Tech Project

Description of the challenges faced by the Tech Project

Blockchain technology and other code like smart contracts. A challenge is to overcome the potential that blockchain technology is co-opted by large corporate players (the excel sheet for the 21st century) instead of a decentralized model that redistributes financial agency and wealth. We leave it to the artist to decide whether to focus on software development, visualization of / around the technology, materialization of the proposed artwork.

Brief description of technology

The MoneyLab project of the Institute of Network Cultures deals with digital economic technology and its role in society. Some of the main points of focus within this topic are blockchain technology and other code like smart contracts. Blockchain is the distributed, public ledger that supports crypto-currencies like Bitcoin. Ever since its inception the blockchain has inspired new ways of thinking about global finance. In 2013, researcher and programmer Vitalik Buterin proposed an update to blockchain technology. It became possible to set up Decentralized Automated Organizations (DAOs) on the blockchain that work through automatically executed ‘smart contracts’. These smart contracts and blockchain technology in general have a far-reaching influence on business, the economy, culture, and many other areas of society. The MoneyLab project includes many different perspectives on the workings of these technologies and values the insights of artistic explorations especially.

What the project is looking to gain from the collaboration and what kind of artist would be suitable

The project will exist in the context of a critique of global finance after 2008, and artistic explorations of possible alternative modes of organization that enable peer2peer payments that benefit artists and citizens in general. The objective of this project is to enrich the discussion around blockchain technology with artistic explorations that show its unique influence on artistic practices as well as society as a whole. Artistic software developers, post-digital artists, accelerationists, performance artists would all be suitable. We are looking to gain insightful artistic perspectives on topics central to the MoneyLab project.

Resources available to the artist

Office facility, maker lab (laser printer, textile cutters, 3d body scanner, sowing machines, milling machine, foam cutter, vinyl cutter), radio studio, television studio, meeting rooms, toilet, coffee, thee.