The CryptoSpirits project is an ongoing exploration of the intersection of contemporary technology, ancient animism and the impact climate change and pollution. Utilizing custom hardware, sensors and code, the project captures and transforms environmental pollution into real-time data-driven CryptoSpirit NFTs, serving as virtual indicators of the health of the natural environment. With a focus on affordability and accessibility, the project provides a portable, low-cost solution that democratizes technology and enables locally-situated NFT recordings on a global scale. By combining art, science, and technology, CryptoSpirits raises awareness about environmental issues and leverages the power of NFTs and blockchain technology to record environmental pollution and historical climate data.
The results are NFTs that combine abstract generative data visualisations with actual empirical data. The visual aesthetic is inspired by e.g. Islamic geometric patterns found in e.g. oriental carpets -also depicted in Renaissance paintings-, weaving patterns and tessellations, western glitch aesthetics and color field art.
In the “Data Weaving” installment of the CryptoSpirits series, the artist delves into the intricate interplay between weaving and computing. The advent of the Jacquard weaving process in 1801 marked a seminal moment in the evolution of computing. This innovative process involved providing instructions to a loom using punched holes in paper cards, a rudimentary form of binary code. The legacy of the Jacquard loom can be traced in the design of Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine (1834), a precursor to modern computing and algorithms. The engine borrowed several key elements from the Jacquard loom, including the punch card, which remained a prevalent means of programming and inputting data into computers until the 1980s.
The end result of this project will be a phygital artwork, comprising of an NFT and a corresponding Jacquard/tapestry, that showcases the symbiotic relationship between weaving and computing in both Eastern and Western cultures.
Edition of 1 including 1 AP © Frederik De Wilde / www.frederik-de-wilde.com / studio_de.wilde / @Studio_De_Wilde