A visual and temporal experience inscribed on Bitcoin. Monolith is a collection conceived by Japanese digital artist OTO. Much more than a series of generative works, it is a genuine artistic and technological exploration of Bitcoin as a medium, but also as an active element in the evolution of the work. Indeed, each coin registered on Bitcoin gradually evolves as new blocks are mined, until it disappears completely… in over 100 years. A way of questioning the notion of the immutability of digital art on Bitcoin.

OTO, the artist who puts technology at the service of creativity

Based in Japan, OTO is a digital artist renowned for his mastery of generative art and his minimalist approach. He has made a name for himself with collections such as Ordinal MIMI (his first collection, featuring 333 pieces) and Monoliths. Fascinated by the Bitcoin philosophy and Ordinals technology, OTO pushes the boundaries of interactive art by integrating elements of viewer participation.

Monolith: A work of art that evolves with Bitcoin

One of the key features of Monolith is its gradual transformation. Each work rests on a background inspired by quantum space, which slowly deteriorates with each mined block. At the same time, the dynamically animated monolith becomes more and more minimalist, imperceptibly so with each new validated block, until its complete disappearance scheduled around block 7,140,000, i.e. in around 120 years’ time.

This unique process raises the question of theimmutability of digital art on Bitcoin.

A parent-child architecture in the Ordinals protocol

The collection is structured according to one parent entry and 333 child entries, a process that establishes an on-chain provenance link for each piece in the collection.

• The collection of 333 children’s entries has been published under the name Monoliths by OTO.
• The parent inscription, meanwhile, is a unique piece belonging to a separate collection (1/1 Origin), and was sold at Sotheby’s on May 29, 2024.
• All child inscriptions recursively reference the parent inscription, which serves as their algorithmic seed, meaning that the visual DNA of the entire collection is based on a single initial inscription.

A connection to Bitcoin’s origins

The Monolith collection also plays with Bitcoin’s history and rare sats. Each work is inscribed on a satoshi from the first Bitcoin of Block 9 mined by Satoshi Nakamoto. These are the oldest satoshis in circulation. This inscription offers an additional connection with the very foundations of Bitcoin.

The satoshi numbers are also significant:

• The parent entry is associated with sat #45.095.752.000.
• Children’s entries are inscribed on satoshis #45.095.752.001 to #45.095.752.333, in sequence.

An interactive, evolving experience

Monolith is also an interactive experience:

• The user can zoom in or out on the work using the mouse wheel.
• The monolith can be hidden from view so that only the artistic background can be contemplated.
• A secret code also masks the background, adding a layer of mystery to the experience.

Art on Bitcoin: a fusion of the unalterable and the ephemeral

With Monolith, OTO plays on the paradox between the immutability of Bitcoin and the impermanence of art. While each work is indelibly engraved on the blockchain, its appearance gradually evolves until it fades away entirely. This fusion of art, technology and time makes for a unique and subtle experience.

Monolith is a collection of digital art that reflects on time, memory and transformation, highlighted by Bitcoin and the Ordinals protocol.

Contact us to purchase a work from the Monolith collection.

Symbole Art has acquired for one of its clients the first entry in the first collection by artist OTO.