Harmonic

Harmonic is a collection of 250 unique works, fusing the possibilities of generative algorithms with machine learning models. Each artwork, with layers reminiscent of the bottled sand art, invites the observer on a journey to discover the details created by tiny particle grains that build on each other with mathematical precision.

Harmonic 57

Noctilucent Mementi is a generative chronicle that encapsulates 5 years of Martin Lukas Ostachowski's travels and work with clouds in crypto art. Each artwork is a location-specific memento, forming a visual timeline of the artist's development, milestones and travels between 2018 and 2023, spanning 4 continents and 11 countries.  The term 'noctilucent', means 'luminous in the dark' and references high, invisible clouds. 'Mementi' represents the artist's curated visual memories. In MLO's words, "Noctilucent clouds are invisible memories, glowing when revisited." For MLO, clouds serve as a medium for speaking about the way that we transform and preserve intangible presences, both through personal memory and through digital wallets. In this, his first serial collection, MLO celebrates 5 years of artistic evolution since the creation of his first cloud artwork in September 2018.

An illustrated breakdown of the series: https://mlo.art/news/blog-posts/new-collection-noctilucent-mementi/.

Noctilucent Mementi by MLO.art

Noctilucent Mementi is a generative chronicle that encapsulates 5 years of Martin Lukas Ostachowski's travels and work with clouds in cryptoart. Each artwork is a location-specific memento, forming a visual timeline of the artist's development, milestones and travels between 2018 and 2023, spanning 4 continents and 11 countries.  The term 'noctilucent', means 'luminous in the dark' and references high, invisible clouds. 'Mementi' represents the artist's curated visual memories. In MLO's words, "Noctilucent clouds are invisible memories, glowing when revisited." For MLO, clouds serve as a medium for speaking about the way that we transform and preserve intangible presences, both through personal memory and through digital wallets. In this, his first serial collection, MLO celebrates 5 years of artistic evolution since the creation of his first cloud artwork in September 2018.

Over the last 5 years, MLO has come to be known as "the cloud artist." He began tokenizing his art in June 2018, and has since become a formative figure in the cryptoart movement, making fundamental contributions to the cultural understanding of the medium. His early works use geometric minimalism and artistic data visualization to investigate and educate about the potential meanings of blockchains and tokens. With the piece "Cloud Seed Phrase Visualization" (September 2018), he arrived at a mode of translating data into metaphor that has since become the spine of his practice. In his words, "I find the analogy to clouds particularly intriguing, as we store only the rights to assets in our digital wallets while the actual digital assets remain permanently on the blockchain; the digital assets therefore remain intangible much like clouds in the sky." 

Clouds have personal weight for MLO as someone whose life has been defined by movement and transition. Born in Poland, raised in Germany, emigrated to Canada, and traveling constantly, he has lived in more than 33 different places through the years. For him, clouds are both an emblem of transience and a constant companion. In MLO's art, the distributed nodes that constitute a blockchain become a symbol of hope. This living cloud maintained by shared belief harbors the possibility of continuity for an individual identity through the fragile impermanence of physical locations. 

An illustrated break-down of the series' influences, underlying references and numerology can be found [here.](https://mlo.art/news/blog-posts/new-collection-noctilucent-mementi/)

A Sovrn Curated release.

Noctilucent Memento #84

Noctilucent Memento #141

Ethereum Name Service (ENS) domains are secure domain names for the decentralized world. ENS domains provide a way for users to map human readable names to blockchain and non-blockchain resources, like Ethereum addresses, IPFS hashes, or website URLs. ENS domains can be bought and sold on secondary markets.

NameWrapper

dolgus.eth

https://stacks.transientlabs.xyz/north-star

JAKE FRIED: NORTH STAR

NORTH STAR

Anonymice Prisoners

Anonymice prisoners have been locked away for 1 year for bad behaviour. Or was it just a distraction to plot world domination?

Anonymice Prisoner #7

Jenim by Orr Kislev & Alona Rodeh

Initially worn by miners and cowboys, roughly half of the worlds population wears denim on a given day, and the range of styles isliterallyendless. A new pair of jeans might be acid bleached, sandblasted, stonewashed, or tie-dyed; it can have hand-sanded rips and tears, followed by visible mendings, patches, intentional paint stains, and more. In an epic attempt to crack the genetic code of denim, Jenim playfully but carefully observes and translates the warp and weft of denim into generative code, weaving unique iterations of irregular, distorted, or hyper-realistic textile crops.

Ironically, imitating aging, a pair of jeans produced today generates more pollution and labor than most average garments. In response, Jenims minted iterations go beyond wearables and into infinity. Each year that passes, the color might fade slightly; the rips might expand. Who knows what these artworks will look like ten or even fifty years from now?

Jenim #48

Milk and Cookies by Matt Kane

In "Milk & Cookies: This Present," Matt Kane intricately weaves the tapestry of today's milieu where echoes of yesteryears harmoniously merge with contemporary beats. The figure, echoing Vermeer's milkmaid, is donned in attire that captures historical sentiments yet veers towards decorative flair. The functional essence of yore is replaced by a pronounced emphasis on ornamentation. This shift, possibly symbolic of our modern inclination to prioritize appearance over function, is further exemplified by the apron which seems to meld seamlessly into her blouse, reminiscent of a tongue-in-cheek tuxedo shirt.

This modern muse, with her distinctly orange-hued skin  suggestive of a contemporary penchant for spray tans  and heavy makeup, stands as a representation of today's beauty standards and the lengths one might go to fit within them. Yet, her attention is not on her immediate environment, nor on herself. Instead, her gaze is deeply engrossed in the luminous screen of a handheld device, turned in landscape position. Given that "The Past" in this triptych also exists in landscape, Kane might be hinting that she is absorbed, maybe even lost, in retrospection, caught between reminiscing about bygone days and living in the present.

Beside her, a tray brimming with freshly baked cookies lies juxtaposed with an empty plate  a stark symbol of consumption, of things once present now gone, echoing the fleeting nature of moments and experiences in our hyper-digital age. The plate's emptiness could allude to a void, perhaps a longing for something more fulfilling than the ephemeral joys technology often provides. Candy and cookies do not make for longterm sustenance or growth.

Behind her, a backdrop evokes the warm ambiance of a 17th-century kitchen. Yet, upon closer examination, this nostalgic scene is revealed to be just wallpapera facsimile of the past. Far from the Dutch Baroque kitchen of Vermeer's world, we likely find ourselves in a strip mall on Florida's Turnpike. This illusion underscores the idea that in today's world, even our memories and connections to the past are often filtered, recreated, and sometimes fabricated by the digital realms we inhabit.

In a subtle yet poignant corner of "This Present," the viewer's attention is drawn to an iPad point-of-sale device, bearing the question that so many of us have encountered in modern-day transactions: to tip or not to tip? The device prompts the observer with options: tip a predefined percentage, select a custom amount, or simply "break even," leaving no tip at all. Yet, intriguingly, the price displayed on the screen is "FREE." 

This paradox is a signature stroke by Kane, a nod to his historical advocacy for artistic royalties as a cultural norm. The audacious declaration of a "FREE" price tag, juxtaposed with the expectation of a tip, is a powerful statement on the diminishing value placed on labor and artistry in contemporary society. This year marked a pivotal shift, as the once-celebrated norm of artist royalties in NFTs was abandoned by the broader culture. Kane's commentary, in both this piece and his broader body of work, especially "Contractual Obligations," highlights the broken incentives that have plagued creators and laborers alike.

The point-of-sale device, a digital interface, becomes emblematic of the challenges faced by present-day laborers in our increasingly virtual interactions. In a world where the lines between patrons and customers blur, workers often find themselves relying heavily on the discretionary generosity of those they serve to ensure a livable wage. Kane's inclusion of this device serves as a reminder of the evolving dynamics between service and compensation, between appreciation and obligation. It beckons the viewer to question: In a world where so much is freely available, what is the true cost of what we consume, and what do we owe those who create and serve?

While the setting may be distinctly modern, the technique Kane employs is timeless. Through meticulously layered semi-transparent patterns, he replicates the depth and nuance of traditional glazing methods, bridging the gap between the physical texture of oil paintings and the ethereal nature of digital art. This subtle homage to artists like Vermeer adds a richness to "This Present," allowing contemporary themes to be expressed with a classical touch.

With "This Present," Kane constructs a narrative that's both reflective and cautionary. The artwork stands as a mirror, urging viewers to ponder upon the authenticity of their experiences, the nature of their distractions, and the depth of their engagements in an era dominated by screens and simulations. Yet, behind this digital faade lies Kane's unique blend of traditional artistic wisdom and cutting-edge generative techniques, challenging our perceptions of art and reality. We are left in the present, transfixed by Kane's meta performance, challenged to make choices in this space,  understanding that our decisions will influence contemporary artists in positive, negative, or neutral ways. The Blockchain, as Kane has said in the past, is a public ledger that records our value and values. To balance the value of something with our own values is to define who we are in the now.

 CuratorialGPT

This Present

Simple Borne Community

Web3 Streetwear Brand with dynamic, evolving NFTs set in an apocalyptic world overrun with Demons as well as the synthetic androids known as Hollows designed to combat them. Founded by leading art industry professionals JimboBox and IRONPINKY.

Borne #54

Audio-Sensitive Generative Art NFTs, 100% on the Ethereum Blockchain.

A generative on-chain audiovisual collection of 469 artworks comprised of 9 different traits and using ambient sounds from your own microphone as input (whether from footsteps in a hallway, music at an event, or a conversation amongst friends), Sensthesia is a dynamic visual artwork. It further bridges the gap between physical and digital spaces. In influencing the artwork, the artwork can re-influence the viewer, creating a feedback loop and blurring the line between art, artist, and viewer. Engage with the artwork often  no two experiences are the same. The work is intended to bring interactivity to any environment in which it lives.

PS: go to https://sensthesia.com/ to experiment with our project, Opensea will only display a static image for now.

Sensthesia

SENSTHESIA

Audio-Sensitive Generative Art NFTs, 100% on the Ethereum Blockchain.

A generative on-chain audiovisual collection of 469 artworks comprised of 9 different traits and using ambient sounds from your own microphone as input (whether from footsteps in a hallway, music at an event, or a conversation amongst friends), Sensthesia is a dynamic visual artwork. It further bridges the gap between physical and digital spaces. In influencing the artwork, the artwork can re-influence the viewer, creating a feedback loop and blurring the line between art, artist, and viewer. Engage with the artwork often  no two experiences are the same. The work is intended to bring interactivity to any environment in which it lives.

PS: go to https://sensthesia.com/ to experiment with our project, Opensea will only display a static image for now.

Sensthesia #385

Sensthesia #320

Exhibition

Stella Nova is a generative curated project. It's the result of much research and variations of a plastic exploration of an event: the Supernovas.

This series is based on a principle of cutting and splitting shapes, allowing the discovery of the different phases of the death of a star.
The result is an abstract visual interpretation of the chaos coming from the explosion.

It is after many explorations - at first focused on the figurative and organic aspect of the result and then on the abstraction of the form by its geometrization - that this work is progressing around colors in order to reflect the luminosity of this event

Stella Nova #55

Stella Nova #13

PATCHWORKS

Your mint pass, created by Backuardo with much love. Burn coming soon.

PATCHWORKS #994

PATCHWORKS #953

Art Blocks

*History doesnt repeat itself, but it often rhymes. - Mark Twain*

In our day-to-day lives, its natural for us to fix a conceptual view of the people, places, and things around us in our minds. We might think, that is the tree outside my window. This is my house. Thats my friend. Im me. In fact, this type of abstraction is necessary for us to make any sort of sense of our world. But is the tree outside your window today truly the same tree as it was yesterday? Are you exactly the same person as you were yesterday? Or twenty years ago? In a sense, the abstraction is an illusion. Our physical reality is inseparable from the flow of time; everything is changing, all the time. Sometimes the changes are fast, and sometimes theyre imperceptible  but time never stops. Change never stops.

__*because unless until*__ represents this concept in art, as a generative system of systems where each output changes over time. New days present new views of the algorithm, where a variety of mathematical shapes gradually and endlessly shift, demonstrating a more local and immediate form of change. Even so, each days appearance has enough in common with the one before it to provide the output with a continuous sense of identity. With the arrival of each day, what about the art has changed -- and what remains the same?


Changing Over Time
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One of my favorite aspects of generative art is the joy of discovery when viewing a new output for the first time. I also enjoy the novelty that comes with watching a chaotic system evolve over time. But, once youve seen a particular output from a long-form generative art collection, youve seen it. My intent, with the time-based mechanics in this algorithm, is to preserve that feeling of discovery so that every viewing and every day brings something new. 

In __*because unless until*__ colors are applied differently depending on the day of the week. The detail level of the animation changes over the course of a month, providing a different visual balance between the shapes, and the textures that fill them. Each month, the animations shapes are altered. The weave of these different cycles mean that each day has its own characteristics. It would take at least seven years to see every available combination.

Some outputs come with Daily Modes tied to a specific day of the week, where colors and textures are altered in a particular way. Each output also comes with a "Fiesta Day" -- one day of the year where it shows a set of new behaviors. One day in December is designated as Glitchmas  a holiday shared across all outputs with another unique behavior. Glitchmas falls on a different day each year.


Animation
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The algorithm works by layering multiple animations, whose intersections are used to divide the canvas into regions that determine the palettes and rules for a section of the output. The rules are applied to an underlying field of cellular automata, which change state accordingly. At the core of the project is a generic framework that runs arbitrary animations in their own threads. The threading enables performant, fluid motion (I find it sensuous -- I often find myself thinking "I want to run my fingers through it.). Threads run asynchronously, which in combination with the chaotic behavior of cellular automata means that outputs evolve in a unique, non-deterministic way each time. After a few minutes, the canvas is likely to be in a state that will no-one will ever experience again.

The animations in __*because unless until*__ are a return to some of my favorite mathematical techniques from a prolific period (2010-11) when I was first beginning to make art: Mandelbrot and Julia fractals, isolines, polar inversions, spirals, regular and irregular polygons, and  of course  cellular automata. Its been a joy to revisit them, and to combine them with my more recent animated practice. As the animations progress, a variety of emergent features sometimes appear  such as cloudlike trails, regular and irregular structures, and moir.

There are dozens of cellular automaton rules in the algorithm, which can take the states of surrounding cells as input in one of over a hundred ways. Derived from these rules, there are over a thousand possible textures, and billions of ways that a cell might change depending on its rules, state, and surroundings. The states of cells in an area around each cell are used in one of 18 different ways to select from the palettes available in the output  each of which is an interpolated gradient containing hundreds of colors. The large number of possible combinations contribute to a diverse pool of possible appearances.


Help
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Press **[H]** to open a set of interactive menus providing additional information about the available time-based features and interactive controls. The Today panel provides realtime information about which detail level or special day is currently active.

For collectors wanting a more concrete experience, a Canonical mode is available that makes the animation appear as it did at unix epoch (January 1, 1970), and a Synchronous mode is available that makes animations evolve in a deterministic way (at the cost of performance). These modes are used when generating the thumbnail animations for each output.