Chromie Squiggle
You are holding a 100% unique iteration of a generative art project called Chromie Squiggle.
Each squiggle is generated algorithmically using data in a hash string to determine the locations of the points as well as the colors that you see.
A hash string is a pseudo-random group of characters that looks like this:
0x88e96d4537bea4d9c05d12549907b32561d3bf31f45aae734cdc119f13406cb6
These hash strings are sourced from the Ethereum Blockchain and stored in utility tokens called Interface Tokens.
The idea is that the owner of the hash string, and therefore the owner of the token, is the owner of the generative work resulting from using that hash string as an input.
Since the artwork is deterministic, using that hash string as the input would always yield the same result. So if by way of an Interface Token you own that hash string you don’t just own the 2”x3” print of the work of art. You actually own the key that generates it, and with that you own the squiggle outright to do with is as you wish.
What makes this all possible is blockchain technology. The Ethereum blockchain enables the provable ownership of data in a way not possible before the invention of blockchains. By minting an Interface Token with a hash stored on it using a smart contract that does not allow duplicate hashes, owners of Interface Tokens can prove not only that they own a particular hash, but also that nobody else can own the same hash. This in turn means that nobody else can generate the same squiggle as they can.
Physical vs Digital Ownership
On the back of your squiggle you’ll see the Ethereum block number that was used as a source for the hash that generated your squiggle as well as the hash itself in a smaller font.
Since every single Ethereum block number produces a 100% guaranteed-to-be-uniqe block hash, every single squiggle is also guaranteed to be 100% unique because a squiggle utilizes every single character of the hash string. This means there are more possible Chromie Squiggle configurations than is humanly fathomable, precisely 1^255 possible squiggles (and that’s a huge number).
While you currently own the print of a squiggle generated from a particular block number (because it is inserted into the acrylic frame you received) you don’t quite own the hash string that generated it. So you own the physical print but you don’t own your piece digitally. With this gift we want you to also take the plunge into the crazy world of Ethereum and blockchains and claim this piece of art digitally! By doing so you will take ownership of the hash that generated your Chromie Squiggle. We will register your squiggle on the Chromie Squiggle Art Node which comes with a vector file and an open license to use the squiggle for anything that you want (print shirts, make tiles, use it as a logo, etc).
Basically we will mint an Interface Token that contains the hash string that generated your squiggle and send it to your Ethereum address (think of that like an account number) which you can use to prove ownership (digitally) of your squiggle and also to generate other pieces from generative artists which La Nova will host over the next few years.
We sent out 2,000 Chromie Squiggles this year! Most of you will just keep it as a print, some might even replace the squiggle with a picture of your children or pets, and that is totally OK. But there is a revolution brewing in the blockchain space and taking the time to claim your Interface Token and Chromie Squiggle will be an awesome learning experience for a technology that will one day inevitably part of our every day lives.
Only 10,000 Chromie Squiggles will ever be claimed. Once 10,000 have been claimed the Art Node that generates new squiggles will be shut down. Think of it like a screen printer that destroys the screens so that no more can be made again. By claiming your Interface Token and registering your squiggle you are claiming one of a limited edition of 10,000 pieces of generative art on a first of it’s kind platform!
The process of claiming your Interface Token and registering your Chromie Squiggle is pretty simple. You need to install an Ethereum wallet on your computer that allows you to interact with Ethereum enabled websites. The most common and refined one is called Metamask and is available as an extension for various browsers.
Once you install (and secure) your Metamask account, you’ll be given your public address, which is essentially your account number. It will be shown at the top of your Metamask window, probably as “Account 1” directly underneath where it says “Main Ethereum Network”. To claim your Interface Token and register your Chromie Squiggle all you need to do is click that account address, which will automatically be copied to your clipboard, and paste it in this Interface Token request form along with your name, e-mail address, and the block number noted on the back of your squiggle print.
We will mint an Interface Token that represents that Ethereum block that generated your Chromie Squiggle, use it to register your squiggle on the Chromie Squiggle Art Node, and then send the Interface Token to your account address. You will get an e-mail with additional information including links to the transaction where your Chromie Squiggle was registered and how to see your Interface Token in your account plus a vector image of your squiggle!
This process is 100% free by the way. All you need to do is install Metamask and send us your account address and you’ll get your token and squiggle registered (and the vector file for you to use for whatever purpose you want). No strings attached we promised… just a glimpse into the future of design.
How to Claim
The Future
This is just the beginning by the way. We want you to have an Interface Token because La Nova Tile will be hosting art events where you can bring your Interface Token and generate your own unique iterations of other pieces of art. Imagine you will scan a QR code and your very own print of a 100% unique generative work will come out through a slot.
Think 5-10 years down the line as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning proliferate the design industry that you might do the same with a slab of terrazzo or marble look tile, or a coffee table, or even a house! The artist/designer will spend countless hours finessing a code that generates curated work using random inputs and you will effortlessly be able to purchase these by simply sending funds while holding an Interface Token. Interactive public art projects will pop up where your key to interacting with a piece (and generating a 100% unique result) is your Interface Token. The idea is that the concept of “random” will have a paper trail, and generative design will be able to attribute results to data which you can digitally prove ownership over.