can you inform our readers about this occasion and the way it went?

Serj Tankian: The occasion went very well, they arrange a digital gallery which was actually attention-grabbing for me. To have the ability to form of go into this gallery and see my items, which have been NFTs after all, and have the ability to view them, hearken to them, and see particulars on them. Then stroll the opposite method and see one other NFT work on one other wall. It was actually cool, the setup was very nice and it’s form of my first dive into this world as an artist.

I’ve at all times been within the capacity to have an effect on a number of senses concurrently, as a method of form of having a stronger influence artistically. I did that with my artwork in music, which we name “Eye For Sound.” We use an app that does optical recognition and also you stroll right into a bodily gallery and you’ll be able to pay attention to every of the work with a smartphone or earbuds.

It’s like an immersive expertise and with NFTs the power to make that portray truly bodily come to life using animation and digital portray. Like my good good friend, Roger Kupelian, who has labored on Lord of the Rings and lots of many movies, his work come to life with the music within the background. So I’m actually enthusiastic about it as a result of the product got here out actually unbelievable.

BCN: Do you accumulate another property from particular NFT collections?

Serj Tankian: I’ve not thus far. To be sincere, I’m not a big bodily artwork collector, although I produce bodily artwork. I do have some work by some good buddies. Maybe it’s the truth that I’m in some methods a minimalist. I don’t like litter, even on a tough drive. I’ve a number of buddies who’re collectors they usually love gathering artwork, gathering issues, NFTs, and I’m simply not a collector. I’m an artist, I produce.

BCN: Do any of the opposite System of the Down bandmates like NFTs?

Serj Tankian: I haven’t truly requested them. I’m not positive any of them have purchased any. I might doubt it, however possibly Shavo (SoaD bass participant Shavo Odadjian), as a result of he’s very tech-friendly and versus the opposite guys. So presumably Shavo, however I’m not positive.

BCN: Why do you suppose NFTs are the “subsequent step” by way of creative creation?

Serj Tankian: I used to be saying that assertion is directed at me. Because it gave me a brand new platform to have the ability to add a dimension of expertise that I hadn’t been ready so as to add bodily. That can be crawling into the digital house in a method that I could make the work transfer, make them dance.

Where within the bodily house, work are on the wall and they don’t seem to be dancing, however the music-making you get into them, which is gorgeous. But now I’m able to fill in that house between the wall and the listener with NFTs. I anticipate finding extra areas, digital or bodily, to have the ability to work together additional with a number of senses to extend the efficiency of the artist’s imaginative and prescient.

BCN: Besides NFTs are you into different varieties of blockchain initiatives, like crypto-assets reminiscent of bitcoin?

Serj Tankian: Not actually. I don’t know sh*t about it. I’m fully a naive particular person on the subject of blockchain, bitcoin, and any of it. I don’t personal any, to me [NFT tech] is a brand new world of presenting my artwork, in order that’s my in. But I actually don’t know a lot about blockchain however I’ve buddies who’ve purchased bitcoin early and they’re very enthused.

BCN: Lots of people imagine blockchain tech can take away parasitic third events from numerous parts in our lives. Would you agree with that?

Serj Tankian: I feel there’s undoubtedly reality to that. I feel it’s a subversive expertise in a method or possibly it’s not subversive, and possibly it’s another. You take into consideration the gold normal and the way the cash was once based mostly on gold. Then they obtained off the gold normal as a result of they couldn’t discover sufficient gold. They expanded past that so most currencies are based mostly on the integrity of the federal government of that nation.

With blockchain and bitcoin you might be exterior of that system. To me the entire thing may be very attention-grabbing, NFTs included, as a result of the human character agreeing to worth issues in a selected method may be very attention-grabbing.

BCN: Do you intend on doing any extra NFT exhibitions that includes your paintings?

Serj Tankian: I do. But I wish to discover the following stage. I might like to do a bodily gallery or museum exhibition, the place there are these bodily remoted areas for every of my work and also you create much more of this digital meets the bodily world. Where you may work together with the a number of dimensions of artwork that embody portray, undoubtedly the music surrounding you, possibly some contact and scent parts, lighting, and convey the digital world into that. Maybe the NFTs could possibly be projected, throughout the precise house, I’m beginning to think about a number of dimensions and the rise of the efficiency of the creative impact.

What do you consider our interview with Serj Tankian from System of a Down? What do you consider his description of NFT expertise? Let us know what you consider this topic within the feedback part beneath.