James Martinez writes about the intersection of art, music, and digital culture for Nova. His thoughtful essays explore how creative movements shape contemporary society, from underground art collectives to viral TikTok trends. Before joining Nova, James was a curator at a contemporary art gallery in Brooklyn and contributed to Artforum and The Fader. He holds an MFA in Critical Writing from CalArts and believes that culture criticism should be as accessible as it is intellectually rigorous.
The NFT boom promised to revolutionize digital art, then crashed spectacularly. But beyond the speculation and get-rich-quick schemes, a quieter transformation continues. We speak with digital artists about building sustainable practices in a transformed landscape.
Photography evolves with each generation of artists. These five emerging photographers bring fresh perspectives to fashion, portrait, and documentary work - combining technical mastery with conceptual depth. We explore their practices, inspirations, and the stories they're compelled to tell.
Music and fashion have always been intertwined, but today's relationship runs deeper than ever. Musicians launch fashion lines, designers score runway shows, and tour merchandise rivals luxury brands. We explore how sound shapes style and why this creative exchange matters.
Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest have fundamentally changed how we discover, engage with, and understand art. Artists build careers without gallery representation. Museums compete for attention in feeds. But has democratization come at a cost? We examine social media's impact on art world accessibility, aesthetics, and economics.
While algorithmic playlists dominate music discovery, underground scenes continue fostering genuine innovation. From experimental electronic collectives to neo-punk movements, these communities operate outside commercial pressures, creating sounds that challenge and excite. We map vibrant underground music scenes where the future is being written.