Welcome to this edition of Salon de l’Empress, where we’re diving into some exciting happenings: Echow, the NFT platform redefining how editions are valued; CDMX Art Week 2025, packed with fairs, exhibitions, and gallery shows; and the debut of #ArtOnBitcoin, highlighting Paweł Dudko’s Polyphos drop on the Gamma Winter Pass.
Echow: The Bonding Curve That’s Flipping NFT Editions on Their Head
Yeah, I know—another new platform in the web3 space. We’ve seen a lot of platforms come and go, with the closing of KnownOrigin and MakersPlace, there is maybe fud around the current state of the digital art market — but taking a step back, there’s a plethora of places for artists to share their work and collectors to discover their new favorite artist. So, what’s this new thing?
I discovered Echow.xyz through my friend Aoife's drop on the platform which is generally how I discover new things is watching artists I love. Founded by @QuentinMerabet, Echow is taking something familiar to DeFi aficionados—the bonding curve—and giving it new life by applying it to art minting mechanics in a way that feels fresh and rewarding. Instead of the usual tired conversation of 1/1s versus editions, Echow flips the script: more editions don’t dilute the value—they increase it.
Here’s why this stands out: Every time someone mints a piece, the price increases by 10%, making each new edition more valuable than the last. And with every mint, the 24-hour timer resets, creating a theoretically infinite drop duration if the momentum continues. It’s like the excitement of an auction combined with the accessibility of editions.
While bonding curves aren’t a new concept, Echow’s innovation lies in how it applies them to the ongoing discourse of editions versus 1/1s. Traditionally, more editions meant a lower price per piece, but Echow lets the community decide how valuable a work is, rewarding early supporters and fans who are paying attention with lower prices for the work.
In today’s attention economy, this built-in mechanic feels vital—those who engage and act quickly with their favorite artists are naturally rewarded. Recently, @sunnysangwan wrote an insightful article on the bull thesis for editions on X, arguing that they provide a more decentralized and resilient way to ensure the longevity of artwork. With a 1/1, a single collector could theoretically burn or erase a piece, but with editions, the art lives on in multiple wallets, forming a decentralized network of ownership and resilience.
Echow is funded by profits from the $MOON token on Solana and runs on Base blockchain, bridging the worlds of memecoin trading and NFT art. The platform takes inspiration from pump.fun mechanics while creating an experience tailored to artists and collectors who want something more dynamic than the typical mint-and-flip marketplace.
Recently, I dropped a piece on Echow titled “Can I enter my softgirl era yet?”—a work that bridges two different creative processes for me. The piece combines my digital painting with MidJourney image prompting, working back and forth between the two techniques to create something refined and unique. It’s part of my ongoing exploration of merging traditional and AI-driven practices. Engaging with the platform has been exciting, and seeing collectors interact with the work through this innovative mechanic has been a rewarding experience. Beyond my own drop, I’ve come across some incredible recent pieces, including Aoife’s work, that demonstrate how this platform has potential to become a playground for experimentation and innovation.
Echow | Can I enter my soft girl era yet?
Mint "Can I enter my soft girl era yet?" on Echow - Art, to the moon.
CDMX Art Week 2025: Fairs, Museums, and Gallery Events
Art Week 2025 is set to take over Mexico City from February 3 to 9, bringing an exciting mix of major fairs, dynamic exhibitions, and vibrant gallery events. While the big three—Zona Maco, Material, and Salón ACME—are stealing the international spotlight, the real magic is in the sprawling network of side events, pop-up shows, and exhibitions scattered throughout the city’s galleries and museums. My plan? Attend as much as I can, document it all, and share insights on the incredible artists I find. Here’s a non-comprehensive but exciting list of events that have already caught my eye, along with a new discovery—Premaco in Guadalajara.
Premaco: Guadalajara’s Expanding Art Scene
While I’m not attending Premaco this year, I’m already excited about its future potential. Taking place alongside Art Week, Premaco offers a series of gallery events and exhibitions focused on emerging talent and local creativity. It’s exciting to see Guadalajara carving out its own space in Mexico’s growing arts calendar.
Dates: February 5–9, 2025
Details: Premaco 2025 - Onda MX
Major Art Fairs in CDMX
Zona Maco 2025
Dates: February 5–9, 2025
Description: Latin America’s most significant art fair, bringing together contemporary art, design, and antiques from international galleries and artists.
Website: Zona Maco
Material Art Fair, Vol. 11
Dates: February 6–9, 2025
Description: Known for championing experimental and emerging practices, Material Art Fair features cutting-edge galleries and independent projects.
Website: Material Art Fair
Salón ACME No. 12
Dates: February 6–9, 2025
Description: An artist-led initiative, Salón ACME highlights contemporary works, giving emerging and established artists a platform outside traditional art fairs.
Website: Salón ACME
Museum Exhibitions During Art Week
Gabriel Orozco: Politécnico Nacional
Dates: February 1–August 3, 2025
Location: Museo Jumex
Description: A major retrospective showcasing 300 works by renowned Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco.
Website: Museo Jumex
Julieta Aranda: Clear Coordinates for Our Confusion
Dates: November 23, 2024–May 11, 2025
Location: Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC)
Description: Aranda’s exhibition explores time, resistance, and systems of control.
Website: MUAC
How to Write Death in the South
Dates: February 5–9, 2025
Location: Anahuacalli Museum
Description: An exhibition featuring works by Argentine and Mexican artists, focused on themes of mortality and cultural narratives.
Website: Museo Anahuacalli
Gallery Events and Side Exhibitions
Gran Apertura: Cara de Planta
Date: Thursday, February 6, 2025, at 6 PM
Location: Nuevo Taller - Residencias, Café Bar, Galería
Address: Tonalá 121, Roma Norte, CDMX
Instagram: @caradeplanta
Welcome to the Dollhouse
Artists: Sandra Blow and Romeo Gómez López
Date: Monday, February 6, 2025, from 4 PM to 10 PM
Location: Tehuantepec 223, Roma Sur, CDMX
Instagram: @salonsilicon
Semana del Arte at Revuelta Galería
Dates: Wednesday, February 5, and Thursday, February 6, 2025
Highlights:
February 5 at 6 PM: “Nosotrxs Criaturas” by Antoine Granier
February 5 at 9 PM: DJ set by Kapax
February 6 at 6 PM: Performance “Nosotrxs Criaturas” by Gizeh Trejo
Location: Revuelta Galería, CDMX
Instagram: @revuelta.galeria
Tercerunquinto: Desde nuestra propia altura
Dates: February 4 to March 25, 2025
Opening: February 4, from 4 PM to 8 PM
Location: Proyectos Monclova
Address: Lamartine 415, Polanco, Ciudad de México
Website: Proyectos Monclova
Yann Gerstberger: 2 Feet in 1 Bucket of Ice
Opening: February 1, 2025
Location: OMR Gallery
Description: A showcase of works blending painting and tapestry through hand-dyed cotton fibers.
Website: OMR Gallery
Haegue Yang: Arcane Abstractions
Dates: February 8–April 5, 2025
Location: Kurimanzutto
Description: Yang’s exploration of ritualistic forms and global craft traditions.
Website: Kurimanzutto
CAPÍTULO VII: Shifting Grounds
Dates: February 7–June 1, 2025
Location: LagoAlgo
Description: A group exhibition featuring cycles of displacement and environmental themes.
Website: LagoAlgo
Salah Elmur: The Land of the Sun
Dates: February 4–May 3, 2025
Location: Mariane Ibrahim Gallery
Description: Paintings reflecting on Elmur’s childhood near the Blue Nile.
Website: Mariane Ibrahim Gallery
HAAB Art Week 2025
Dates: February 6–7, 2025
Location: Haab Project, Mexico City
Highlights: Textile Art Installation by Guinand Condesa, performances by Irena Stanisic, Jose Noventa, and Martha Van Straaten
Event Link: Haab Project
Combo Especial #4 - Art Week CDMX
Dates: February 6, 2025
Location: C. del Fresno 268, Sta María la Ribera, Cuauhtémoc, 06400 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
Highlights: Combo Especial is a cultural event that has been bridging the creative scenes of NYC and CDMX since 2021.
Event Link: https://lu.ma/ee6mlbv5?tk=mrZ9A4
If you’re in the CDMX area for art week or have an event you would like me to attend, please feel free to reach out <3.
Introducing #ArtOnBitcoin: Exploring Digital Art on the Bitcoin Blockchain
Welcome to the first installment of #ArtOnBitcoin, a recurring feature dedicated to spotlighting artists and projects making waves in digital art on the Bitcoin blockchain as part of my being an Art Ambassador for Gamma.io. As the conversation around Bitcoin Ordinals continues to grow, this segment will highlight new releases, artist collaborations, and the creative ecosystems evolving on Bitcoin. For our debut, we’re diving into Paweł Dudko’s, a fellow Art Ambassador, latest release, Polyphos, in collaboration with Gamma’s Winter Pass.
About Paweł Dudko
Paweł Dudko is an innovative digital artist whose work merges virtual and physical spaces through generative and interactive art. With a Ph.D. in Art and expertise spanning 3D printing, multimedia installations, and code-based creations, Dudko’s work is known for its dynamic exploration of light, motion, and spatial interaction. His pieces often reflect a deep engagement with computational processes, making him a perfect fit for the evolving digital landscape on Bitcoin.
Website: Paweł Dudko
Dudko’s latest creation, Polyphos, reflects the changing contrasts of the winter season, where light and darkness constantly shift. These pieces were designed to evoke the nuance and balance of winter’s dualities, combining algorithmic design with rich visual textures. The release is exclusive to holders of the Gamma Winter Pass and will be available for minting on January 30th at 2 PM ET, priced at 0.0002 BTC.
Mint window opens for 24 hours only, making this a time-limited opportunity for collectors.
What is the Gamma Winter Pass?
The Gamma Winter Pass builds on the success of Gamma’s Summer Pass by offering exclusive access to curated Bitcoin Ordinals art drops, artist collaborations, and more. Designed by FAR (@0xfar), the pass is more than just a collectible—it’s a gateway to limited-edition works like Dudko’s Polyphos. Holders can look forward to unique releases and collaborations within the Bitcoin art space.
More Info on Gamma Winter Pass here
That’s it for our first #ArtOnBitcoin feature—more highlights and discoveries are on the way.
Until next time, stay real and curious
Empress Trash 🖤
Thank you for taking the time to read my words -- feel free to explore more of my work here:
New to Web3? Here Are Some Guides:
Ethereum Foundation: What is Web3?
A beginner-friendly guide to understanding Web3, its decentralized nature, and why it’s reshaping the internet.
A great starting point for artists, collectors, or institutions exploring the world of crypto art, including wallet setup and minting digital art on Tezos.
Getting Started with Art on Bitcoin
Learn how to create, collect, and explore immutable art on the motherchain, Bitcoin, using Gamma’s easy-to-navigate platform.
Disclaimer: All content in this newsletter reflects my own opinions and passion for art—nothing here is financial or life advice. If any content is sponsored or paid, it will be clearly disclosed. I’m here to share what I love first. Always do your own research before making financial decisions.
