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Class repo for The New School / Eugene Lang "Cryptocurrency: Money as Medium" course, Fall 2019

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Cryptocurrency: Money as Medium

Description

Cryptocurrency emerged as a means of decentralizing the financial system and making banks obsolete. Its detractors cite the ways in which it reproduces systems of capital. A critical engagement with this emerging technology is the responsibility of artists and researchers, who must find creative grounds with which to explore this new paradigm. To this end, it is important to recognize the ways in which various modes of engaging with monetary systems have already contributed to our understanding of currency and the possibilities of blockchain technology.

This class examines the history and theory of cryptocurrency, artistic interventions into currencies, and speculative futures in the imaginary of alternative economics, smart contracts, and futurist artworks. This class is a studio/seminar hybrid, so students should be prepared to read, discuss, create, and critique.

Course Learning Objectives for Students

  • Gain a broader understanding of the historical and social factors leading to the increasing presence of computational systems in our lives

  • Engage in project-based and collaborative learning that utilizes computational/algorithmic thinking

  • Work through the social and political implications of computational technologies and develop an accompanying ethical framework and tools of resisting power structures and prefiguring new futures

  • Use computation as a tool to enhance their liberal arts education—to better analyze, communicate, create and learn

  • Appreciate the challenges of equity and access posed by increased reliance on computational technologies as well as their potential to reinforce existing inequalities in society

  • Think critically about the ways they and others interact with computation including understanding its limits from philosophical, logical, mathematical and public policy perspectives

Grades

  • Participation and Attendance: 30%
  • Projects: 40%
  • Text Responses & Discussion: 30%

Projects & Assignments (subject to change)

  • Virtual Virtual Stockmarket (10%)

    • Students spend $100 USD (not really) on any three coins.
    • Students must write 250 words on why they chose these particular coins in such a way that demonstrates research.
    • At the end of the semester, whoever has the most fake fake money wins (+2% extra credit).
    • Trading is allowed during the semester, but can only occur between students in this class, and all trades must be documented.

  • Currency Parasite (40%)

    • In the vein of the Harriet Tubman stamp, "Where's George?", or Stamp Art, create a layer for an existing currency.
    • This can range from being purely aesthetic to acting as an intervention.
    • You must put your work into circulation and document the creation and dispersal.
    • In creating your currency, ask yourself: "How will people encounter this? How do I want them to feel when they do?"
    • Returning to the Hito Steyerl text, you might also reconsider what can be understood as money, which gives you a wide field as the artist for this project.

  • Classcoin (10%)

    • Students must successfully mine X number of Classcoin to receive a passing grade on the project.

  • Final Project: Create a Blockchain Company or Work of Art (40%)

    • Groups (or solo) create a speculative cryptocurrency/blockchain project. Write a whitepaper, create a website, market your project. Once complete, pitch your project during class. Be sure to investigate existing projects in the vein of what you are attempting.
    • These projects don't need to come into fruition, but they need to feel real in all aspects: A presentation, branding, interaction with the real crypto community, diagrams, etc. are all ways of achieving this.
    • Feel free to create this in the mode of existing projects in the blockchain ecosystem, or to re-imagine the technology, or simply be as absurd or experimental as you would like.

Schedule

week 1 (8/26 & 8/28)

Introductions, Relating Art and Money

week 2 (9/2 & 9/4) no class 9/2

Intro to Bitcoin

week 3 (9/9 & 9/11)

Bitcoin continued

week 4 (9/16 & 9/18)

week 5 (9/23 & 9/25)

Intro to Criticism of Bitcoin, Darkweb

week 6 (9/30 & 10/2) no class 9/30

Darkweb

week 7 (10/7 & 10/9) no class 10/9

Introduction to Web 3.0, Ethereum

week 8 (10/14 & 10/16)

Smart Contracts

week 9 (10/21 & 10/23)

Crypto-libertarianism, Facebook

week 10 (10/28 & 10/30)

Terra0, Video Game Economics

  • Monday

    • Guest Speaker via Skype, Max Hampshire of Terra0
    • Discuss Work(s)
      • Terra0

  • Wednesday

week 11 (11/4 & 11/6)

  • Monday & Wednesday
    • Present Parasite Projects

week 12 (11/11 & 11/13)

Mining

week 13 (11/18 & 11/20)

Hyperdemocracy

week 14 (11/25 & 11/27) no class 11/27

  • Monday
    • Complete class surveys
    • Final Project check-in

week 15 (12/2 & 12/4)

  • Monday & Wednesday
    • Final Project workshop

week 16 (12/9 & 12/11)

  • Monday & Wednesday
    • Present Final Projects (5 minute presentations)

week 17 (12/16)

  • Course re-cap, turn in Final Projects

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Class repo for The New School / Eugene Lang "Cryptocurrency: Money as Medium" course, Fall 2019

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