New Art Collection Announcement: Particle’s neutral by ripcache
Art, Privacy, and the Blockchain: co-own ripcache’s iconic artwork from the public//private series
Meet ripcache
ripcache is an anonymous artist who took the web3 art world by storm when he entered the scene in 2021. He soon became one of the most in-demand digital artists, with works sold at Christie’s, collaborations with Avant Arte, and pieces held in some of the most important collections, including XCOPY, Erick Calderon (SnowFro), and Cozomo de’ Medici. ripcache fully embodies what it means to be a web3 artist: from his name, process, and subject matter.
The name ripcache, meaning ‘raster image processor cache’, references the tool that converts a digital image into 1s and 0s used by a printer to create a physical copy. The cache stores data on a device for faster retrieval. The pseudonym concept, a nod to XCOPY, reiterates the artist’s fascination with privacy, showing the artist’s full commitment to his practice.
ripcache shares glimpses into his process, drawing his work digitally pixel by pixel with his mouse in hand before re-working it all over again with new research and information.
Taking inspiration from artists throughout history, together with film and music, ripcache’s traditional artist background is clear. ripcache was driven to use the blockchain as a medium in the wake of new promises for privacy via decentralization. He emphasizes the importance of his work being fully on-chain. On-chain art in this instance manifests as the image file being saved as an .svg file, which converts image into text. This text is then included in the metadata of the NFT.
You’re being watched
‘It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in a public place or within range of a telescreen. The smallest thing could give you away.”
George Orwell, 1984
We live in a world where surveillance has become ubiquitous. 770 million CCTV cameras operate worldwide: in China there is 1 CCTV camera for every 2 people, and in the US, the average person is caught on camera 34 times per day. ripcache’s art becomes a poignant commentary, delving beyond the novelty of technology. His works address universal concerns — privacy, personal data collection, and digital (im)permanence — echoing the warnings of scholars like Shoshana Zuboff in ‘The Age of Surveillance Capitalism.’
“Surveillance Capitalism offers society enticing new technologies that pose an equally destructive threat — one that instead targets mankind.”
neutral
neutral from the Public//Private series is about permanence and consists of two components: a physical screen print on a metal panel and a digital artwork stored on the Ethereum blockchain.
The physical and digital artworks are identical in their imagery, featuring a representation of ripcache’s focus on surveillance and data privacy. The physical artwork is a 2x2ft black and white screen print on a metal panel. The digital artwork, on the other hand, is a fully on-chain artwork on the Ethereum blockchain, and embodies ripcache’s commitment to using blockchain technology as a medium.
The only way to acquire the digital artwork initially is by purchasing the physical artwork. This maintains the interconnectedness of the physical and digital pieces. However, the collector has a choice to make. To gain access to the digital artwork, the collector must scratch away the physical artwork in the area that contains the Ethereum private key. This action irrevocably separates the physical artwork from the digital artwork.
The Power of Particles
Particle is allowing 64 collectors to co-own this artwork — comprising of both the physical and digital artworks that make up neutral from the public//prviate series. Particle’s unique technology allows co-owners to vote on-chain to scratch the physical artwork and unlock the digital artwork. The physical artwork will embark on a global institutional tour, following the footsteps of Particle’s Banksy’s LIITA at the MOCO and H.R. Giger’s Alien in Paris.
This exclusive opportunity invites a select group of collectors to co-own a ripcache original 1/1 artwork. With only 64 ripcache particles available, collectors face the intriguing choice — scratch and reveal or preserve the artwork’s unity.
Sign up now to register interest in collecting neutral from the public//private series. All Particle holders and ripcache holders have access to the pre-sale
