Former Gagosian Head of Digital Builds Generative Art Gallery Tonic.xyz

The former head of digital at the globally renowned Gagosian Gallery is taking her experiences in the art world to Web3.

Susannah Maybank, who spent years in fine art, is building Tonic.xyz, a non-fungible token (NFT) gallery focused on curating generative art collections by providing artists the infrastructure to mint their code on-chain.

Maybank co-founded Tonic with Mariam Naficy, founder of online design marketplace Minted. The first collection on Tonic will launch Jan. 31 and feature a generative art collection from Jaime Derringer, artist and founder of publication Design Milk.

Generative art has had its moment in a chilling crypto winter, where artists such as Tyler Hobbs and Erick Calderon have produced successful collections on generative art platform Art Blocks.

Maybank told CoinDesk that not only does generative art provide artists an ongoing relationship with collectors, but the code allows artists to create a narrative expressed over a larger collection.

“Our entire lives are mediated through digital means, largely. It's amazing that now we have this creative medium that speaks to that reality that we can get excited about,” said Maybank.

In addition to helping artists mint their collections, Tonic will work to help onboard non-crypto native buyers and other individuals who come from the fine art world. Maybank is dedicated to merging the physical and digital through Web3, offering real-world derivatives of the NFT pieces that buyers can display in their homes.

“I'm not an artist. That's not how I'm supposed to contribute,” said Maybank. “But I do really believe that I'm supposed to help introduce incredible artists to a broader audience, and that's a fundamental part of my job.”

Read More: What Are Generative Art NFTs?