We are pleased to announce the upcoming release of Symphony for n Metronomes, a new generative performance by Andreas Rau, launching on Verse on June 25.
Symphony for n Metronomes is a code-based decentralized performance where blockchain, interface, and synchronized time articulate an evolving field of presence.
Conceptually informed by Ligeti’s Poème Symphonique (1962) and Ichiyanagi’s Music for Electric Metronome (1960), the project repositions the rhythmic idea of the metronome as an active agent within a distributed generative system. Each minted iteration introduces a new metronome into the collective structure, contributing to an ever-evolving visual and sonic field.
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As collectors engage with the system, each mint triggers structural and temporal shifts within the generative architecture of the work.
The performance unfolds in real time online during the release activity on Verse and through the artist’s live page, where all mint activity is reflected in real time → met.andreasrau.eu.
Within the Rau website, collectors’ positions in the system are visually represented in the live performance interface, structured into three levels of participation: Metronome, Ensemble, and Orchestra.
Metronome (1+) — each minted iteration becomes an active agent within the system’s evolving rhythm.
Ensemble (2+) — the collector’s name is displayed in the live interface, marking their presence in the collective choreography.
Orchestra (10+) — the collector’s metronomes gain the capacity to perform solo intermittently, momentarily emerging to the foreground of the performance.
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As mint activity evolves, collector names and contributions become an integral part of the system’s topology.
The conceptual expansion of Metronomes is further amplified by the intrinsic possibility of presenting multiple rhythmic iterations within a physical installation space, which Andreas Rau has conceived as a dimensional extension of the project’s digital realization. To establish the foundation for this spatial configuration, the artist has already minted the first 24 metronomes, anchoring the installation's evolving architecture prior to public release.
Symphony for n Metronomes reveals a generative architecture that elevates the idea of collective participation within the digital artwork. Each collector assumes an active and necessary role in the ongoing evolution of the work they support, contributing both to the expansion of their own iteration and to the progression of all others in the system.
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“Fakewhale: Symphony for n Metronomes appears to invert the traditional figure of the artist-author, decentralizing control of the work in favor of a system that evolves through participant activation. How did you arrive at this reflection on decentralized authorship, and how do you see it redefining the role of the artist within the digital context?
Andreas Rau: Originally, I had this idea of a networked series. I wanted to create a shared virtual space that collectors inhabit together rather than a collection of isolated tokens that everyone owns separately. This alone is a departure from the traditional model of collecting, made possible by the networked nature of the blockchain. The concept of decentralized authorship was a logical next step to further strengthen the feeling of together shaping a shared experience. As a jazz musician, I see similarities to a jam session. Everybody can participate, yet the outcome is unknown (…)”
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