In anticipation of the approaching solo exhibit of artist Nardo at Bitcoin Mena, provided in cooperation with AOTM Gallery, an informative discussion was carried out to look into the crossways of memes, folklores, and digital culture. Nardo’s creative undertakings browse the interesting world in between the physicality of conventional painting and the ephemeral nature of meme culture—2 relatively diverse mediums that are developing in parallel with improvements in Bitcoin.
The title of the exhibit, “Fresh Impact,” together with the main painting, “Sandwich Artist,” both draw on the cultural phenomenon surrounding Subway-associated memes. Notably, Subway ended up being the very first fast-food chain to accept Bitcoin in 2013, a historical minute recorded by Andrew Torba, who notoriously made use of Bitcoin to buy a $5 sandwich in Allentown, Pennsylvania. This paradoxical information is especially striking, provided Torba’s existing position as CEO of the social media network Gab. Such early crossways of Bitcoin and meme culture triggered amusing reflections on the concept of ‘costs generational wealth’ on footlongs, eventually highlighting styles associated with the worth of currency gradually, as the acquiring power of the dollar continues to decrease while that of Bitcoin values. Nardo, how does the Subway meme resonate with you, and how does it notify your method to painting within a significantly digital period?
Nardo shows on the quick intake patterns common in modern culture—whether they refer to junk food or web memes. He notes a noticeable decrease in the typical attention period, revealed in minutes of short lived engagement, with the choice of sandwich active ingredients being the pinnacle of enjoyment in one’s day. The difficult job of consuming a twelve-inch processed sandwich frequently ends up being a routine duplicated for the sake of benefit, with the chance to modify one’s option of garnishes offering incremental novelty.
Nevertheless, Subway has actually cultivated an experience that feels ageless. This parallel can be drawn with the intake of memes and web habits, where the short-term satisfaction stemmed from sharing amusing material looks like a short lived dopamine hit. The virality of memes rests upon methodical structures—cultural signs, striking typography overlaid onto engaging visuals, filtered looks, and low-effort applications—hence developing a layered truth similar to a sandwich’s structure.
When pondering Bitcoin, Nardo presumes that a person need to engage with its experiential nature at the minute of exchange. The absurdity of having actually acquired a sandwich for $5 in Bitcoin in 2013, which has actually because risen in worth, provides a striking and rather uncomfortable contrast when seen in 2024 at roughly $4,300. This change exhibits the alchemical nature of utilizing digital currency for concrete, consumable items.
Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins created the term “memes” to explain systems of cultural transmission, comparing their dissemination to the duplication of genes. Memes have virulent qualities, multiplying through social media networks in manner ins which blur differences in between hereditary product and viral impact, each efficient in incorporating into DNA and affecting evolutionary procedures. In a light-hearted exchange, Nardo and the recruiter kept in mind that memes—and the crypto phenomenon of memecoins—might be compared to the junk food of digital culture, representing cybernetic unhealthy food or digital interruptions. Nardo, do you see memes as a low art kind? How does this observation resonate with the fragments that defined the work of Francis Bacon or the disorderly setups seen in Dash Snow’s 2007 “hamster nest”? Furthermore, what is your viewpoint on modern artists like Christine Wang, who have started to reproduce considerable memes in her exhibit entitled “Cryptofire Degen” at The Hole in New York? What ramifications develop when a digital meme shifts into the world of physical painting?
Nardo highlights a desire to slow down the procedure of intake. By carefully rendering a meme in oil paint and providing it for consideration, he looks for to stimulate a disorienting experience. He is similarly captivated by the possibility of dealing with waste as a genuine kind of material instead of simple refuse.
In thinking about the residues left after a specific quickly takes in lunch and scrolls through myriad memes, the resultant fragments becomes a symptom of passive turmoil, possibly leading one to question the structure and significance of such actions. Yet, he hypothesizes that this liminal state of mind might be a reproducing ground for the most viral concepts.
Nardo’s fascination with cybernetics was triggered by Japanese anime series such as Ghost in the Shell (1995-2014), which explores cyberpunk stories incorporating interconnectedness of minds, hacking culture, and cyber infections, resonating with Dawkins’ theories about memes. The series presents ideas such as “ghost-hacking” and “thought viruses” that imitate viral proliferation throughout networks, echoing the concepts of self-replicating cultural systems. Regarding your current expedition of the “skibidi toilet” meme phenomenon, what insights have you recognized about its expansion through social media networks and its impact on the cumulative awareness of modern youth?
Nardo keeps in mind that the Ghost in the Shell story lines up carefully with modern society. As we browse this digital landscape, our real identities end up being linked with cybernetic representations—avatars that embody goals of what we want to end up being. This truth notifies his assertion that “You become what you meme.”
His interest about the fixation of American youth on memes such as Skibidi Toilet, frequently bewildering to older generations, highlights the development of brand-new languages and modern analyses of ancient folklores. He explains Skibidi Toilet as the modern-day Iliad of the Internet.
Beyond the worlds checked out in Ghost in the Shell, Nardo determines a thematic resonance with Neon Genesis Evangelion in relation to the Age of Aquarius, especially relating to interconnectedness and cumulative awareness. This series analyzes the blurring of specific identities, paralleling the “hive mind” propensities observable in modern web culture as shared info quickly affects public discourse. Through the work “Sandwich Artist,” you at the same time resolve the stress in between individual artistry and the pressures of representing a faceless brand name. How do you view this advancement, and what techniques can artists carry out to engage jointly while securing their specific expression in the middle of today’s digital culture?
Nardo responds that the procedure behind the production of Sandwich Artist develops on a familiar meme design template, yet through numerous digital adjustments—particularly the cross-outs of existing text—it embraces the looks of graffiti, eventually ending up being an expression of his identity. He worths this piece for its capability to encapsulate a specific manifesto reflective of his more comprehensive creative viewpoint. While constant branding can yield monetary success, he focuses on how his work engages with historic stories gradually. The cumulative state of mind might look for a brand name to promote, yet history naturally prefers specific artistry.
The discussion has actually passed through the term “subway” in connection with submarine sandwiches, however it also triggers consideration of underground transit systems. Japan’s ingenious research study of mycelial development patterns showcases an optimization of its train and train networks. Mirroring the development patterns of fungis, memes multiply and create connections amongst people within decentralized networks, adjusting dynamically as they pass through from one “host” to another. Given this example, how might artists mindfully browse the memetic landscape of proliferation and network characteristics?
Nardo asserts that the ephemeral nature of web memes makes them difficult to understand before they fade into obscurity. Nevertheless, he discovers it fascinating to examine those couple of memes that resonate deeply within the cumulative awareness, looking for esoteric connections to humankind’s past. Patterns and signs repeat throughout human history, developing yet staying constant throughout ages.
He shows that efficient memes depend on robust systems for providing info. Thus, artists need to keep an awareness of historic contexts and esoteric meaning, as this understanding might assist in finding one’s own primal identity through the prism of memes.
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