Kim Asendorf

Kim Asendorf is a German digital artist who creates abstract visual systems through algorithms. A pioneer in ‘net art’ and using the internet-as-a-canvas, Asendorf experiments per pixel to explore the boundaries between simplicity and complexity, searching for surprises. His innovative approach and endless curiosity have made significant impacts, especially his widely known creation of a Pixel Sorting algorithm tool that has been used by many artists and designers since 2012.

Artworks

Cargo

Cargo is an Art Blocks Curated series of abstract animations where pixels dance in endless motion, creating unique patterns that seamlessly blend macro and micro compositions. This dynamic artwork brings varying rhythms and synchronicity together, engaging viewers in a visual trip marked by alternating focus and overarching harmony. Utilizing WebGL, JavaScript, and GLSL, it features a novel flip-flop render buffer technique, enhancing its animated depth. Cargo evolved from earlier works 'monogrid' (2021) and 'Sabotage' (2022), building on Asendorf's exploration of pixel patterns.

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SABOTAGE

SABOTAGE embodies the eternal struggle between order and chaos through a collection of real-time animations. It transforms simple pixel movements into captivating disruptions. Patterns of grids and lines are initially arranged in harmony, then a 'saboteur' then alters this equilibrium by moving pixels, endlessly generating and reorganizing compositions. The project culminated in minting the Editor, allowing its owner to modify the main series, embodying the role of 'saboteur' while preserving the artworks' original states.

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Alternate

Alternate is a dynamic collection of abstract animations that begin with simple forms and colors, evolving to add complexity in geometry and hue. Movements are confined to adjacent pixels, advancing at a pace of one pixel per frame. The code of this project is entirely onchain, hosted by a smart contract for direct delivery, without external engines. The preview image itself is integrated into the artwork. Owners receive 4 versions, switchable via a contract function, with changes secured by a fee and irreversible.

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Rainbow Grid

Rainbow Grid is a vibrant series of 54 real-time animations by Kim Asendorf, where a personally scripted smart contract dictates ever-shifting patterns. Each piece dynamically blends a spectrum of colors within a grid, shifting and evolving, showcasing a dance between structure and fluidity. This collection stands out for its use of bold, pixelated aesthetics that give a nod to digital art's roots. Written by Asendorf in 2021, it's a testament to the fusion of art and code.

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Event Horizon

Event Horizon is an artistic simulation of circular energy fields in motion, altering matter as they traverse predefined paths. As these energies intersect and collide, they create new dynamics and movements, which alters the underlying grid and draws new patterns along their way through space. This collection of interactions offers a minimalist yet profound visualization of cosmic forces at play, captured in a series of engaging digital iterations. The series was minted in person at Bright Moments Tokyo.

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Traces

Traces, a collaborative project by conceptual artist Kim Asendorf and his wife Jana, delves into the interplay between humanity and nature through a living depiction. It features ancient rocks and evolving plants as symbols of untouched nature, with colors representing millennia of human influence. This project marries animation with real-time photography manipulation, introducing a feeling of modern era reconstruction and an evolving state of nature, for viewers to contemplate the impact of their own traces on the natural world.

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COLORS OF NOISE

In COLORS OF NOISE Kim Asendorf transforms the sound spectrum into a visual feast using a custom algorithm to generate real-time noise colors. This series showcases the diversity of sound through pixelated, flickering lines forming moiré patterns, creating a multisensory experience. Asendorf merges art with technology, crafting dynamic, color-based noise visualizations that evolve with the soundscape, inviting the audience into a deep audio-visual immersion.

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Chrome

Chrome animates 128 channels via JavaScript and GLSL, all synchronized with UTC (coordinated universal time), creating a visual symphony of linear motion and rhythmic randomness. Each channel progresses into the future by one second, a feature dictated by token ID through a custom smart contract. In shared spaces, these channels reveal coordinated compositions, evolving without repetition. Every hour, they operate independently before realigning, showcasing a digital dance of harmony and individual expression.

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Browse more of Kim Asendorf's artwork here.