2026spr

Instructor


MAT265 Art & the Blockchain

George Legrady | vislab.mat.ucsb.edu
 

Course materials are protected by US Copyright laws and by University policy. Contents of this course may not be reproduced, distributed, or displayed without my express prior written consent.

Tues-Thurs 10:00-11:50pm (some lectures may be online) otherwise Lab 2611, 2nd flr, Elings Hall
Course Information
This course introduces blockchain as an emerging platform for digital creative practice.

We will review key concepts—and review terminologies such as blockchain, cryptocurrency, NFTs, tokens, minting, drops, wallets, marketplaces, and decentralized networks.

Through presentations, discussions, and research, the course examines how contemporary digital artworks are produced, stored, and circulated, and considers how these systems may shape the future of cultural practice.

The goal is to explore the creative opportunities of readily available AI software and to reflect on the impact of AI on how we create and understand the photograph’s transformation

Course Workload

 Attendance and participation at both in class meetings and zoom lectures
Reports and project posted at Student Forum
Mint an NFT
03.31


Environment

04.02
 Intro | Automata [On Etherscan] [opensea] | Harmon | Cryptopunks [opensea] [info] [Phaidon Book] | Autoglyph [interview] | on-chain | LarvaLabs |

Bitcoin [Nakamoto] [URL] | Blockchain | OpenSea | web3 | gas

Student Exploration and presentation |
04.07

Environment

04.09
 Casey Reas | Index | Art Review | Feral File | Art Blocks |

Ethereum [smart contract] | Sepolia Testnet | Etherscan | What is NFT Art? | Coursera

Student Exploration and presentation
04.14


04.16
 Authenticity | Rubens | Work of Art [Burgin AI] | Startrek | Putin | DancePose [Crawford-Paglen] [Farid Berkeley | Farid AI] | Farid-Blockchain |

andersbrownworth [videos] [author]
04.21

04.23
 Provenance: Art [benefits] | Archaeology | Data Provenance | Blockchain computing |

Metamask |
04.28

04.30
 Robert Alice [Babel] [opensea] | On NFTs [Taschen] | Christies | Digital Frontier

mid-term exam
05.05

05.07
 Kevin McCoy | Vera Molnar [sothebys] | Herbet W. Franke [ArtNews] [NFT] | Simon Denny [press] |

Mint an NFT?
05.12


05.14
 Rhea Myers | Dmitri Cherniak | ChronoPhotograph | Muybridge [MOMA] | OXDEAFBEEF | DEAFBEEF2|

Student Research & Report
05.19

05.21
 Research Topic

Student Research & Report
05.26

05.28
 Final Project at work

Final Project at work
06.02

06.04
 Final Project Presentation & Documentation

Final Project Presentation & Documentation
Links

ArtLinks


Artists
Terminology | Computing Space | DAO | Quantum/Crypto | Provenance |

LACMA | Art News | Pompidou | Toledo [artists/articles]| Whitney / Christiane Paul | SuperRare | Art Basel | Miami | HEK

Terrao | Anna Ridler [avantarte] | Kevin Abosch | Tyler Hobbs | Matt Deslauriers | William Mapan | Rafael Rozendaal | Operator | Leander Herzog | Kim Asendorf | Sarah friend | Andreas Gysin | Breandan Dawes | Ash Thorp | Refik Anadol | Sofia Crespo | Helena Sarin | Holly Herndon & Met Dryhurst | Laturbo Avedon | Botto |
Student Projects
Final Projects Documentations