Aloft is a generative sculpture installed in Mantra’s Headquarters in Hong Kong. Its sinuous shape descends from the ceiling of the 21st floor, drops through the void connecting both levels, and attaches to the ceiling of the 20th floor. The flowing video animation featured on the screen is generated in real time by cryptocurrency trading data.
Aloft captures the ceaseless ebb and flow of cryptocurrency and how it has become a robust force in the digital economy. It also evokes natural processes in living organisms, such as veins, nerves, and other circulatory systems. Despite the formidable amount of cryptocurrency that is presently traded through electronic networks, it remains largely unknown to the general public. Aloft materializes cryptocurrency through art and sculpture, helping us understand the rhythms of the digital economy.
The inspiration for the work comes from the rotating tiles of traditional airport flipboards displaying information of departing and arriving flights. In Aloft, each virtual tile shows the trading ticker symbol of cryptocurrencies on one side and, when it flips, reveals images of paper money. The artwork underscores the transition from paper money, which is now obsolete, into its fully digital form. This idea is reinforced in the animation through visuals that evoke fragmented and disintegrating banknotes, like shredded paper, symbolizing the transformation of the monetary system.
Aloft captures the ceaseless ebb and flow of cryptocurrency and how it has become a robust force in the digital economy. It also evokes natural processes in living organisms, such as veins, nerves, and other circulatory systems. Despite the formidable amount of cryptocurrency that is presently traded through electronic networks, it remains largely unknown to the general public. Aloft materializes cryptocurrency through art and sculpture, helping us understand the rhythms of the digital economy.
The inspiration for the work comes from the rotating tiles of traditional airport flipboards displaying information of departing and arriving flights. In Aloft, each virtual tile shows the trading ticker symbol of cryptocurrencies on one side and, when it flips, reveals images of paper money. The artwork underscores the transition from paper money, which is now obsolete, into its fully digital form. This idea is reinforced in the animation through visuals that evoke fragmented and disintegrating banknotes, like shredded paper, symbolizing the transformation of the monetary system.
Medium: Sculptural LED screens, metal structures, computer, generative custom software, internet connection.