What does it mean to create art in 2023?
For this article we had the pleasure of speaking with Nicolas Madoery, Content Director at ENIGMA and Director of FUTURX, a Latin American community focused on learning and exchanging ideas about music and web3-based technology. FUTURX was created to address the need for a continuous, peer-to-peer learning space at the intersection of music and technology within the Latin American region.
Let's start by discussing your professional journey. How did you reach this point in your career?
It has been a long process, with over 15 years of working in various roles across the music ecosystem and an additional 5 years of exploration. For 10 years, I developed my own music label called Concepto Cero, which started as a collective initiative and evolved over time. I also served as the country manager of a digital distributor, Ditto Music, for 5 years. Throughout my career, I have worked with many institutions, and each step has led to the next. The positions I currently hold, both at FUTURX and ENIGMA, are a result of my continuous pursuit of strategies and new models for the music sector. Much of it is driven by curiosity and the desire to position myself at the intersections of music, technology, and Latin America.
That's quite an impressive journey. But let's talk about FUTURX. Can you tell us more about what FUTURX is and how the idea of creating it came about?
FUTURX emerged from the need to create a space and a learning brand for peers to engage in the crossover between music and technology in our region. We observed that existing capacity-building spaces for institutions and organisations were not generating the deep discussions and continuity that the ecosystem required. Therefore, we established FUTURX as a learning community among peers, fostering continuous debates, research, and development around topics and projects related to music and technology in Latin America.
Let’s shift our focus to the main trends in music and innovation today. What would you say are the primary trends currently shaping the industry? Which trend excites you the most, and which one is having the biggest impact on musicians' lives?
Undoubtedly, the main trend is Artificial Intelligence (AI), which not only affects music but also society as a whole. The accessibility and application of AI technologies have accelerated significantly, raising endless questions. While AI has practical solutions, such as generating social media texts or creating single covers, the underlying discussion revolves around what it means to create art in 2023. We need to ask ourselves why we create and whether we do it critically. The same questions apply to the content we consume.
Furthermore, we are witnessing a new web paradigm, known as web3, which emphasises decentralisation, transparency, and the cultivation of digital communities. Although NFTs and Blockchain have yet to fully penetrate the music community, they will undoubtedly become crucial tools for generating income streams and establishing digital models.
As for the trend that excites me the most, it is the opportunity to contemplate the key questions that will drive project development in Latin America.
Thank you for sharing your insights. Finally, could you provide us with some information about the documentaries and books you are recommending for a better understanding of current digital paradigms and their impact on creation today?
Certainly. These resources delve into the changes in digital paradigms and their impact on contemporary creation. The central theme for discussion is: What does it mean to create? What does it imply to be an artist in 2023? The resources we have prepared include a short audiovisual summary to understand Napster as the ultimate paradigm shift towards new models, insights from Spotify to understand the evolution of music consumption, a documentary exploring the dilemmas of social networks and their impact on content consumption, and a Red Bull documentary capturing the essence of musical creation in an organic way. Additionally, the book "The Death of an Artist" encompasses a significant part of this journey.
Nicolas’ suggestions to learn more
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FUTURX is a Latin American community focused on learning and exchanging about music and web3 based technology. This platform was created to address the need for a continuous, peer to peer focused learning space at the crossover between music and technology within the Latin American region.
Amongst their many projects, they recently finished a survey that gathers information on the use of Artificial Intelligence for creative processes across Latin America. They also recently released a podcast to introduce audiences to everything related to web3.
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