BITTERCOIN

#Installations
THU-SUN / 10:00-00:00
2nd Floor

BitterCoin is an old calculator machine hacked to be used as a miner validating the pending bitcoin transactions in the Blockchain (online distributed data base). BitterCoin combines Internet of Things, media archaeology and economy. The operations are displayed on the calculator screen and printed afterwards.

The Bitcoin was originally conceived as an electronic decentralized system for capital transactions. Each node (user) has the same opportunities to get a reward when validating a transaction.
In the last years this system has triggered in a competitive struggle in which computing power is the most important variable for earning Bitcoins. This involves the use of large equipment, computer farms spending physical and environmental resources. A struggle that benefits only the owner of the most powerful and efficient technology. BitterCoin takes up this discourse in a rhetorical way; it works as the most basic computer, increasing the time needed to produce Bitcoins to almost an eternity.

César Escudero Andaluz (ES)

César Escudero Andaluz (BA, MA, MA, MA) is an artist and researcher focused on human-computer interaction, interface criticism, digital culture and its social and political effects. His work spans from image-making, sculpture, videogaming, installation to networked culture, IoT, robotics, interfaces appropriations, media archaeology. Since 2011, he is researching at the Kunstuniversität Linz in Interface Culture LAB.

His artworks have been shown in international electronic-art events, museums, galleries and conferences including ARSELECTRONICA (AT) / ISMAR2015 (JP) / WRO2015 (PL) / TRANSNUMERIQUES (FR) / ESPACIO ENTER (SP) / HANGAR.Center for Art Research and Production (SP) / SHAKE YOUR MON3Y, Digital & Net.Art (on-line) / THE WRONG, New Digital Art Biennale (on-line).

Martin Nadal (ES)

Martin Nadal  (BSc) is an artist/developer based in Linz and studying the Interface Cultures program at KunstUni. In the past years, he has collaborated in a variety of projects and taught some workshops related to art and technology. He is also interested in illustration and cinematography, and lately is developing a few works about bitcoin and cryptocurrencies.

His works have been shown at Visualizar 11 (Medialab Prado), Ars Electronica, AMRO Festival and Settimana della scienza (Genova).

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