Guillaume (Arsonic) of Zeblocks is a digital designer with a passion for blockchain, decentralization, and art. Working with his good friend Sebsatian, they formed Zeblocks to host their professional and experimental projects. I asked Guillaume a few questions about his background and upcoming Art Blocks project Unigrids.

Jeff Davis: Hi Guillaume, it’s nice to speak with you. How did you first get into making art?

Guillaume: Art is something that I have always been naturally drawn to, which led me to study Arts & Media in college. I really enjoying oil spatula painting, and it went from there.

JD: How has your creative practice changed over time?

G: At first it was all about physical arts, and then it moved to computer design and naturally evolved to a more “programmable” art, which is art on-chain.

JD: What led you to discover NFTs / Crypto Art?

G: Back in 2017, I met Erick (Snowfro) on a project, and as you know, he is a pioneer in CryptoPunks. He is the one who first taught me about NFTs and showed me Punks. Unfortunately, it took me three years to fully understand the innovation that he was trying to get me into.

JD: When did you start pursuing generative art?

G: It all started during the late summer of 2020 after buying my first CryptoPunk. On their discord channel, I heard about a project from Natealex called Squiggly, where I witnessed the creation of Mint That Shit. A contract to mint SVG NFTs, on which I produced my first on-chain art called Everything is Better with a Bag of Weed. It was one of the first fully on-chain animated SVG, that has since been purchased by a group called FlamingoDao. I really respect them so it’s pretty great. Creating Everything is Better with a Bag of Weed was what gave me the idea to create a full generative set based on a similar aesthetic.

JD: And that leads us to Unigrids! What should collectors look for in your project as the series unfolds?

G: Each Unigrid is an experiential piece of art, with a static image for printing, an animation, and a companion beat—all generated and stored on the blockchain. You truly need to play around with Unigrids to understand the essence of them. Be sure to hold onto your favorite piece as we will be adding interactive easter eggs for art owners, giveaways, and other engagement with the community.

JD: Anything else you’d like to share to help people better understand your art?

G: I’d just say that our art is not just about the aesthetic, the technical aspect is very important for us too. We really like to push the boundaries of our on-chain art to inspire people to get out of their comfort zone and explore new avenues. I really hope that people enjoy the technical aspect as much as we do.

JD: Yes, there are a lot of fun elements to this project. While everyone awaits the official release, what is the best way for people to follow your work?

G: The best way is to follow us on our Twitter and Instagram. From there you will find all the information you need for our multiple social media platforms, chat, and website. Thank you for having me!

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Top image  Detail of Unigrids #150.