Mr Richi | Artist at Mondoir

Nationality: Serbian

Discipline: digital-art

Born: 1982

Based in: Belgrade, Serbia

Biography

I am a contemporary digital artist creating at the intersection of pop art, conceptual art, and modern day culture. My work explores value systems, power structures, money, fame, and the psychological mechanisms behind desire, belief, and many other emotions and actions that guide us today in the digital age. I studied literature, which strongly shaped the way I approach art — particularly in my focus on narrative, symbolism, irony, and subtext. My path in visual arts isn't a traditional, academic one, my artistic education developed through years of self-directed research, experimentation, and deep immersion in visual culture, from classical art history and advertising aesthetics to internet memes, street art, and blockchain-native practices. This hybrid approach allowed me to build a visual language that is both conceptually driven and culturally accessible. I began using iconic imagery (banknotes, historical figures, pop culture symbols) as a way to question and explore authority, legitimacy, and belief. Over time, these symbols evolved into tools for my personal artistic expression. My artistic journey accelerated with the rise of NFTs and Web3, which provided both a medium and a context that somehow aligned quite naturally with my themes. Blockchain technology allowed me to engage directly with concepts of ownership, scarcity, speculation, and digital belief systems — not as some vague and abstract ideas, but as real everyday experience. My practice evolved into building cohesive conceptual collections, often mixing humor, irony, and discomfort to provoke emotional and intellectual responses. Today, my work spans authentic digital artworks, stills and animations, as well as AI-assisted visual experiments, physical prints, and live performances, immersive shows. I see my practice as an ongoing investigation that continuously responds to cultural shifts, technological change, and the tension between art, money, belief, and meaning.

Artist Statement

My work is driven by an ongoing exploration of value and how it is created, legitimized, and ultimately believed in. I am interested in the systems that assign meaning to money, images, identities, and ideas, and in how those systems shape our behavior, desire, beliefs and sense of self without us even being aware of it. I use familiar symbols in my art — banknotes, historical figures, pop culture icons, and institutional imagery because they carry authority, trust, and mythology, and I use them to reevaluate them today and what happens when those symbols are removed from their original context. I am particularly drawn to the tension between authenticity and performance. Humor, irony, stereotypes and satire are also important tools in my work that make it emotionally accessible. I want the viewer to recognize the image first, and only then ask himself about what does it represent. New digital culture also play an important role in my work, as I see it as a living laboratory for studying collective belief. Through digital-native formats, I also explore how value circulates in online systems and how art itself becomes a mirror of those dynamics. Ultimately, my work is not about offering clear answers or attitudes, but about exposing mechanisms and inviting viewers to question what they believe in, why they believe it, and who profits from that belief. The viewer should question everything, including my art and the messages in it. Art, for me, is a space where everything can be turned into play.

Exhibitions

Some of the highlights of exhibitions and shows I have been a part of: Saatchi Art Gallery — first digital art group exhibition, curated by Grida London, UK NFC Summit — Featured artist & live immersive shows Lisbon, Portugal (multiple editions; large-scale digital visuals, performances, and NFT presentations) Artcrush — World Tour International traveling exhibitions and digital showcases across multiple cities (global program) Art Basel Miami Beach — Nolcha Shows Group exhibition during Art Basel Week Miami, USA Online & Digital Exhibitions — Various curated NFT and crypto-art showcases across Web3 platforms, and conceptual series presented to international audiences (2021–present)

Education

I am a self-taught artist whose practice has been shaped primarily through independent study, continuous experimentation, and active engagement with communities. My formal education is in literature, which provided a strong foundation in critical thinking, narrative structures, symbolism, and conceptual analysis, elements that remain central to my artistic practice. In terms of specialized training, I was a participant in the Vertical Crypto Art Residency, an international program focused on Web3-native artistic practices, conceptual development, and professional growth within the crypto art ecosystem. The residency played an important role in refining my conceptual approach, strengthening my long-form project development, and expanding my engagement with curators, collectors, and fellow artists. Beyond structured programs, my training has been shaped by ongoing self-directed research, peer exchange, and hands-on creation across digital art, NFTs, and live performance formats.