New Interactive Art Blocks Project Is 'a Fragment of the Minter's Soul,' Says Artist

Ghost in the Code by Kazuhiro Tanimoto launches on Art Blocks tomorrow, Jul. 8, at 12 p.m. ET. The NFT project is a "fragment of the minter's soul, forever adrift in the vast net," according to Tanimoto.

"It is a living portrait, blinking, angry, laughing, surprised, and continuously changing into even more complex expressions," the artist told Art Blocks. "In this work, personality is output on the net by minting."

Tanimoto, a Doctor of Engineering and chemist in Japan, first started experimenting with using his experience in chemistry, mathematics, and programming for art when he created "Light-bending material," an art instillation at the 21st Japan Media Arts Festival in 2017. 

In early 2021, he learned of NFTs and Art Blocks.

"When I realized what Art Blocks [was] doing, I was extremely excited," Tanimoto said. "Then I thought about the significance of storing the code on the blockchain, and the idea of encapsulating the soul expressed by the code on the blockchain immedaitely came to mind."

Tanimoto's upcoming project, Ghost in the Code, is interactive and responds to the user.

"This implementation allows for real-time processing, blinking when clicking near the eyes and changing the orientation of the face depending on the pointer position," he said. "Also, if you look at it on a slightly larger screen, you can see they are breathing!"

For Art Blocks full interview with Kazuhiro Tanimoto, click here.