At first I didn’t consider the work as art but rather a hybrid of creative coding, design, and collectibles. When I released my first project on Art Blocks in August 2021 I regarded it more as an experiment to get to know the technology.
Screens themselves don’t really catch people’s attention that much anymore — we’re used to seeing gigantic LED screens everywhere at airports and sports arenas. But adding that extra dimension of movement made people more curious about the work.
I’m inspired by minimal German design philosophy as well as Scandinavian design culture. But I also love to break those systems and work with organic elements. I’m very interested in that dichotomy.
You can use the skills of design and a design methodology to make art, and that’s definitely what I do.
I’ve had feedback from some individuals who really wanted to buy the corresponding pair but the other person simply wouldn’t budge.
My mindset has always been to figure out how I can use a new technology for something it wasn’t intended for, especially if it was meant for mass consumption or control. That spirit was part of the creative coding scene in the early 2000s where artists would hack off-the-shelf technology. I still have that mentality.
The format of the Cure³ project, which prescribed a tiny 20x20 cm frame, was perfect because it invited me to try something completely different: to whisper instead of yelling.
I think of aesthetics as the language of those aspects of us that cannot be spoken in words. I’m constantly battling with symbolic or conceptual concerns in my work while also maintaining a level beyond words that is purely experiential.
Bjørn Staal, also known as nonfigurativ, is a Norwegian artist, programmer, and researcher whose work explores the dynamic interactions between digital systems and human perception and behavior. With more than a decade of experience in multidisciplinary design and software development, Staal co-founded the experimental art and design studio Void in 2015. Focused mainly on the development of large-scale interactive installations, Void has gained international recognition for its work at the intersection of design, architecture, technology, and art.
Since leaving Void in 2023, Staal has focused on his own artistic practice, exploring how algorithms can enrich our understanding of what it means to be human in an age where our agency is increasingly outsourced to tech companies. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally in online and physical exhibitions as well as installations in public spaces. In September 2024, Staal had his first solo exhibition at Wintercircus in Ghent, Belgium.
Alex Estorick is Editor-in-Chief at Right Click Save.