Artists Re:thinking the Blockchain

by Marc Garrett (Editor)

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 will bring 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.

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 Kurus, 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.

Genres: Art

344 pages, Paperback

Published September 11, 2017

Reviews

[Helen Varley · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a really important book for anyone with an interest in the social impact of financial systems. a range of artists, researchers and theorists who are engaged in the field of arts and digital technologies have contributed thought-provoking critical perspectives on the wider social implications of cryptocurrencies and the concept of the blackchain. it's meaty stuff, but without becoming inaccessible to someone less familiar with the territory. divided into three sections - documents, fictions and theory - and with full colour illustrations, the book is an art object in itself. embedded within it is its own cryptocurrency system, encouraging readers to have a hands-on experience of the subject material. "FinBook" uses QR codes at the end of each chapter to turn the book into a "dynamic investment portfolio", in an attempt to illustrate how the processes of buying and consuming literature could develop in the future.

the only reason that i haven't given this book 5 stars is that i felt that some of the chapters needed to be more critical of systems and platforms (such as Ascribe) that perpetuate dominant models of commodification and monetisation while appearing to offer something new. of course, as the title says, the focus is on the blockchain; but i wanted to read a bit more about the commons and some more in-depth critique of the fundamental proprietary and value concepts that underpin the blockchain. apart from this, the book is excellent!

[Nate D]

So how's the metaverse / blockchain treating all of you these days?