5 mins readTrevor Paglen, a well-known artist, is offering a brand-new approach to audience participation. He successfully combines NFTs and "speculative reality" to create an exciting treasure hunt with a focus on sinister riddles and mind control.
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The PRELUDES NFT Series
The "PRELUDES" NFT series by Paglen is currently accessible on the Art Blocks site. The series' captivating fusion of simple melodies and visual scores is reminiscent of the algorithmic works of well-known composers like John Cage, Iannis Xenakis, Haydn, and Brahms, who were recognized for encoding messages in their music.
Hidden messages are there in the series. Enclosed within the description of the artwork lies a covert message stating, "If you are reading this, you have embarked on your journey into a broader universe."
Trevor Paglen, CYCLOPS, 2023. © Trevor Paglen, courtesy Pace Gallery
They're musical mysteries, says Paglen. After purchasing the NFT, you must decipher the message and enter the code to be eligible to win your prize, a vinyl LP that also contains additional puzzles.
The vinyl LP serves as both a reward and a starting point for more challenging challenges. The album's initial track features a synthetic voice reciting what seems like a nonsensical string of digits, but on decoding, these numbers transform into a meaningful array of words.
Spoiler alert: Paglen offers a tip for folks who enjoy solving cryptic puzzles—use web tools to decrypt encrypted documents.
Trevor Paglen, Preludes #89. Courtesy Art Blocks
The CYCLOPS Speculative Reality Work
The "CYCLOPS" puzzle on the LP leads to Paglen's "Speculative Reality" piece, which is displayed via a mainframe computer interface.
The interface welcomes you with the words "Welcome to the Viewtree Mountain Research Facility." The system's timestamp shows that it was shut down in 1972 but enabled again in 1923, suggesting that it was a holdover from a system that before the Y2K panic.
Trevor Paglen, CYCLOPS, 2023. © Trevor Paglen, courtesy Pace Gallery
Uncertain about what "speculative reality" actually entails? According to the website, "Think of it as a new art genre that mixes components from Alternate Reality Games (ARGs), with characteristics of experimental narrative, historical 'unfiction,' and cooperative problem-solving. It is intended to be used and enjoyed by autonomous teams of individuals that cooperate.
By completing the riddles on the vinyl LP or purchasing a "Preludes" NFT, users can interact with the platform and receive a "CYCLOPS" enrollment code. The website also challenges visitors to uncover concealed codes, which ups the tension.
The Story and Content of CYCLOPS
Paglen discloses that "CYCLOPS" refers to a covert CIA program involving interrogation, indoctrination, and psychological torture and lives in the world of MKUltra and mind experimentation. The items that players find serve as a substitute for the records that were destroyed as MKUltra proof.
Paglen's foray into the NFT world involves more than just accepting a new format. He is more intrigued by the fan base that NFTs have attracted.
Trevor Paglen, CYCLOPS, 2023. © Trevor Paglen, courtesy Pace Gallery
Here are 10,000 people who are all conversing with one another, he observes. To play this game, you need 1,000 people to be conversing with one another in order to develop CYCLOPS. Many geeks from NFTs hang out on Discord servers. I had different ideas about the audience.
What he really wanted to know was, "How do you make public art for people who live on the Internet?" Preludes and Cycles were created with this concept in mind, utilizing the Internet's collaborative capabilities.
The Role of the Audience in the Digital Art Experience
According to Paglen, a key component of the digital art experience is the audience. The NFT community provides a distinctive setting for public art in the digital age with its lively interactions and discussions. His most recent initiatives aim to capitalize on this feeling of community by fostering a shared and collaborative experience that goes beyond the conventional notion of an artwork.
Paglen's "PRELUDES" and "CYCLOPS" are more than just decorative objects or brainteasers; they represent a brand-new genre of participatory, interactive art that is meant to be experienced and lived. In their collective effort to construct the story, the audience partakes in the creative process, facilitating its progression.
Final Thoughts
Paglen's "PRELUDES" and "CYCLOPS" offer a view into the future of digital art with their singular blending of art, puzzles, history, and cooperation. It shows how NFTs and Web3 technologies have the potential to change not only how art is made and who owns it, but also how it is actually experienced.
