Verse Talks
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/
