Art at the Edge of The Universe

Project Overview

We live in a time of super connectedness, where everybody in existence is barely a click away, yet we are ultimately more alone than ever. Introduced as a hopeful future, our relationship with technology has never been more confused and conflicted. This project addresses this dichotomy, instilling a true emotional connection with the digital world through a very special NFT to ultimately turn our thoughts inward, to look at who we are and where we might be going.

Artists Benjamin Males and Nancy Tilbury believe it has never been more important for art and science to be allied. Through their art laboratory XO, they investigate the interplay between our digital and physical worlds. In collaboration with No Ghost, XO are exploring the concept of living data. An ever evolving, permanent and untouchable artwork, a democratic experience that seeks to forge a common truth for artists and audiences alike.

Our scientific and cultural understanding of the world has created a mass appreciation of complex systems. Vast and varied forces that are constantly defined as important without many of us having a true understanding of how they actually work or our place within them. The rapid pace of climate change and its effects on our lives being the most prevalent of these systems. To truly exist within such an unknowable and intricate construct, we must accept what we don't understand and connect with what we do. It is only a universal truth that will connect us and dictate our place in the cosmos. XO & No Ghost aim to define that truth.

An intricate interpretation of the contrast between darkness and light, between creation and destruction, the artwork exists as a mysterious object. An enigma that can always be trusted, but will never be understood. A representation of the forces that exist at the edges of the universe, beyond the horizon of a black hole. A redefining of what clothing can mean in a digital future and a restructuring of the relationship between dress, wearer and audience.

Secured and preserved for eternity, the artwork exists directly on the eco-friendly Cardano blockchain. An immutable object, verifiable by all. The enigma can be asked questions, queried on its current state. Each spectator gets a snapshot of a piece of multi-dimensional space, never the whole system. The snapshot describes the motions, colours, forces, wavelengths and transformations affecting that space.

While only one can claim ownership of the artwork it's outputs are truly for everybody: the enigma's replies can be interpreted in a multitude of ways, a consistent ground truth from which to create art and experience. Whether the interpretation is physical, digital, visual, sonic or haptic the enigmas personality will be deeply recognisable within it. Familiar, emotive, enthralling.

Data from the artwork can be used in any type of modern graphical software and therefore the experience of it will only be limited by the technology of the time - as graphics processing advances, so will the work. Furthermore, because all data for the project is stored on the blockchain, it is inherently more secure than current NFTs, which use off-chain storage. This makes XO's work both art and a pioneering technological innovation.

XO and No Ghost are excited by the potential of Cardano and hope their work will help to raise awareness of the need for more sustainable blockchain technologies.

About XO

Males who is a Mechanical Engineer and Designer and Tilbury with a background in fine art and fashion, met through London's Royal College of Art and co-founded XO in 2011. They have since collaborated on works for several global artists including Lady Gaga, the choreographer Wayne McGregor CBE and The Black-Eyed Peas. For Lady Gaga, they created a flying dress and a dress made of bubbles. In 2017, The Museum of Modern Art's Design Curator Paola Antonelli commissioned XO's so-called 'Tinkerbell Dress' – a gown made of shimmering light – for the museum's landmark exhibition 'Is Fashion Modern?'. Through these works, millions have experienced their art and how it impacts public consciousness.

In 2012 XO developed a series of concepts that were based on the idea of the human being as a digital Entity. The physical limitations of current science and technology still render these concepts impossible to create in the physical world. Now, with modern graphics engines and the emergence of blockchain technologies, it has become possible for XO to develop these concepts in a purely digital format - unencumbered by material constraints. XO have partnered with the award-winning real-time animation artists No Ghost to realize these works.

About No Ghost

No Ghost is an Immersive Story Studio. They craft experiences that make people feel.

Built from a team of future-obsessed artists and programmers they harness the power of cutting-edge technology and channel it into projects that keep narrative at their core. This combination allows them to tell stories like never before, revealing fresh perspectives, innovative narrative forms and deeply interactive experiences.

No Ghost is a truly collaborative team, working with all manner of clients from global brands to local artists. They have an unmatched understanding of the places technology can take us and exhibit this through their award winning work.

Project Plan

Jan - Feb 2022 - Evaluating project demonstrator - We are in the final stages of developing a functional demonstrator for the NFT which we will be able to evaluate in January next year. This will help to finalise the specification for the final development.

Jan 31 - Apr 8 (10 weeks) - Development - Working with a Cardano specialist we will develop the final on and off chain code which will make up the artwork. We will also start to produce visualisations (2D, 3D, immersive and many more)

Apr 11 - Apr 22 (2 weeks) - Minting - We will mint the work on the Cardano mainnet. 2 weeks will allow for any last minute changes or updates.

Apr 25 - Jun 3 (6 weeks) - Testing - once on the chain we will test the work by interrogating it and visualising the outcome

Maty 16 - Jun 10 (4 weeks) - While paper - we will write and publish a white paper to invite artists to engage in the project. We are actively looking for collaborators and sponsors so please get in touch!

Measure of success in 3,6,12 months

Measuring success:

In 3 months from award - We will be nearing the end of the development phase and will be preparing to mint the work onto the Cardano mainnet. Success will be measured by the readiness of the code for minting.

In 6 months - Our NFT will be live and we will be showcasing the first visualisation and experience projects. We will consider the project a success if we are producing high quality visualisations that resonate with a wide audience.

In 12 months - We hope to be building the profile of the project through collaborations with artists and commissions for new works.  

Budget breakdown

Creative development - $15,000

Prototyping - $15,000

Rendering/visualisation - $10,000

Studio overheads (people, equipment etc.) - $15,000

Specialist Cardano development - $75,000

Expected launch date

June/July 2022