What is crypto literature, and what can the advent of NFTs mean for writers and literary artists seeking to experiment with the enthralling world of blockchain technologies? Riding the waves of this emerging conversation is Kalen Iwamoto, the mastermind behind Twelve, a collaboration jointly developed by 12 different crypto writers and artists.
As a crypto writer, Kalen is devoted to building up a strong bond within the community, from the ground up. “Crypto writing is such a new thing, that I almost feel like I am making things up as I go along,” says Kalen. She is the Founder of the Crypto Writers Discord, which connected her to writers and artists who were similarly interested in pushing forward the NFT communities’ understanding of how literature and creative writing can interplay with the crypto world. Kalen says that, “I was determined to collaborate with artists whose works excited me, while presenting a wide range of practices to showcase a diverse idea of what crypto literature could look like.”
Twelve is the result of this ambitious collaborative experiment, accompanied by a larger-than-life presentation on Decentraland (hosted and designed by @paleh0rs3). The project is a mystery-filled adventure that invites its readers and participants to put on their detective glasses, and dive deep into the exciting world of experimental writing.
Bringing together some of the best crypto writers in the scene, Twelve is made up of 12 individual NFTs. From the haunted fascinations of paleh0rs3’s GAN imageries, the surrealist inspired texts against fire in Anonymous Nobody’s animation, Brickwall’s atypical haiku and serenely blue night sky, to TheKZA’s moving words caged within a painted head, Twelve deeply embodies the spirit of transdisciplinary art-making. Intimately integrating the creativity of computers, James Yu, Osirène and artist collective aurèce vettier, extend their literary arms into the systems of AI and code-generated amulets. Galbraith’s flash fiction, interwoven with his photographs of Glasgow, sits across from Justin Tagg’s (Devoid) story 001 of a new micro metafiction series, signalling the beginning of masterful collections to come. simianAmber’s instructional-based performance crosses into the spaces of ephemerality, while Dorkholm’s playful collage pokes fun at the very resource from which it takes its reference. Last but not least, Nahiko presents his visual response, a man with his back to the light of the world and 12 spheres floating behind him, alluding to the high stakes high rewards of solving Kalen’s mystery.
All 12 NFTs are united by Kalen’s own poem, “Twelve”, to be released on April 29. The eclectic mix of literary experimentations are tucked away in one, single wallet. Readers and participants, through purchasing and gaining access to Iwamoto’s poem and its unlockable contents, will be invited to solve the riddles hidden within. Driven by her passion for words, Iwamoto has been on the hunt for ways to appropriate and play with texts in the blockchain world, with seed phrases – typically a string of 12 seemingly disparate words that hold the key to one’s digital wallet – arising as a natural playground for her imaginations.
Inspired by NFT drop culture’s ability to encourage interaction and conversations, Iwamoto, together with her husband, Julien Silvano, arrived at the idea of placing audience involvement at the heart of this project. In a race against time, each and every one of those who gain ownership of Iwamoto’s poems will have a chance to uncover the correct seed phrase, and unlock the treasure trove of all 12 NFTs. The first to crack the code will be the winner amongst us all, free to walk away with everything inside this prized wallet.
Visit the 12 website: twelve.wtf
Visit the 12 gallery in Decentraland: http://visit.dcl.eth.link
