Interview with NFT IC-Ape Ventures

We interviewed Caeser from IC-Ape Ventures, a project that DFINITY Community has partnered with due to the extraordinary vision of the project and the quality of the art and who are inspired artistically by none other than Edward Munch.

1. How would you describe your artistic style?

We made sure that every alternative that emerged looked realistic, charismatic, strong, and intelligent. We worked in detail and realistically, and we have carefully added every detail by evaluating the needs and requests of the NFT marketplace.

2. What drew you to NFT creation rather than traditional canvas-based art?

Unlike traditional canvas-based art, We have the opportunity to show our works to a large number of people thanks to NFTs. Thousands of people around the world can see our art and offer their likes and comments. For people to value our art and want to own it, it was something we dreamed of, as it is for every artist. So we grabbed our brushes with our hands and headed this way.

3. Are there any artists who have inspired you? What do you like about their work?

“Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye... it also includes the inner pictures of the soul.” - Edward Munch.

This quote by Munch has always been inspiring for us in terms of artistic vision. We tried to feel the spirit of every IC Ape we made. When you catch its eyes, we try to make you understand there is a story behind and character from its eyes.

4. What made you create NFTs?

We believe that NFT is a technology that will change the world. And we are aware that every change starts with art. The first way this technology reaches the masses is through art.

Now we can think of NFTs as telegraphs. There are lots of things that can be done. There are a lot of things that need to be improved. We start it with a collection. We want to move it to different places. We want it to develop in our project together with NFTs. We are not just an NFT collection project; ICApes is just our first collection. After the works we have planned, we plan to step into the NFT-Gaming industry and contribute to the development and funding of beautiful projects with ICApe Ventures on the way.

5. Can you tell us about your project?

Our project starts with the IC Apes collection. The purpose of this collection is to move to a point where both NFT and Art meet and fundamentals and venture capital meet. We have already talked about NFT and art enough, now let's talk about fundamentals and venture capital.

ll turn ICApes into Mutant Apes. We aim for mutant apes to be like a limited edition, not a vast collection. Thus, those who wish will transform their ICApes into Mutant apes and perform the Re-Minting process. This will be a factor that causes a kind of deflation for ICApes, its supply will decrease, and it will become more valuable.

We also know very well how valuable the “First Ape” projects in other ecosystems are.

We don't think IC Apes are in a game. For now, this is the first product of our brand and DFINITY's first Ape collection. At the same time, we want it to be a product where we showcase our art and what we can do. We are planning to step into the game industry with a significant breakthrough in the near future.

Unlike other projects, we will do our airdrops with the learn and earn mechanism. We will prepare various guides and quizzes, starting with the question of “What is DFINITY?”, which we will talk about fundamentally and the introductions of projects in the ecosystem. We will try to realize our airdrops by really teaching people about ICP and its ecosystem. We are trying to develop a different system to support the 8-year gang, which we will use in the quizzes.

After this collection is successfully finished, we developed a different system to add utility to our NFTs. It's too detailed to write here, but they can be viewed from this link. 25% of the collection and project revenues will be locked in the Network Nervous System for eight years, and the interest income obtained every month will be sent to ICApe hodlers with certain conditions through the system we have prepared.

After this collection, we will release a collection called Mutant ICApes, and this collection will be very different from the others; we are trying to push the limits of ICP. We can recommend people who hold ICApes in the system to be ready for Mutant ICApe surprises.

After these are completed, the revenues will be transferred to the IC Ape Ventures treasury. As the seed and private investor of visionary and innovative projects in the DFINITY ecosystem, IC Ape Ventures will support the ecosystem's development and become a brand.

A large portion of these private investment proceeds will also be distributed from the system as rewards to ICApe hodlers under certain conditions. Half of the trade income from the Entrepot marketplace will be distributed through this system. There are other projects we want to create, we are working on their plans, and after we realize our initial plans, we want to start other projects that we want to do by growing our team.

6. How many NFT will be minted? Can you talk us through the process of how you create the art?

When creating these 10,000 NFTs to be minted, one of the first things we decided on was the stance of our IC Ape. We made sure the stance was a firm, tough pose. Then we tried to make the eyes realistic and impressive. We took care that the looks tell something about the character.

We carefully prepared the overlapping layers. We worked in a planned and careful way to create different characters without breaking the realism. While preparing the assets, we made sure that they were compatible with the characters.

7. Will Your NFT be able to breed or ever be in a game?

We want to start by saying be ready for surprises! We want to realize the Mutant Ape collection in a very different way. We don't want to share too many details, but let me state the following. We are preparing a different concept that will blow the minds of anyone used to the current crop of NFTs.

8. What benefits do you think the Internet Computer has over other L1 blockchains when it comes to creating NFTs?

Name any other blockchain that can run at web speed and scale computational throughput just by adding more nodes. Let me tell you the answer: Internet Computer Protocol.

For the first time, a blockchain can also store data directly on memory pages in the chain. Just like every other revolution, NFTs started with art too. Now, when we imagine the things that can be done with NFT technology, we can launch it on a blockchain that can process at web speed... It's an indescribable feeling. We are very excited and very curious about the future of NFTs on ICP.

9. What other art have you seen that excites you in the Internet Computer NFT ecosystem?

Apes want to be outspoken.

Most NFTs are just looking to capitalize on the hype and make quick profits. But there are a few projects that do the opposite, and I would like to mention them.
We want to answer this with their contribution to the ecosystem and their artistic aspects.

ICPunks: They did a great job at marketing. All of these airdrop leaves have garnered significant interest both from outside and from the ecosystem. They realized their new projects on the ethereum network and gathered audiences from there and brought them to the ICP ecosystem. We thank them for introducing the ICP ecosystem to outlanders.

• Poked Studio NFT: It is a solid project with a truly incredible artist behind it and whose artistic aspect we think goes far beyond other projects.
• ICP Squad NFT: Engage to earn! It's a really cool concept. The team behind it consists of people who know what they are doing and have made an enormous contribution to the ICP ecosystem.
• Cronics: “Toniq Labs!” I think no other project or team contributes to the ecosystem as much as they do in technical terms. It has a team of brilliant people who work hard. We can say that the team and the project will have the biggest share in the growth of this ecosystem.
  

10. What excites you most about your launch?

We are the First Ape NFT project on the ICP ecosystem! I think it will not be possible without mentioning how powerful the Ape NFT projects are. And we tried to answer it according to the needs of the market. We believe that the work we do is world-class. We are entering the project with our first NFT collection, whose artistic aspect can be called top-notch.

We have a lot of strong fundamentals that follow. We think we will have a strong say in the ICP ecosystem. It's very exciting to take our first step towards becoming one of the strongest NFTs out there. We can't help but think about what we're going to do next, and it's very exciting. We think that we will be referred to as one of the most significant NFT projects in the ICP ecosystem one day.

11. What advice would you give to anyone trying to enter into the world of NFTs?

Don't chase quick wins. NFTs are not just assets that need to be flipped over. Try to understand the NFT technology and think about how it can be used to change the world. Listen to the needs of the market. Know your competitors. Try to make friendships. If you do these things, you can generate value.

Make long-term plans and make sure you can fulfill those plans. Let your every step be planned, and success will be inevitable.

12. Do you have further plans to work with ICP Squad in the future after this initial sale?

We have a lot of work to do after this collection, and we have come to stay here permanently. We are financially and morally investing in the Internet Computer Protocol and its ecosystem. We will try to develop and build our entire professional identity here.

We are a team that believes that the ecosystem will grow with the community, and The ICP Squad is the most substantial community here. As IC Ape Ventures, we would like to thank you for your voluntary contributions to the DFINITY ecosystem and community. We will continue to be here and create new projects ​​with you.

13. Can you envisage a future where the most valuable NFT space is on the Internet Computer?

Thinking about it is not a dream. That's why we're here. Everyone likes to chase the hype. But imagine that you did the work to create that hype. We are trying to do that here. Internet Computer Protocol has a very different structure from the others. There is incredible work to be done on this blockchain regarding NFTs. There will be such things in the future that I don't think anyone can think and imagine right now. NFTs and Internet Computer Protocol are coming to change everything.

14. Are you surprised with the incredible amount of publicity that ICP Squad Engage to Earn NFTs has already received pre-launch?

It didn't come as a surprise to us. As we mentioned, we have already mentioned the projects that should be successful and that we believe will be successful. Engage to Earn is a compelling concept, and we were very excited. Some things are bound to happen; surprises are for those who can't see them. We are next; for some, it will be a surprise; for others, it will be inevitable.

15. Why do you think NFTs have become so valuable in such a short space of time?

When we look at history, we can see that all revolutions started from art. Thanks to people who can perceive that NFTs aren't just little bits of pictures, they're the first artifacts of a technology that will have the power to change the world. People want to be a part of this revolution before it's too late. That's the reason we're here, to be the pioneers of this work and technology before the Internet Computer Protocol changes the world. “Art in the Revolution and the Revolution in Art.”

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions 😊

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