Chapter 4: Realms, 2024

'The Origin' is a 1 of 1 artwork and the first inscription on Bitcoin ordinals from the project 'The Wild Within', a series that brings new life into abandoned buildings from a bygone era, created by Dutch-Canadian artist Ryan Koopmans and his partner Swedish artist Alice Wexell.

'The Origin' is inscribed on a satoshi mined on March 24, 2021. This date marks the same day the first artwork from 'The Wild Within' was minted on Ethereum.

The artwork transitions between day and night modes at 7 am and 7 pm CEST, synchronized with the Bitcoin clock, reflecting the time zone of the abandoned building's location in Italy.

The previous artworks minted on Ethereum have been exhibited and acquired by some of the world's premier collectors of digital art. The introduction to ordinals marks an evolution of the series, bringing the work to a blockchain where the paramount values of immutability, security, and permanence take center stage.

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Based on real-world physical spaces, a rebirth into the digital realm is created by combining photography with three-dimensional techniques.

Ryan Koopmans & Alice Wexell have visited different locations around the world over the past decade, exploring ruins and photographing structures that have undergone dramatic transition.

Upon returning, they digitally introduced vegetation, modified the structure and lighting, and altered the scenes with the intention of reviving the empty spaces, essentially bringing life back into the rooms. The results are a surreal collision between the past and future, natural and manmade, physical and digital, and the real and imaginary.

The aim of the artwork is to create a sense of surreal tranquility whilst referencing the theme of architectural history and its relationship with nature, preserving the imagery on the blockchain for eternity.

Many of the buildings depicted in 'The Wild Within' have been demolished in recent years, further emphasizing the theme of time passing in the cycle of growth and decay.