Visit SEED now.

We are excited to introduce SEED, the official genesis NFT collaboration by Rhizome and TRLab. As 2023 has shaped up to be a seminal moment for generative art and creative A.I., it's only fitting to highlight the work of Rhizome, a nonprofit organization and affiliate of The New Museum, for their longtime support of the history and future of born-digital, and generative artworks from the earliest uses of the term in the 1990s. (Need to catch up? Read all about Rhizome here.)

In keeping with TRLab's mission to highlight and co-create timeless artworks, SEED is an interactive multimedia journey through Rhizome's relationship with digital artists and generative artworks, tracing the evolution of this exciting genre through a selection of stories spanning the organization's near-three decade existence.

Throughout the experience calendar of SEED, there will be a variety of digital artworks and keepsakes available to collect, both free and priced.

Summer - Part One

SEED 1: Postcards from StarryNight – an exclusive and limited edition series of NFTs created from a restored version of the 1999 e-mail net artwork StarryNight by Alex Galloway, Mark Tribe and Martin Wattenberg, this celestial token illuminates your role as an original explorer of SEED, and unlocks additional benefits. Mint it now, and this artwork will take root in your wallet and give access to the artwork collections coming in the fall. For more information on how to collect this Pass, read on.
SEEDlings – embedded throughout the experience, SEEDlings are free of charge to grab as mementos. Simply explore the archive to discover them.

Fall - Part Two

SEED 2 - As the season turns, SEED 2 will become available for purchase. A collection of generative artworks, this will be the genesis artwork collection by Rhizome.
SEED 3: Premier Generative Artwork Collection – In the Fall, Rhizome x TRLab will unveil a groundbreaking collection of generative artworks, created by high profile generative and digital artists [REDACTED].
1. Collectors with SEED 1 and SEED 2 will receive priority access.

Summer - SEED 1: Postcards from StarryNight

*StarryNight* Constellation for keyword "art world"

About the artwork, StarryNight

StarryNight, a groundbreaking piece by Alex Galloway, Mark Tribe and Martin Wattenberg. The emulator serves as an artistic interface for the curated online archive of Rhizome's email discussion list. Created during the late 1990s, this piece captures the essence of a pivotal forum for artists working with new media. It is an illuminating representation of critical exchanges, resource sharing, information dissemination, and artwork in email form, preserved in an archive which was called Textbase.

In StarryNight, every email within the Rhizome archive is visually manifested as a luminous point of light against a dark background. The brightness of each point increases with every access to its corresponding message in the archive. Through an ingenious navigation system, viewers can explore the constellation of emails by selecting assigned keywords. These connections form a tapestry that visually depicts the interrelatedness of the database. As a timeless work of information aesthetics, it not only showcases the artists' vision but also offers a captivating glimpse into the early online community of Rhizome.

Despite its historical importance, StarryNight was nonfunctional and partly lost for more than a decade, until it was restored by Rhizome’s digital preservation department. Now, this restored artwork forms the basis of Postcards from StarryNight, the official launch NFT for SEED and the starting point for a new chapter of Rhizome’s work with online community and generative art.

About SEED 1: Postcards from StarryNight

Postcards from StarryNight is an exclusive and limited edition series of NFTs created from the artwork StarryNight. The artwork served as an artistic interface for the curated online archive of Rhizome's email discussion list created during the 1990s.

This celestial token illuminates your role as an original collector of SEED. Mint it now, and this artwork will take root in your wallet and provide priority access to additional generative artwork collections launching this fall.

Each Postcard is a 1/1 artwork, featuring a keyword constellation unique to each collector. Images in this directory are from keywords with at least 2 visible stars. There is no telling which word you will receive.

When does SEED 1: Postcards from StarryNight launch?

June 26 @ 12pm ET: Early Access opens for a select community
June 28 @ 12pm ET: 48hr General Access begins

What can I do to get ready?

1. Gain Early Access

Early Access means you can purchase two days prior to the general public. We are working with the following communities for this special access. Access will be distributed at the community's discretion.

Arkive
Arsnl
Artwrld
FWB
Moonpay
Pace Verso
Rhizome
RightClickSave
Sothebys
TRLab
Zora
Benefit attendees

2. Decide if you would like to purchase with a crypto wallet, or credit card.

If you're already set up with a wallet address on Ethereum, all you have to do is hit MINT and make sure you have enough ETH in your wallet.

TRLab offers the option to purchase with crypto or credit card. If you are new to crypto and would like to create a wallet, here is our step by step guide.

3. Sign up to the mailing list and follow TRLab on Twitter & Instagram to be the first to know when SEED 1: Postcards from StarryNight goes live.

Summer - SEEDlings

Embedded throughout the experience, SEEDlings are free of charge to grab as mementos. Simply explore the archive to discover them.

How to collect

When you discover a SEEDling, simply click "Mint", and it will be added to your wallet for you to enjoy.

Fall - SEED 2

As the season turns, SEED 2 will become available for purchase. A collection of generative artworks, this will be the genesis artwork collection by Rhizome.

More details will be revealed in the Fall.

Fall - SEED 3: Premier Generative Artwork Collection unveiling

In the Fall,Rhizome x TRLab will unveil a groundbreaking collection of generative artworks, created by high profile generative and digital artists [REDACTED].