Artists Re:Thinking the Blockchain

Description

The blockchain is widely heralded as the new internet - another dimension in an ever-faster, ever-more-powerful interlocking of ideas, actions and values. Principally the blockchain is a ledger distributed across a large array of machines that enables digital ownership and exchange without a central administering body. Within the arts it has profound implications as both a means of organising and distributing material, and as a new subject and medium for artistic exploration. This landmark publication brings together a diverse array of artists and researchers engaged with the blockchain, unpacking, critiquing and marking the arrival of it on the cultural landscape for a broad readership across the arts and humanities. Contributors: César Escudero Andaluz, Jaya Klara Brekke, Theodoros Chiotis, Ami Clarke, Simon Denny, The Design Informatics Research Centre (Edinburgh), Max Dovey, Mat Dryhurst, Primavera De Filippi, Peter Gomes, Elias Haase, Juhee Hahm, Max Hampshire, Kimberley ter Heerdt, Holly Herndon, Helen Kaplinsky, Paul Kolling, Elli Kuru , Nikki Loef, Bjørn Magnhildøen, Rob Myers, Martín Nadal, Rachel O Dwyer, Edward Picot, Paul Seidler, Hito Steyerl, Surfatial, Lina Theodorou, Pablo Velasco, Ben Vickers, Mark Waugh, Cecilia Wee, and Martin Zeilinger. 9 Nathan Jones & Sam Skinner: A Quasi Proto Preface 21 Ruth Catlow: Artists Re:Thinking the Blockchain Introduction DOCUMENTS 41 The Design Informatics Research Centre: FinBook: Literary Content as Digital Commodity 51 Primavera De Filippi: Plantoid – The Birth of a Blockchain-Based Lifeform 63 Paul Seidler, Paul Kolling & Max Hampshire: terra 0 – Can an Augmented Forest Own and Utilize Itself? 73 Martín Nadal & César Escudero Andaluz: Critical Mining: Blockchain and Bitcoin in Contemporary Art 85 Peter Gomes: The Blockchain: Change Everything Forever 91 Jaya Klara Brekke & Elias Haase: Breaking Chains and Busting Blocks: Commentary on the Satoshi (Hippocratic) Oath for Blockchain Developers 99 Kimberley ter Heerdt & Nikki Loef: 01.01.20 101 Pablo Velasco: Role Play Your Way to Budgetary Blockchain Bliss 107 Ruth Catlow & Ben Vickers: Your DAO Work Booklet 129 PWR Studio: A Shared Timeline 133 Ami Clarke: Text as Market 141 Sam Skinner: Blockchain Future States – An Interview with Simon Denny FICTIONS 159 Cecilia Wee: Flying Under A Neutral Flag 171 Elli Kuruş: History of Political Operating Systems: Interview with Dr. L. Godord 179 Surfatial: All That Happened 187 Rob Myers & Lina Theodorou: Bad Shibe 199 Theodoros Chiotis: Defixio Nervorum 201 Juhee Hahm: Do it (Hand-to-Hand) Yourself // Surfing Guide 219 Edward Picot: Babel THEORY 223 Hito Steyerl: If You Don’t Have Bread, Eat Art!: Contemporary Art and Derivative Fascisms 233 Ben Vickers: immutability mantra 239 Rob Myers: Blockchain Poetics 251 Max Dovey: Love on the Block 261 Helen Kaplinsky: Collections Management on the Blockchain: A Return to the Principles of the Museum 275 Mark Waugh: Artists Rights in the Era of the Distributed Ledger 287 Martin Zeilinger: Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Know About the Blockchain* (*But Were Afraid to Ask Mel Ramsden) 297 Rachel O’Dwyer: Does Digital Culture Want to be Free? How Blockchains are Transforming the Economy of Cultural Goods 309 Bjørn Magnhildøen, Noemata: Aphantasia – Blockchain as Medium for Art 319 Marc Garrett: Interview with Holly Herndon & Mat Dryhurst 327 Biographies 337 Index 342 Colophon