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.

because unless until #553

Iskra Velitchkova entered 2023 with a clear goalto slow down. After two frenetic years she needed to take a step back and focus on developing her technique and art practice. ESCAPE is the product of this pace change, its icon, and a map guiding us towards this same freedom.

For Velitchkova the relationship between artist and machine is deeply collaborative, nurturing unexpected elements that emerge from the code. This algorithm began in systems that balance order and chaos. First a distinctive style reminiscent of architectural maps emerged. From this grew the brutalism characteristic of former Soviet cityscapes of the artists early childhood in Bulgaria. Ultimately stifled by this rigidity and repetition, Velitchkova pushed the algorithm furtherbreaking it and in the result discovering the form of an opera house, a structure that had become a symbol of freedom to the artist, the promise of losing oneself in art.

The overwhelming superstructure of architectural lines breaks the picture plane and seems to go beyond three dimensionality. By avoiding easy categorization, the viewer spends time considering the forms and making sense of the composition. It becomes possible to escape everyday concerns for a moment longer, lost in the almost mathematical task of viewing these geometries. The opera house icon emerges as an antidote to these illusive structures. This central figure is suddenly recognizable as a flat or three dimensional shape. Whether in dense black or highlighted as a central white figure, it is a condensation point, a place for our mind to rest. The images combine the icons of this escape but also serve as a visual guide to achieving it.

We are reminded of what art can offer usmental freedom. Yet ultimately this is an illusion. Just as the opera is a staged fiction with its own rules and schedule, this composition is not real; it is a staged performance specifically created to evoke this reaction.

ESCAPE BY ISKRA VELITCHKOVA

Escape #100

Welcome to FewoWorld, a universe created by FEWOCiOUS and the Web3 community. FewoWorld is the first generative art project from the mind of FEWOCiOUS. Unlike anything he has created before.

FEWOCiOUS x FewoWorld: Fewos

Fewos are a 18,000 generative avatar collection. There are 3 Species of Fewos and every one has its own unique set of traits and characteristics that come embedded in their DNA. From squiggly eyes, to linework bones, and everything in between, these creatures were born from the mind of FEWOCiOUS, with every trait hand drawn and then converted into beautiful 3D art. View this FEWO's backpack at https://fewos.fewoworld.io/dressing-room/16898

FEWO #16898

Fewos are a 18,000 generative avatar collection. There are 3 Species of Fewos and every one has its own unique set of traits and characteristics that come embedded in their DNA. From squiggly eyes, to linework bones, and everything in between, these creatures were born from the mind of FEWOCiOUS, with every trait hand drawn and then converted into beautiful 3D art. View this FEWO's backpack at https://fewos.fewoworld.io/dressing-room/3863

FEWO #3863

I'm Feeling Lucky by Maya Man

*Im Feeling Lucky* focuses on the contemporary culture of astrology and how it prompts us to make sense of ourselves through its structures. Barthes calls astrology a confirmation of the real. There is comfort in the promise of realness over fantasy. Even if it"s influenced by randomness, confirmation bias gives way to some kind of feeling of faith.

The title of the collection comes from Googles Im Feeling Lucky button which initially embodied the energy of software and chance, but has evolved over the years in a way that parallels the fast-paced commercialization of the internet. 

I dont feel lucky anymore, but I want to Feel Lucky again


I"m Feeling Lucky #365

I"m Feeling Lucky #340

I"m Feeling Lucky #343

Unstable Objects of the Artificial Ceremony

Meticulously constructed with beautiful forms mined from the dump heap of latent land

Unstable Object of the Artificial Ceremony #215

Unstable Object of the Artificial Ceremony #143

Evolving Pixels is an exhibition centered around the theme of growth. The show invites a set of diverse digital artists who work with computational technologiesnamely, generative or AI-assistedto investigate what growth means to them. 

PROOF has partnered with Art Blocks and Venus Over Manhattan to bring Evolving Pixels to life. The long-form generative collections in the exhibition are being delivered with the Art Blocks Engine. From April 12-24, Venus Over Manhattan will display Evolving Pixels at their Soho gallery in New York City.

PROOF Curated: Evolving Pixels

Welcome to NeuralBricolage's veGAN Grande Finale, a hundred and one new unique latenttuce cultivars, this time grown on generative geometric grids to provide a framework for their growth. The latenttuce project has started more than 4 years ago with the main goal to present humble and familiar vegetables afresh as unfamiliar and stunning. But oftentimes while pretty, salad leaves cant stand on their own aesthetically - to show off their quiet organic beauty I contrasted it with the geometry of a grid adding it also as a metaphor for synergetic growth. As always, these cultivars are sourced from the NeuralBricolage terroir, ensuring their unique origin and quality. Enjoy the last harvest season!

Corona Rubra

Momentum encapsulates pivotal moments of velocity and engineering in a curated set of 200 evocative images. Every detail, every nuance, is a testament to the relentless pursuit of perfection. Crafted with a system that zeroes in on the quintessential race lap and the myriad challenges drivers confront, "Momentum" marks Rik's debut in the realm of 3D generative processes. While Rik's signature lies in meticulously chosen color palettes, this collection ventures into uncharted territory, allowing data and machine to dictate the final outcome. The result? A revolutionary ensemble, echoing a harmonious dialogue between artist and algorithm, reminiscent of the symbiosis between driver and vehicle.

Leveraging unparalleled 8K resolution, "Momentum" is crafted for both pristine digital display and as stunning fine-art prints.

Artist: Rik Oostenbroek
Year: 2023
Medium: 3D Generative
Output: 1/1, 200 pieces
Resolution: 8k 300dpi

Momentum by Rik Oostenbroek

Momentum encapsulates pivotal moments of velocity and engineering in a curated set of 200 evocative images. Every detail, every nuance, is a testament to the relentless pursuit of perfection. Crafted with a system that zeroes in on the quintessential race lap and the myriad challenges drivers confront, "Momentum" marks Rik's debut in the realm of 3D generative processes. While Rik's signature lies in meticulously chosen color palettes, this collection ventures into uncharted territory, allowing data and machine to dictate the final outcome. The result? A revolutionary ensemble, echoing a harmonious dialogue between artist and algorithm, reminiscent of the symbiosis between driver and vehicle.

Leveraging unparalleled 8K resolution, "Momentum" is crafted for both pristine digital display and as stunning fine-art prints.

**Artist**: Rik Oostenbroek  
**Year**: 2023  
**Medium**: 3D Generative  
**Output**: 1/1, 200 pieces  
**Resolution**: 8k 300dpi  

This work was exhibited as part of Velocity Series by Oracle Red Bull Racing and Bybit. Curated by AOI.

Momentum #25

Memories of Digital Data by Kazuhiro Tanimoto

When I started using a computer, I believed that digital data could be stored forever. I saved my favorite picture files and small free software files to floppy disks with a capacity of roughly 1 megabyte and stored them carefully. Those floppy disks were my treasure. Later, when the disks deteriorated and became unreadable or were lost, the data became memories with a deep feeling of loss.

Blockchains have arisen. Are these truly persistent?

After all, digital data are also a type of memories. They are stored in a person"s mind, deteriorate, and one day will be lost with that person.

I find the fragility and beauty in them.







In this work, I attempted to represent a fictional collapsed blockchain world with visuals and sound.

The chain has already been abandoned, and the few nodes that remain barely alive are just maintaining their appearances. Visualizing the remnants of blocks that no longer serve their original purpose, they form something like a submerged city. Then, a large amount of data that has lost its connection to the blocks and has deteriorated to the point that it can no longer be opened, flutters through the sky. The countless remnants of data form a cloud, which undulates like a wave. The details of the data cannot be confirmed, however, they can be seen as glittering lights. As I try to recall the contents of the data that can no longer be opened, I am filled with vague memories and a sense of nostalgia.

This work started with generating sound by code. The sound of rippling waves can be heard by clicking on the screen. Since it would be impractical to store huge sound data on the blockchain, the sound was formed from white noise. In order to reproduce the sound of rippling waves, it was necessary to deepen my understanding of the structure of the sound by referring to academic papers. Then the sound was completed, and the visual imagination expanded from there.

I like to visit the sea near my home and in other places. Different seascapes can be seen from different locations and angles. When I am there, idly gazing at the seascape and listening to the sound of the waves, I sometimes feel as if I am the only human there and the world has gone to ruin. If the world were ruined, this seascape and the sound of the waves would remain for a long time. This feeling and the fragility felt in digital data are the basis of this work. I imagine that the heaven or the graveyard where the lost data flies up in the sky and arrives may be a seascape like this.

The reason why I used data as lights and clouds drifting in the sky and moved them like waves is because I wanted to depict unrealistic behavior with a realistic subject matter and to express a beautiful and bizarre world in which these intertwine.

For the visual expression technique, I further pursued and evolved the drawing system that I have developed in "GHOST IN THE CODE" and my other works. Everything is composed of rectangles, indicating that this world is beginning to become low-resolution. Depth is linked to the size of the rectangles, and distant objects are represented by small rectangles as if they were in focus. Dispersion in the position and color of the rectangles indicate the degree of deterioration of the world. Moreover, the sky, blocks, and the surface of the water are identified and each has its own characteristics.

Algorithms generate various compositions, colors, and other features. I have attempted to make each output feel nostalgic and fresh at the same time. The blocks, which have lost their original meaning, are contrasted with the data, which exists in isolation from them, in stillness and movement. Occasional red clouds or blocks mean that they are corrected as red, the first color, due to missing information.

Through these integrations, I have attempted to create a work that can be stored on a blockchain, and that is both visually and sonically interactive.

[NOTE]

-To save the image press the "S" key.
-To change the flow velocity press the "" or "" key.

Modern hardware and browser hardware acceleration is recommended. The Chrome browser on a desktop with a high-end GPU is optimal. On iOS, the best experience is available on iOS 15 or later.

Memories of Digital Data #352

Bright Moments Flex

These Kogei Kats are sure to bring joy and kuteness to your metaverse. Deeply rooted in russian konstructivism and absurdism - Kharms would approve.

Kogei Kats: Komedians N Katpanions #98

Neural Fad reimagines Tokyo street fashion history to examine the relationship between AI and memory.

In post-war Japan, distinctive magazines and television cultivated an aspirational youth culture that gave rise to unique fashion subcultures at different train stations around Tokyo. Inspired by the rebellious spirit of each generation and their projections towards an imagined future, Kusano produces records of subcultures that never actually existed.

Reimagining the rich vocabulary and history of Tokyo street fashion through AI, the collection takes the viewer across and beyond the post-war decades of Japanese fashion history   from the Moga and Mobo of the 1940s to the Japanese hippies known as the Ften Tribe, the Karasu Tribe of the 90s and the Gyaru and Decora fashion of the late 90s and early 2000  to present Tokyo street fashion as imagined beyond time. 

Through this collaboration between AI and Japanese street fashion archives that she herself contributed to as a street photographer of Harajuku fashion,  Kusano uses emerging technologies to offer a retro-futuristic intervention into the landscape of Tokyo street fashion.

Neural Fad #86

Algoritmo Divino by Ganbrood, 2023

*Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.* - Dante Alighieri, Inferno, Canto III.
* * *
New AI tools are transforming the creative process for artists, pushing the boundaries of what are possible and inspiring new forms of expression. Algoritmo Divino is the first on-chain series by Ganbrood, generated in real-time during the mint. 333 unique iterations will surprise and guide you through three realms of Inferno, Purgatorio & Paradiso. The rarity, and seed are encrypted on-chain, giving the collector a unique opportunity to collect the artwork's 'secret ingredient'. 333 unique live-generated iterations of 'Algoritmo Divino' drop on 18th April 2023, introduced by k011.com. For the first time, the collector collects AI artwork in real-time, with the encryption of rarities the artist uniquely integrates.


Algoritmo Divino

Algoritmo Divino by Ganbrood, 2023  
==================================  
  
  
*Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.* - Dante Alighieri, Inferno, Canto III.  
* * *  
  
This quote speaks to the idea of transformation, letting go of old ways of thinking and embracing a new perspective. The Divine Comedy is just an allegory to parallel the similarity of long-form synthetic image generation using neural networks, as an art and image creation evolution.  
  
New AI tools are transforming the creative process for artists, pushing the boundaries of what are possible and inspiring new forms of expression. Algoritmo Divino is the first on-chain series by Ganbrood, generated in real-time during the mint. Three hundred thirty-three unique iterations will surprise and guide you through three realms of Inferno, Purgatorio & Paradiso. The rarity, and prompt are encrypted on-chain, giving the collector a unique opportunity to collect the artwork"s "secret ingredient", holding the core "prompt", which is encrypted and is eternally saved on the blockchain.  
  
In Dante"s Divine Comedy, the transformation of souls as they journey through the afterlife is a central theme. The characters" experiences and behaviours lead to their conversion towards greater virtue and understanding or deeper learning and suffering.  
Similarly, long-form synthetic image generation using diffusion neural networks, generates images that progress and evolve. The process involves repeatedly applying a diffusion process to an initial image, resulting in a series of intermediate images gradually evolving towards a final, synthesized image. Each image represents a different stage in the generation process, and the final image depicts the journey"s culmination.  
  
Divine Comedy"s idea of journey and progression is a powerful metaphor in "Algoritmo Divino" by Ganbrood, which represent many levels of alteration: working with prompt to image generation to personal growth and development. His own transformation as an artist from photography to synthetic images, accepting the new realm of AI and new tools as a creative process, all reflect in Algoritmo Divino.  
  
Ganbrood challenges himself with the long-form generation, which contradicts his standard process. The irreversibility of the results leaves little or no control over the output from the black box. Nevertheless, his signature themes of animals and gods are present in every 333 iterations, symbolizing humanity"s desire to become godlike.  
* * *  
  
333 unique live-generated iterations of "Algoritmo Divino" drop on 18th April at 7 pm CET. For the first time, the collector collects AI artwork in real-time, with the encrypted prompt, and rarities the artist uniquely integrates."  


Spirito di Fuoco Infinito

Friendship Bracelets by Alexis Andr

Since founding Art Blocks in 2020, artist Erick Calderon (a.k.a. Snowfro) has been intrigued by the idea of representing digital artwork in the physical world in the form of an ephemeral physical object with meaning, but with no inherent value. 

Donald Judd has long been an inspiration for Art Blocks. One aspect we admire most about Judds artistic practice is the elegance of design he effortlessly paired with the accessibility of materials that could be found at a hardware store. With Judd as inspiration, we hatched a plan to create a unique generative art friendship bracelet that includes instructions to make, in minutes, a simple bracelet using a few dollars worth of embroidery floss. Donald Judd believed that what surrounds us in our day-to-day life is already so beautiful, and that ultimately the experience of creating art is as important as owning it.

Erick was incredibly excited to collaborate with renowned artist Alexis Andr (a.k.a. MacTuitui) to bring generative art and ephemeral physical objects together in the form of friendship bracelets. Conceptualized by Erick and aesthetically and programmatically designed by Alexis, this project pairs creative coding with a beautiful spectrum of embroidery floss colors. The project was a true team effort, as each member of the Art Blocks team designed and named their own color palette!

The project is a token of our appreciation to the creators, makers, builders, and collectors who have all contributed to making the Art Blocks community what it is today. Participating in this project is a signal, both online and IRL, that youre a participant in this evolution of art + community. You are pushing the best ideas forward. You are the reason all of these imaginative projects come to life. Our community is what makes all of this possible. So, to say it plainly, we appreciate you, and we hope that youll accept this bracelet as a token of our special friendship!

The owner of any wallet with an Art Blocks piece at the time of snapshot (October 26, 2022, at 3pm US Central time) is eligible to claim two mints from this special generative art project. We would love to see you keep one bracelet and share your love for generative art by gifting your second mint! These mints are free to claim (you pay only the gas) and exist on L1 Ethereum. Please note that we may in the future release additional modified iterations of the Friendship Bracelets project, ideally on an L2 scaling solution, that may substantially increase the total supply of tokens related to the project, with the intent of being a more accessible entry point to a larger audience. But this version is what we"re here to celebrate today, and this gift is for you in gratitude for your support along the way. Please enjoy this token of our friendship and explore the wonderful artwork created by Alexis Andr. Then, let"s all make bracelets together! 

Warmly,
Alexis + Erick + the Art Blocks team



The claim window expires on January 10, 2023, at noon US Central time.

Click into the Display Notes for information about making your bracelet.

Friendship Bracelets #27370

My collection is about celebrating joy, humor, exuberance, fragility, and imperfection. 

The intent was to create artwork at the intersection of prehistoric myths and symbols and the latent space  Im fascinated by the analogy between almost geometric imagery of pre-Columbian patterns and the generative artworks.  

Through a series of AI-generated images, transformed into the surface design for the pottery my ceramic pieces emerge as 'future artifacts'tangible tokens of a present that bows to the past. In this blend of history, myth, comedy and cutting-edge technology one could appreciate the technical prowess but the work is meant to be enjoyed just on its crafty surface level. 

I paired each unique picture with a unique handcrafted ceramic piece   think of the former, of the NFT, as a postcard, capturing the essence and spirit of La Potire Jalouse as inspiration for pottery. 

Physicals can be redeemed starting November 22nd, 2023.

La Potiere Jalouse: Rite of the Handmade by Helena Sarin

In one sentence my collection is about celebrating joy, humor, exuberance, fragility, and imperfection. 

The intent was to create artwork at the intersection of prehistoric myths and symbols and the latent space - I"m fascinated by the analogy between almost geometric imagery of pre-Columbian patterns and the generative artworks.

Through a series of AI-generated images, transformed into the surface design for the pottery my ceramic pieces emerge as "future artifacts"tangible tokens of a present that bows to the past. In this blend of history, myth, comedy and cutting-edge technology one could appreciate the technical prowess but the work is meant to be enjoyed just on its crafty surface level.

I paired each unique picture with a unique handcrafted ceramic piece   think of the former, of the NFT, as a postcard, capturing the essence and spirit of La Potire Jalouse as inspiration for pottery. In fact, I made the pots for the deliberate purpose of painting generative images on them.

And perhaps, as you ease into the night with your favorite drink cradled in one of these pots, you"ll find joy in the simple pleasuresa  sip of tea, a splash of bourbon, or the warmth of a crafted mug and listen to the generative folktale, the bedside story I"m telling through the imagery on that vessel.

AIztec Spirits #4

SacraBloopers

Sacra Famiglia Outtakes. An edition of 215 wild and crazy images that didn"t make it inside the house.