Tokenized Cloud Sphere Series

Nov 29th, 2019

Tokenized Cloud Spheres is a new installation of 12 photo collages featuring photos taken on passenger flights.

Tokenized Cloud Spheres is an installation of 12 photo collages, based on photos taken on passenger flights across North America. The Cloud Spheres consist of limited-edition archival prints which are linked by augmented reality to digital animations. Each Cloud Sphere recreates a brief moment of an individual flight.

Installation Tokenized Cloud Spheres during my solo exhibition entitled: Tropopause Contemplation in Sherbrooke, QC
Installation Tokenized Cloud Spheres during my solo exhibition entitled: Tropopause Contemplation: Blockchain Technology and Inclusive Decentralization in Sherbrooke, QC

Through digital animations connected to physical artworks, I encourage the discussion of digital art and crypto art within traditional art venues and exhibitions. To reference its blockchain connection, I formed the photo collages into spheres to resemble tokens or coins. I used the augmented reality app Artivive to connect physical and digital art. The focus was on tangible media, as many art venues cannot accommodate polyptych digital artworks yet.


Making-Of Tokenized Cloud Spheres

As a frequent traveler, I began taking pictures and videos on every flight over the past few years. This practice results in a growing photo and video archive of several thousand files. About two years ago, I started taking pictures in intervals of several seconds. I discovered the importance of gauging the distance of the plane to the clouds and adjusting the frequency of the photos accordingly. If I hit the right interval, the resulting images allow me to create full panoramic images. On approximately every 4th or 5th flight, I was able to create a successful photo set.

The photos were then stitched into panoramas using software and lightly retouched on the edges to allow smooth connections into a sphere. I didn’t enhance the colours as it was fascinating to see how the time of day and the altitude created this wide range of colours on its own.

Clouds are blurry and have low contrast, which makes it difficult for software to tell them apart. Therefore, I created unique high contrasting elements out of morse and binary code sequences. These elements act as a QR code for the augmented reality app to recognize and connect the right digital animation with the physical artwork. To view the digital animation, download the free app Artivive for iOS (link) and Android (link) and center your smart phone with the app open on a Tokenized Cloud Sphere.


Exhibition Record

As I mentioned in previous blog posts, I am passionate about introducing crypto art in traditional art venues such as art centres and galleries. For the past year, I have exhibited or published individual pieces, selections of the Cloud Spheres or the complete installation in several locations, such as:


Tokenized Digital Originals

I have tokenized six Cloud Spheres on both SuperRare.co and KnownOrigin.io as digital originals. Below, I link the thumbnails to the respective Crypto Art online gallery.

Tokenized Cloud Sphere One (YYZ to MCO)
3450 x 3450 px
Edition 1/1
Tokenized at KnownOrigin.io

Tokenized Cloud Sphere Two (DFW to YYZ)
3450 x 3450 px
Edition 1/1
Tokenized at SuperRare.co

Tokenized Cloud Sphere Three (YYZ to YUL)
3450 x 3450 px
Edition 1/1
Tokenized at KnownOrigin.io

Tokenized Cloud Sphere Four (ORD to MLI)
3450 x 3450 px
Edition 1/1
Tokenized t SuperRare.co

Tokenized Cloud Sphere Five (YYZ to CMH)
3450 x 3450 px
Edition 1/1
Tokenized at KnownOrigin.io

Tokenized Cloud Sphere Six (YUL to YYZ)
3450 x 3450 px
Edition 1/1
Tokenized at SuperRare.co

Tokenized Cloud Sphere Seven (YYZ to ZRH)
3450 x 3450 px
Edition 1/1
Tokenized at KnownOrigin.io

Tokenized Cloud Sphere Eight (YUL to DFW)
3450 x 3450 px
Edition 1/1
Tokenized at SuperRare.co

Tokenized Cloud Sphere Nine (DFW to EWR)
3450 x 3450 px
Edition 1/1
Tokenized at KnownOrigin.io

Tokenized Cloud Sphere Ten (ATL to YYZ)
3450 x 3450 px
Edition 1/1
Tokenized at SuperRare.co

Tokenized Cloud Sphere Eleven (ORD to YUL)
3450 x 3450 px
Edition 1/1
Tokenized at KnownOrigin.io

Tokenized Cloud Sphere Twelve (ATL to YYZ)
3450 x 3450 px
Edition 1/1
Tokenized at SuperRare.co

If you are interested in the framed, signed, limited-edition archival prints (editions of 5), you can order them soon here. I accept Bitcoin and Ethereum as well as CAD, USD and EUR.

About Martin Lukas Ostachowski - MLO.art Artist Researcher Writer

Martin Lukas Ostachowski

or short MLO. I am a multidisciplinary artist, researcher and writer based in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal), Quebec, Canada.

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