Today we interview two artists from Serbia who have been onboarded by Ivana On the Block through the Hartverse course. Read the article to learn about their experience.

JeBeART

“The NFT world is new, and that makes it the most challenging for me at the moment. The ability to connect with like-minded individuals through creation is truly an invaluable experience.” - JeBeART

Jelena Besir “JeBeART” has worked in animated films for 25 years, but she is now interested in short forms, and the Web 3 space is ideal for this kind of versatility. “I was never drawn to this art form by a particular film. What captivated me was the way the process combines various artistic disciplines—writing, music, and even painting, in its own way.”

“It’s not just animations that interest me—space also fascinates me because it allows for more possibilities. Right now, I’m organizing my old drawings, and some of them have ended up in a few collections.

About the NFT space as compared to the traditional, she believes there should be more integration, “with the classic approach becoming better acquainted with the NFT world and vice versa. The possibilities are immense—more NFT artworks in galleries and more animations showcased at festivals.”

“Technology and art are going through a fascinating integration right now. It’s hard to say if there might be a period of stagnation, but further growth seems inevitable, as we can see happening in the present moment. Either way, I find it absolutely captivating to observe how it all unfolds.”

“Curiosity and everything I’ve mentioned have truly captured my attention. Humanity has pushed technology to cosmic heights, and each of us can be a small puzzle piece in creating a better world.”

“From the very beginning and even now, exploring space feels like I’m discovering galaxies. So much has truly changed. I love watching how art and visual expression reflect the state of consciousness.”

If she had to give one advice about the space, it would be to remain true to yourself.

About her future plans, she is working on releasing old films in short form. “I'm doing a little recap by organizing my previous works—let's see which ones will end up in NFT form.So, you could say I’m still exploring and haven’t fully committed to creating new works just yet. I expect that to change this year.”

Other than that, she finds the idea of collaborations fascinating,” especially the kind where an artist shares a part of their work and lets others reshape it according to their own sensibilities. I found that really interesting.”

Ivana Đokić-Saunderson

“The Hartverse course I took in March last year, not only helped me take that step but got me so interested in the space that I took on the role of onboarding others.” - Ivana Đokić-Saunderson

Ivana is a photographer, who takes photos with her iPhone. She is currently based in Belgrade, Serbia, where she was born.

“I don’t need to travel to find inspiration; I see photos everywhere.” - Ivana Đokić-Saunderson

She started photography in the early 2000s and have been photographing every day for over 20 years. Although she used to take photography with a camera, she doesn’t anymore. “I’m considering fixing my old Canon semi-automatic camera just to see how it feels after so long. I used to use it a lot, but once I got an iPhone and the camera broke for the third time, I decided not to fix it again. I’m not particularly interested in the technical side of photography.”

iPhone photography has become an essential part of her life. “Even when I’m not taking photos, I can’t seem to see the world without a lens. I don’t need to travel to find inspiration; I see photos everywhere. I enjoy capturing the same scenes I walk past regularly. I focus on light, reflections, motion, and abstract images in everyday places. I avoid disturbing people, so I rarely photograph them”.

Outside of photography, she has always been drawn to words and writing. “I wrote about art and art theory, focusing on deconstruction in art, particularly in film. I explored European directors and analyzed the representation of Europe in the works of Krzysztof Kieślowski, Lars von Trier, and Wim Wenders. My PhD was on Peter Greenaway, but a life event led me in a completely different direction. I chose not to finish it or pursue an academic career—a decision I’m deeply grateful for, as it allowed me to end up where I am today. I also participated in a few performances and short film projects by other artists, but that was a while ago and not something I pursued further. I have, however, spent the last 23 years following and supporting the work of one very special artist who creates outside the art scene, but that’s something I don’t feel I could share in this kind of interview, even though it has had the greatest impact on me”

One of her favourite photos is a photo called “symBol” from the collection “summeRizing” on OpenSea. I haven’t listed it. I’ve left it to be discovered, waiting for the right offer at the right price. I know the value it holds for me and the minimum I’d accept, but I also know that it will most likely never be offered. And I love that since it will always remain just a drop in the sea.

She first heard about NFTs through general media coverage, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I keep thinking back to this moment when I was listening to Twitter Spaces before and during the release of Pak and Julian Assange's "Censored" NFT drop. I was really interested in Assange’s situation while he was in Belmarsh Prison, but at the time, I didn’t know much about NFTs. I kept listening, though, because there was so much passion and excitement around the project. I heard so many people talking about their stories, their art, and their passion for the cause. The countdown still sticks with me, and even though I didn’t totally get what was going on, I was more than excited! It wasn’t until later, when I got more into the space, that I pieced together what I had witnessed by chance. It still brings me joy, but now that I’ve spent more time in the space, I feel a little sad, because that kind of enthusiasm seems like a thing of the past. I hope I’m wrong, though. My onboarding experience was great. I had been trying to get into the space by reading a lot about it, as I always do, but I just couldn’t figure out how to take the first step.

“I decided to finally do something with the hundreds of thousands of photos I’ve taken over the years, most of which have never been shared with others”

“It was “JeBeART” idea to explore this world, and she asked for my help since I speak good English and am somewhat tech-savvy. She discovered the Hartverse course, and that’s how we both entered the space. We realized it wasn’t going to work the way we initially imagined, so I decided to finally do something with the hundreds of thousands of photos I’ve taken over the years, most of which have never been shared with others”.

It’s now Ivana’s time to onboard others: “The Hartverse course I took in March last year, not only helped me take that step but got me so interested in the space that I took on the role of onboarding others. In December, I lectured on the Tezos ecosystem and the Objkt platform as part of the latest Hartverse seminar, "NFT Technology in the Art World" (sponsored by the ECD crypto exchange). I’m still helping normies become newbies, offering all the advice I can, since I know it’s not easy to transition from a web2 to a web3 mindset. “

When asked to share the best advice she has been given about the space, she mentions it is “to find a group of people whose work you admire and who would appreciate your own. I’m still struggling with that since I’m interested in so many things. The greatest discovery for me has been generative art, but I can only admire it. In general, though, it would be a longer list: to be good in this world, to seek simplicity in things that seem complicated, to pursue truth even in a world that doubts its existence, and to find beauty in places where it’s not usually recognized”.

Currently, Ivana is working on organizing her photos into meaningful collections and creating GIFs from series that capture motion. She is also planning to introduce one artist into the space who doesn’t want to engage directly but would let her represent him.

Some artists she looks up to in the space are @__causasui and @Rrose_Selavy_11. Right now, she is discussing a potential collaboration with @JeBeART.

Discover a selection of the artworks of newly on-boarded artists to Web3 and Objkt.com through Hartverse//ECD course here.

Interview of 2 newly onboarded artists through the Hartverse course

JeBeART

Ivana Đokić-Saunderson

Bridges to Web3: An Interview with Ivana On The Block from Hartverse

Down the Silicon Meadow