# Origin

[…]

Their scientific pursuits had long been focused on this particular region, absorbing a considerable amount of their resources. Centuries were invested in decoding patterns that, despite their relentless efforts, remained stubbornly incomprehensible.

Then it happened.

In a tiny sliver of spacetime, a coherent structure emerged. The entire episode unfolded in an instant, but it was crystal clear. A spontaneous creation with an otherworldly precision, unforeseen and inexplicable, had materialized right before their eyes.

And just as quickly it all dissolved, leaving only a faint, vanishing trail.

Attempts at replication proved unsuccessful, the anomaly slipping through their scientific grasp. But this singular event proved that they had glimpsed the origin of some kind, an undeniable reality forever etched into their collective minds.

[…]

## Details

This generative artwork uses a technique called Monte Carlo path tracing, which is a physically based rendering algorithm that simulates the way light rays bounce around in a scene. It is computationally expensive as it follows multiple light rays per pixel, but it produces well-lit and realistic images.

The shapes in this artwork are created using pure mathematical equations called signed distance functions. Using various complex algorithms, these shapes are distorted and combined with each other to create new forms.

Due to its computational complexity, it takes a while to render a crisp image. The longer you let it run, the more detailed and less noisy the final output becomes.  By default, the renderer optimizes for a 15 FPS rendering speed by choosing an optimal tile size. This keeps your browser responsive, but renders more slowly. To render an image at maximum capacity, you can disable tile-based rendering.

## Controls

- Press **[space]** or **[tap]** the screen to pause the renderer.
- Press **[s]** or **[tap and hold]** to save a png file.
- Press **[1]** - **[8]** to select a preset that renders 4000 frames and saves the result at a specific size. Sizes range from 1024 to 8192 pixels on the longest side.
- Press **[a]** to toggle automatic tile-based rendering.
- Press **[i]** to toggle the info panel.

You can optionally append these parameters to the URL:

- **[size=<number>]** define the number of pixels of the largest side (default: window size).
- **[frames=<number>]** define the total number of render frames (default: 4000).
- **[save=1]** when *frames* is defined, you can optionally enable auto-save when the renderering is completed (default: disabled).
- **[fps=<number>]** automatically adjust the tile size to reach the desired frames per second of your browser (default: 15).
- **[tile=<number>]** define the tile size for tile-based rendering, use 0 for full-size rendering (default: auto).


Origin

Art Blocks Studio is a self-publishing platform designed to empower preeminent generative artists by facilitating the direct release of their collections. The Studio allows artists to manage their own releases and provides them with autonomy in both creation and distribution.

Art Blocks Studio

I find myself in a world of chaos and turbulence, of confusion and disorder. At the still point, I—or perhaps we—find ourselves, yet we are never truly still. This work is both a meditation and a portrait of modern awareness: an algorithmic reflection on the search for calm within uncertainty.

The title echoes a line from T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets, which contemplates presence within time and the dance of the living moment.

At the Still Point of the Turning World: Algorithmic Self Portrait, 2025

*send/receive* is a conceptual artwork that celebrates the digital art community and the technology that connects us. It is a fully on-chain, highly participatory system in which every collector becomes a co-creator contributing their presence, energy, and intention to a network of interdependent artworks running on Ethereum.

Each artwork is alive to the global state of the network. Block by block, the balance between "sending" and "receiving" across all tokens determines what each piece displays. As collectors change their settings, the entire network shifts in real time.

Collectors begin by creating a 64×64 pixel character, a personal sprite, to represent themselves on the network. Optionally, they can compose a simple four-track audio tune to accompany their sprite. This can be done through the Art Blocks interface, which records and submits the creation directly to the blockchain, or through the fully on-chain editors embedded in the artwork itself, allowing collectors to generate a data string and manually update their token via Etherscan.

By default, each token starts in a neutral state. If a sprite has been added, the artwork displays it as a static image. From there, collectors choose how they want to participate: send, receive, or both.

These choices shape the global system. When more tokens are sending, the receiving tokens display incoming sprites more rapidly. When more tokens choose to receive, the senders are distributed across the network at a slower pace. Each token expresses its role visually:
* Receive mode: a continuous flow of incoming sprites, presented in one of four styles assigned at mint (grid, column, fall, or bounce).
* Send mode: your sprite remains centered, occasionally pulsing outward as it broadcasts.
* Send + Receive: your token displays its receive style with a subtle pulsing border to indicate that it is also sending.

Collectors are invited to adjust their token's setting as their mood changes to give, to take, or to hold both impulses at once. The more you take, the less others receive. The less you take, the more others receive. The system reflects these choices instantly, on-chain, creating an ever-shifting portrait of community intention.

The project was inspired by how people in our community often say "sending thoughts and prayers" to express support, or "send your thoughts and prayers" when they need encouragement. As someone who is not religious, I wanted to explore the underlying sentiment without invoking prayer directly to create a way for us to express care, attention, and presence through the medium of networked art.

Empathy is the foundation of this work. In a world that increasingly questions its value, I believe empathy is essential not only for navigating our digital lives, but for understanding each other at all. Taking a moment to step into someone else's shoes can illuminate motivations, reduce friction, and help us meet each other with generosity. send/receive is an experiment in using on-chain art to make that exchange visible, felt, and shared.


send/receive

Launched with our Friendship Bracelets project in advance of Marfa Weekend in November 2022, the Explorations collection establishes a space for experimental, community-focused releases. Consisting of commissioned projects that embody the spirit of innovation and experimentation within the Art Blocks ecosystem, this collection embraces new approaches that are conceptualized and realized in collaboration with the Art Blocks team.

Experimental commissions that break the mold

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