VAULTED #1 - Josh Yakov
Vaulted is a series where prominent members and collectors in the Tezos ecosystem are interviewed and highlighted.
Starting this interview series with Josh Yakov (@delta_alpha_ohm)
“I think collaboration is what sets Tezos apart from other ecosystems.”
Merve : Can you tell us how your collecting journey began?
Josh: My collecting journey on tezos started after hearing Chris Wallace on Proof podcast and following collectors like Artnome and trill. Their curiosity and interests influenced mine, so I went down the hic et nunc rabbit hole, used tools like Nftbiker and then it really ignited once fx(hash) launched.
I had previously collected generative art on Art Blocks as well as using curated and non-curated platforms like SuperRare and Foundation, but the grassroots nature and avant-garde art, really transformed the way I thought about art and approached collecting, grateful for the way it has connected me to this community and excited for what’s to come.
Merve: Can you share a story about acquiring one of your favorite pieces or any interesting moment in your collecting journey?
Josh: Yes, there are lots of really special stories however one holds my heart deepest. I saw Itzel Yard (IX Shells) repost a couple pieces by Iskra Veltichkova and there was something I couldn’t describe. Iskra’s work needs no introduction, evidenced by her recent release with art blocks curated and being fortunate enough to see her work at the Pera Museum that was showing the traveling Vera Molnar retrospective.
With all that said, the piece that Itzel highlighted was named after Rose Valley’s in Bulgaria, Dolina I and Dolina II. It brought a personal sense of emotion, as my grandma was a painter and resided there. It was almost as if these unexplainable cosmic forces brought us together, artist and collector – there was something I knew about that piece before I even purchased it or with the context behind it and then having the place of identity made it all that much more.
Merve: What sets Tezos apart in your eyes compared to other NFT ecosystems?
Josh: I think collaboration is what sets tezos apart from other ecosystems. Whether it is platforms open decentralized curation models, like fx(hash) or Objkt. It holds a special place because grassroots organizations emerge while simultaneously holding space for the many showings at past Art Basel’s and more recently Art Meta and Miami Digital Art Fair. This collaboration also occurs at a literal level with artists and in shows like the collab room that Xer0x curated.
Merve: How would you evaluate the current state of the NFT market, particularly on Tezos?
Josh: The state of the market on Tezos is mature. The volume is not necessarily what it was when Tezos 2x-4x it’s current market cap but the signs for it to get back there are all there. The blockchain’s representation at fairs around the world, the continuing maturity of platforms like Objkt and fx(hash) continue to show how lucky the community is to have such great partners and platforms. Additionally, the blockchain’s partnership with MoMi, Serpentine gallery and Digital Art Mile bode very well for its future.
Merve: Which three emerging artists on Tezos do you think are worth keeping an eye on, and why?
Josh: For whatever reason I feel like people do not talk about Baptiste Crepsy (ciphrd) as an artist in the way he deserves. I'm keen to see if he will continue to make works on Tezos - ethereal microcosm is standout in long-form technical mastery, rgbs have great lore and some early HEN pieces like consciously caught in darkness [G] have deep relations to The Insane Collectors by Kim Asendorf.
Another artist I am keen on who just won the Steve Jobs archive award is Huw Messie. His stitching series on hic et nunc are iconic and am always curious whenever he is minting. Lastly, and I have only collected her work more recently is Salawaki. She just gets the sub-culture in a satirically performative way that is inimitable.
