The Grind
Provenance Data
3D Animation
Dynamic 1/1
Shape L2, minted on ERC-7160
November 2024
About
The Grind is a Dynamic 1/1 that changes its version based on the day of time of the viewer. The artwork is minted on ERC-7160 contract by Transient Labs, allowing the token to index more media files.
To fully utilize the potential of this contract, the 1/1 is indexing 3 versions of the artwork. The daytime version High Noon Stride, the nighttime version Moonwalk, and then finally the dynamic artwork that changes by itself.
The holder of the artwork is free to choose which of these versions they prefer the most, and pin them within the Transient UI. The respective version then behaves as the "main artwork".
Behind the Scenes
Story
This artwork depicts the theme of a daily exhaustion, of a thorny burden of adulthood, of accepting the grind. The idea for this piece has been scratching me in the back of my head since August. When I was in Italy, I saw these guys on the beach, selling all that stuff, drinks, sunglasses, everything.
I started pondering—would this be a good artwork? It’s kinda nostalgic, but in a different way. My girlfriend told me how these people are usually extorted by local mafias to work days and nights, living hard lives, stuck in this never-ending sisyphean cycle of moving one foot in front of the other with no end at sight.
I needed to put this into an artwork. The irony of these people being forced to live something so hard while for most of us on the beach consider them invisible, or worse; annoying. It's a powerful irony, and I felt worthy of putting it into an artwork.
I started working on it, fully embodying the experience.
My friend helped me with making a 3D scan of me in as many clothes I could find.
Pants, short pants, shoes, t-shirts, shirts, hoodie, hat, hood, everything in a 35°C heat.
It took me only 10 minutes to get a glimpse of the searing pain those people have to endure everyday.
Halfway through the work I started started realizing that it was not just about them, it was also about me. The artwork relates to my relationship with the idea of a job, of having to work for money, and with the feeling of entitlement that I have been feeling for my whole life. Most of us are so lucky that we don't have to do something like this, yet we constantly struggle wanting more, wanting to do less.
Here, I also rediscovered what art means to me. It's always on my mind. Any free moment I have—I think art, I discuss art, I make art.
A few days ago we had a party and I was literally animating this piece, smoothing out details, at fckn 1 am.
Maybe my art is my grind, my day and night walk in the sand.
The Grind became a part of Traces of the Unfound exhibition organized by Kirill Pobedeen in SSSgallery in Bali.
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