theVERSEverse Announces HOWL.camera, a New Digital Reimagining of Allen Ginsberg's Seminal Poem

theVERSEverse announces HOWL.camera, a new digital reimagining of Allen Ginsberg's seminal poem by AI artist Ross Goodwin. This latest development follows their groundbreaking "After Ginsberg" exhibitions at the Paris Art Fair, Fahey/Klein Gallery in Los Angeles, and Unit London in 2023.  

In a press release shared with Cryptowisser, theVERSEverse said this project deepens the ongoing collaboration between theVERSEverse and the Allen Ginsberg Estate, which began with their successful partnership exploring Ginsberg's textual and visual legacy in the web3 space.

The reimagining will launch on February 19, 2025, on fx(hash) with a party at Fahey/Klein Gallery in Los Angeles. According to the team, HOWL.camera continues Ginsberg's own tradition of embracing new technologies. 

Just as Ginsberg experimented with tape recorders and cameras to create multimedia versions of his work, HOWL.camera transforms his revolutionary 1955 poem into a dynamic, AI-powered visual experience. 

While commenting on this latest development, Ross Goodwin said,

“This work uses Ginsberg's poem Howl as the dynamic lens for a computational representation of his photography. These days, there's a lot of emphasis on large language models, but in this case, I wanted to show what a small language model could do. Overall, it represents a new experiment in speculative photography, merged with generative text.” 

By leveraging advanced generative tools, Goodwin creates a unique intersection of language and imagery by translating Howl's text into dynamic ASCII representations of Ginsberg's black-and-white photography. 

The team added that the project incorporates Markov chains and image recognition technology to explore "post-photography" as an interface for both semantic and sensory interpretation, where Ginsberg's spoken words merge with pixelated visual elements. 

Collectors are welcomed to participate in this artistic fusion through fx(hash)'s fx(params) platform, selecting their preferred Ginsberg photograph as the foundation for their unique edition. 

The development team added that each piece transforms the chosen image through AI interpretation and ASCII art techniques, weaving in elements of Ginsberg's recorded poetry. The art will be minted on the Tezos blockchain.

theVERSEverse is funded by the Tezos Foundation and minted on the Tezos blockchain. It represents a significant milestone in the intersection of literary heritage and blockchain technology. It is joining a portfolio of cultural partnerships within the Tezos ecosystem, including the Musée d'Orsay, the Serpentine, and the Museum of the Moving Image.

 Aleksandra Artamonovskaja, Head of Art at Trilitech, Tezos R&D Hub in London, stated that,

"By bringing Ginsberg's revolutionary voice into Web3, it’s not just preserving cultural heritage – but also transforming how we experience and interact with canonical literature in the digital age.” 

Founded in November 2021 by Ana María Caballero, Kalen Iwamoto, and Sasha Stiles, theVERSEverse is an experimental literary gallery where poem = art. theVERSEverse is a literary gallery where poem = work of art. It is a collective of poets, writers, artists, editors, curators, and creative technologists working to unlock the literary potential of the blockchain. Leveraging web3 tools to unlock creativity, theVERSEverse strives to empower writers artistically, technologically, and financially. Elisabeth Sweet joined in May 2022 to support communications and community outreach.

Meanwhile, Tezos is a cutting-edge, energy-efficient blockchain. It is used by thousands of artists around the globe to create and sell digital art, and cultural institutions, including Serpentine, Musée d'Orsay, and LAS Art Foundation, for their innovative approaches to cultural programming.