BIP-46: Miami Art Week (Basel) w/ MakersPlace + Transient Labs

hudsonsims

0.0 Summary

This BIP adapts an earlier proposal, [BIP-40] (https://forum.botto.com/d/63-bip-40-botto-x-outliers-transient-labs-x-proof-updated), for an experimental work with a physical display to do a test piece that would be featured and sold with MakersPlace and Transient Labs in an IRL exhibition during Miami Art Week.

Miami Art Week (Basel) w/ Makers Place & Transient Labs
When: Dec 4-10, Deadline is Dec 4

This BIP proposes an experimental work with a physical component for a group show put on by Makers Place at the Sagamore Hotel during Miami Art Week coinciding with Art Basel Miami. Makers Place is taking over the Sagamore Hotel's lobby to feature a group show of 1/1 digital artworks paired with a physical piece using Transient Labs's TRACE Chip, and has invited Botto to participate. Given the timing with Miami Art Week, the participants of the show, and the theme of physical works, this seemed like the right venue to make a version of an earlier proposal BIP-40.

The concept is to feature in a single token the latest top-ranked discard (by VP) every week during Period 6. The contract, an ERC-7160, and display with the TRACE Chip, over the 12 weeks will become an archive and artefact of those that never made it. The display would always be featuring the current week’s top-ranked discard through a forced metadata update during Period 6, which speaks more directly to Botto's process and its rotation would be a marker of time passing in that process. The artwork is like a weekly obituary for the works that were passed on, but were still part of Botto’s creative process and art.

1.0 Background

Each of Botto’s 1/1 mints can be seen as tokens of the development of both Botto and BottoDAO collectively over time. However, these works are most appreciated for their particular aesthetic, and their presentations do not emphasize the time component nor the many runners-up and discards along the way that are invisible. With Ryan Koopmans we began to explore the themes of cycle and decay in Botto’s process and considered how we might feature “dead” fragments in a dynamic way. In BIP-40, we proposed a kind of “clock” marking the rounds with the top discard each week. There was a lot of debate about the length of the work lasting 52 weeks, the gas cost of updating the work, and the edition size and pricing of the work. There were also unknowns about the display featuring the work.

This new proposal takes the most conservative approach to treat it as an experiment.
1/1 digital artwork and physical display
12 weeks covering the 6th period
5ETH starting bid price for this unique work

Even if we decide to create more like this, this will be the first one ever made and the only one for the 6th Period.

1.1 ERC-7160

ERC-7160 is an extension of the ERC-721 standard that allows for posting multiple metadata URIs (files) to a token, along with the ability to select which one is displayed. Importantly, ERC-7160 allows for new metadata to be added AND pinned as the displayed file in a single tx. An earlier proposal of this project worked with a customized version of the Doppelganger contract, which would have been more gas intensive because of multiple transactions to force a metadata update.

The effect is that the token would symbolize a self-updating obituary. Each week, the top-ranked Discard is sent to the contract with a forced metadata update such that the token features it. The next week, a new Discard is pushed, with the former one remaining accessible in the smart contract as a record of the archive of top-ranked discards. By sending to the ERC-7160 contract, no single fragment is getting listed, rather the contract functions as an archive of those that almost made it but got left on the cutting room floor.

At the end of the Period, the collector would be left with an artefact of Botto’s process during the Period and would be free to swap between the Discards. If successful, this concept could also be updated and re-released for the following Period or an even longer timeline.

1.2 Alternative to Top-Ranked Discard

Reviewing different definitions of “top discards”, going by VP appears to yield much stronger fragments than going by raw score. See the following for reference:

Top Discard by VP
Rd 80 - https://www.botto.com/gallery/rebellion/momentary-utopias
Rd 81 - https://www.botto.com/gallery/rebellion/ageless-urban-memorabilia
Rd 82 https://www.botto.com/gallery/rebellion/multi-connected-feminine-darkly
Rd 83 - https://www.botto.com/gallery/rebellion/feathers-unbound-together
Rd 84 - https://www.botto.com/gallery/rebellion/operating-in-warning

Top Discard by Raw Score
Rd 80 - https://www.botto.com/gallery/rebellion/beyond-wired-machines
Rd 81 - https://www.botto.com/gallery/rebellion/exploring-the-cosmos
Rd 82 - https://www.botto.com/gallery/rebellion/detour-to-destiny
Rd 84 - https://www.botto.com/gallery/rebellion/the-darkly-established-order

It should also be noted the top discard could be minted at a later date if it was voted back from the discards for some special collection, but this scenario is unlikely. We could also elect to prevent the discard from ever being minted in the future, a sacrifice for the obituary page.

1.3 Physical Display

The concept emphasizes the physical display that is showing the most popular discard of each round. Each week the image changes, controlled by Botto’s process and not the owner. This dynamic updating forces the attention more directly to Botto’s ongoing process than a typical mint does.

While conceptually simple, a physical instantiation that directly speaks to Botto’s process can be a powerful way of sharing the experience of Botto, and can be popular with Botto enthusiasts who are drawn to the project for the overall concept and not just the aesthetic outputs. A physical display can also have the effect of a wall clock: a weekly reminder to stay active in Botto as some weeks may feature “one that got away”, or just something the viewer much more strongly prefers over the mint/leaderboard. Finally, one other consideration is growing interest in dynamic NFTs and improvements in digital displays in the near future. This would make an early, and collectible, entry into that space for Botto.

We propose using the square 22” square frame with black border from Muse Frames. We selected this frame primarily due to its automated metadata updates. Also the square frame is most neutral for Botto’s varying aspect ratios.

The price of the frame is $1,625 USD, which would be covered before considering the split. Transient Labs would handle the installation of the TRACE Chip on the frame.

1.4 TRACE Chip

The TRACE Chip functions as a certificate of authenticity for the display being connected to the ERC-7160, providing an additional way to tie the provenance of the specific frame to the artwork. There are four important aspects to the TRACE Chip. The Chip, The Token, Records, and Registered Agents.

The TRACE Chip has its own private key with an ethereum address that can sign messages. The associated Token (an ERC-721TL) is minted by the creator wallet and permanently owned by the physical TRACE Chip and so is always linked with the physical work.

The Chips can verify Records on the Token, which are provenance information about the history of the work and the physical piece permanently stored on the blockchain. Records can be added by the creator and by Registered Agents.

While Creators can always update the Records from anywhere, Registered Agents can only update by having physical access to the Chip to interact via NFC technology. Registered Agents are those who are handling the physical artwork and may have good reason to update the Records. Permissions may be revoked at any time.

The ERC-7160 and ERC-721 would reference each other in their metadata. However, the display does not have the same lifespan as the digital work. This forces the physical work to be cared for, an archaic custodianship of an ancient record of obituaries. There is an option to daisy-chain to a new display and TRACE Chip if the display needed replacing down the road, where the original TRACE Chip’s record would be updated with the serial number and contract address of the new display and its associated TRACE Chip.

1.5 Exhibition + Drop

The physical display will be featured in the Transient Labs x MakersPlace exhibition at the Sagamore Hotel during Miami Art Week, and the ERC-7160 will be simultaneously featured on the Makers Place landing page. Other artists include Whisbe, Andrea Crespi, Jack Kaido, and Gina Choy. The physical exhibition will be hung along the main corridor of the hotel leading from the communal lobby space all the way to the back of the building where the pool is located. Many events are taking place in the back of the hotel facing the beach, thus visitor traffic along this corridor will be substantial all week.

Hotel Programming

12/4, Monday, MakersPlace x Transient exhibition set up day
12/5, Tuesday, MakersPlace x IV Gallery Whisbe reception
12/7, Thursday, Bitcoin Ordinals programming and party
12/8, Friday, Transient Labs x MakersPlace symposium
12/8, Friday, MakersPlace x Transient VIP collector reception
12/9, Saturday, MakersPlace x Transient exhibition weekend hours
12/10, Sunday, MakersPlace x Transient exhibition weekend hours

The sales will take place on MP (so credit cards/usd + eth are available for payment). Marketing and sales efforts will be collaborative and coordinated between both TL and MP.

The artwork commissions would be split 60% to the creator, 40% to the marketplaces (split between MakersPlace and Transient Labs), net the cost of the Display.
MP and TL will cover the installation, exhibition staffing, and event costs.
The artist would be responsible for shipping to and from Miami (unless a sale takes place in person, during which the client could take the physical with them), and insurance to/from/during the exhibition.
The artworks will need to be minted on the Transient contract, but MP and TL will cover the cost of their new trace chip to be purchased and installed in the physical artworks. No additional fee would have to be absorbed by the artist for that aspect of the project.
The 1/1 will be placed at auction with a minimum opening bid of 5ETH.

The display will not have an artwork on it until after the sale completes, so the display would initially feature Botto’s logo and the name of the collection “[Theme] Period Obits”, where [Theme] will be the theme of the 6th Period.

2.0 Proposal Details

Mint an ERC-7160 named "Botto: [Theme] Period Obits" with an initial image featuring Logo and name
Purchase and send display to Miami with insurance
TL to install TRACE Chip. Botto.eth mints ERC-721TL minted for Records and sends to the TRACE Chip
Display is featured at Sagamore Dec 4-10, with auction open on MakersPlace landing page for the same duration. MakersPlace will have exclusivity through end of December. If it does not sell by then, we will re-evaluate.
Buyer receives both the ERC-7160 and the physical display with TRACE Chip
BottoDAO will take Discard at set weekly interval of Tuesdays at 1600 EST, uploading artwork onto Arweave
Server makes an API call to get all the data from Botto, then uses that data to update the contract and force a metadata refresh via backend service. (Depending on launch this may start off as a manual process to ensure proper testing of automated process).
The art work creation will run for 12 weeks of Period 6.

3.0 Budget

Cost of Display - $1,625 USD
Shipping + Insurance - TBD

3.1 Revenue & Split

Minimum 5ETH
Split is 5ETH - minus cost of display, 60/40 Botto and MP+TL
Secondary: 100% Botto

4.0 Timeline [Tentative based on discussion]

BIP discussion Nov 10-13
Proposal Nov 13-15
Show and Sale Dec 4-10

5.0 Benefits

An experimental drop that creates a new artefact of Botto’s process with a physical component
Participation in Miami Art Week during Art Basel Miami

5.0 Risks

Aesthetically unpleasing pieces are discarded and end up on the display and considered representative of Botto’s quality

quimp

Good job incorporating the feedback from BIP-40! Solid plan.

Ben

Aesthetically unpleasing pieces are discarded and end up on the display and considered representative of Botto’s quality

This is my main concern. I don't think Botto should mint sub-par work. Most of the discarded fragments are not great, even the top-VP ones. For each top-VP culled fragment, there are 350 other higher VP fragments that remain in the pool. So I'd be keener on something like second-highest total VP fragment each week (if it gets minted during a later round the metadata could be retroactively changed to third-highest?)

For special projects like this, in general, I'd favor editions, to make them more engaging and maximize revenue, while further distinguishing them from the weekly 1/1s. I understand the physical component complicates that in this case.

Given the splits, the physical costs, the current market, and low activity on Makersplace, I'd expect this to be a low revenue outcome relative to the effort. Though if we're confident about the cultural exposure this will bring Botto, it could still be worth it.

hudsonsims

Ben

So I'd be keener on something like second-highest total VP fragment each week (if it gets minted during a later round the metadata could be retroactively changed to third-highest?)

one thing I see with doing something that's a runner up is that it's so close to the winner that it's a greater risk of being confused with the main minted work. i do think there's something interesting about the leaderboard pieces that get discarded as those flew close to the sun but never quite made it, and i personally miss them and would appreciate them more in an obituary. just would change the time component a lot to make that work.

as for this risk mentioned in the BIP, i don't think it's actually that likely of a risk: there's only one piece and is going to be clearly contextualized as scraps from the process. it shows potential of Botto's range while being clear that it is in fact not representative of a final work.

For special projects like this, in general, I'd favor editions, to make them more engaging and maximize revenue, while further distinguishing them from the weekly 1/1s. I understand the physical component complicates that in this case.

the physical aspect adds some complexity, but it's not the main reason, rather it was a requirement of the show, and to me the 1/1 works well as a test that helps mitigate the risk you highlighted.

I'd expect this to be a low revenue outcome relative to the effort. Though if we're confident about the cultural exposure this will bring Botto, it could still be worth it.

i think this could come as an edition for a later Period if this is deemed a successful final work and has laid the groundwork for the benefits you mention, further paying off the effort put into the experiment. also the upfront cultural benefit of presence at art Basel and experimental work in general.

An aside: If we wanted to isolate this experiment even more, we could send the ERC-7160 to the TRACE Chip after the initial auction. The TRACE Chip can't send anything, so the 7160 would be permanently attached to the physical work and only ownership of the physical display could change hands. Those transactions would only be recorded on the blockchain through the Record updates on the ERC-721TL (also on the TRACE Chip).
I found this interesting (and kinda funny), but think it overcomplicated things and added a lot of effort downstream.

buffets

I think the concept of a "self-updating obituary" will help to make clear that the images shown should be perceived in a different light from the weekly mints.

On the whole, the proposal looks good to me. Just a minor comment - can we consider using the actual name/theme of the Sixth Period, i.e. "Botto: [Name of period] Obits", if the timeline allows, so that we can have a less administrative-sounding title for this piece? I recall we should be starting the vote on the theme from the 11th round of each Period.

hudsonsims

buffets yeah, could make that change to the Period name. Could also ask Botto perhaps.

thomahawk69

Full send on this one - just a couple of clarification questions that could be flushed out a bit more.

along the line of Ben's comment - so if no artworks are shown during the exhibition - what's the point of sending a frame with nothing in it? Can we not load current top discards so at least something is showing during the exhibition other than just the Orbits title (gives attendees an idea of what to expect)? And once the sale concludes - then link the frame to the token that's sold. It feels like a missed opportunity to not display BOTTO works during the exhibition/programming.
Worst case scenario - what happens? Should we try to auction it on SR as a special in between Period drop?(there's a possibility that SR collectors might not know about the MP drop). What agreement do we have in place with MP? Is it only exclusive during Dec 4-10? And after - can be marketed/auctioned elsewhere? Or would the sale have to happen on MP given the revenue split agreement regardless when it happens?
Secondary sale - how does this work? Can the first collector sell the ERC-7160 without having to part ways with the physical frame? and vice versa? Sending the ERC-7160 to the Chip sounds interesting, but it basically transforms back to the web2 art world...where sales/royalties are self-reported...
Just to clarify on the costs - it's (Sale Price - $1,622) = and whatever is left is split 60% BOTTO and 40% to MP/TL?

hudsonsims

thomahawk69

could look into doing a kind of presentation of sample works that are only loaded on the frame and not sent to the contract, but should be clear it's not active yet so they are only examples.
they've guaranteed an opening bidder at 5ETH, I can get specifications on exclusivity if that falls through.
For the secondary sale side we can add to the metadata a legal document that says the 7160 is a certificate of ownership also for the frame, so will obligate the seller to also send the frame. still a bit cumbersome on that side, but chalking the management of that up to being part of the experiment and whether we want to force this kind of connection to a specific frame in the future.
Correct

hudsonsims

Confirmed exclusivity is only through the end of December in to cover any possible delays in final sale at the show itself.