Conceptual artwork on the blockchain representing the claim to be rather comparable to a token than to a coin – as an artist. After years of ups and downs in interest for cryptocurrencies, smart contracts and ICOs, giving birth to a parallel financial system on different blockchain projects like Bitcoin or Ethereum and a frenzy artmarket for NFTs, we are all could be rather described as tokens than coins. Minted non-fungible entities of questionable beauty and valor, but all proud to be no assets and exchangeable. Stating the contrary inside of a tokens only underlines the desperate claim and remains part of the conceptual position – and not sell it, but to display and offer it on commercial NFT art markets.

i am a token, and I am not for sale. a super-rare token. inherited, but not sold.

Description of the artwork (also in the NFT):
“I am not a token. This is a picture. This is not me. Being a unique picture is not important. I am genetic code, a menace to the ecosystem. Commodifying life, the planet, equals destruction. I am not an asset. I am a non-fungible token not for sale. I am a white, grateful artist – lucky, privileged and full of proof of work.”

We are not “like newly minted coins — perfect and priceless”, we are cheaply made individuals for a purpose, attention divided, gaining value for a platform, a store, an incubator, an initial coin offering, but we are not conservative gold. We are also not blood, or even a currency – we are UTILITY tokens, useful but also full of fantasy. We are super-rare coupons that can be appreciated in the future.  (see e.g. https://academy.bit2me.com)

I conceived “I AM A TOKEN” as an answer and homage to Kevin Abosch´s project “I AM A COIN” (see https://iamacoin.com/) – instead of a divisible piece of digital currency being traded, becoming an non-divisible ERC-721 token on the blockchain, an NFT (a Non-Fungible Token). In essence, a picture of me, a digital representation which could be traded and given value – or not. Only that this token will never be sold – an artistic comment not to be traded. As humans we are all unique and do not have to follow the call of the market.

For the project´s page see: https://iamatoken.io

Created with a smart contract as Token 2444 of a signed transaction on a blockchain using still proof of work, it is a cryptographically unique “entity”.

https://etherscan.io/token/0x9201a886740d193e315f1f1b2b193321d6701d07?a=2444

iamatoken is listed on Opensea & Rarible as not for sale and lives in the artist´s wallet and as a 1010×1010 pixel .jpg in the web of everchanging servers.

OPENSEA

https://opensea.io/assets/0x9201a886740d193e315f1f1b2b193321d6701d07/2444

RARIBLE

https://rarible.com/token/0x9201a886740d193e315f1f1b2b193321d6701d0