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Our Statement to the new Art Blocks GRID view: We are addressing the release of Art Blocks’ new GRIDS product, which directly copies our gallery viewer design without any acknowledgment of our work or contributions to the space. On July 16, 2024, we reached out to SquiggleDAO member NiftyFifty to explore potential support or collaboration for creating the Chromie Squiggle gallery viewer. We shared examples of our previous contributions to the community, including CryptoPunks(dot)gallery, CryptoArte(dot)gallery, and DeepBlack(dot)allery. At the time, we were informed that SquiggleDAO were reducing expenses and could not support the project, though their response was polite. Despite this, we believed in showcasing important collections in the best possible way and decided to build the gallery independently. A month later August 23, 2024, we presented the completed gallery - shazoo(dot)xyz/chromie-squiggle - and discussed potential collaboration. Unfortunately, no partnership emerged. Since launching the gallery, our efforts to engage the SquiggleDAO, Snowfro, and Art Blocks communities received minimal response. While SquiggleDAO occasionally interacted with our tweets through likes, Snowfro offered no support—not even a single share or acknowledgment—despite our proactive attempts to capture his attention. We linked individual tokens to the Art Blocks site, referenced their social profiles, and deliberately avoided features like wallet connect to prioritize security. Now, the reason for this lack of engagement is clear: they bypassed collaboration to replicate our work and launch it as their own. While we welcome competition and celebrate the opportunity to view collections beautifully across different platforms, the NFT and generative art space thrives on community support and collaboration. Builders and innovators deserve acknowledgment and encouragement, not disregard. Growth in this space requires mutual respect and cooperation. Actions like these hinder that growth. Lastly, it’s worth reflecting on the mission of the Generative Art Fund led by Snowfro and Jeff Davis. This fund claims to “expand opportunities for creative coding by supporting organizations that merge art and programming.” Yet, we question how this mission aligns with copying ideas without acknowledgment instead of nurturing or supporting independent creators. We believe the NFT and art communities deserve better. Let’s continue building, innovating, and fostering collaboration to strengthen this space together. — SHAZOO